Tuesday, January 11 2005 15:16 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

New Delhi: The Centre is working on long-term rehabilitation of children and women who were orphaned and widowed by the Tsunami disaster and is paying special emphasis to their psychiatric problems, a top official said.

Efforts are being made to identify either parents or living relations of children left homeless by the catastrophe and also provide them a familiar environment, food as also language, Social Justice Secretary Sarita Prasad told reporters in New Delhi at a briefing on relief and rehabilitation measures for the tidal wave victims.

Child help-lines were being set up and work was on for their long-term rehabilitation, she said observing counselling by psychiatrists was being extended especially to children and widows.

Prasad said that crutches, tricycles and other material were also being provided to the disabled.

On restoring communication facilities mainly in Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Chairman Telecom Commission Nripendra Misra said telephone exchanges in North, Middle and South group of Islands were now functional.

He said that all the eight Islands where the relief camps are being run are now linked with point-to-point communication through satellite phones, HAM radios and police wireless systems. The Armed Forces have also set up their communication links.