Friday, December 23 2005 13:50 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

Colachel (TN): For the fishermen in this tsunami-hit coastal hamlet where hundreds perished in the fury of the waves a year ago, all is not at sea yet.

It has been a long struggle to forget the past and regain lost life but the resilience of the common folks has paid off.

Determined faces, rebuilt dwellings and country boats scaling the waves now greet the visitor on the beaches here, where one had found collapsed houses, wrecked catamarans and heard nothing but wailing women last year.

The sea, which had taken the lives of many of their loved ones with its violent energy, is now back in its role of the provider. After the initial scare which lasted two to three months, fishermen started venturing out to sea, their only source of sustenance.

Standing on the pier in the evening breeze, Shahul Hameed, a survivor, says the fish catch in the area has dropped after the tsunami. However, reports of good catch from nearby areas bring hope and cheer.

A few kilometres from here at Mela Manakudy, the newly built temporary iron bridge linking it to Keela Manakudy, to be thrown open for traffic today, stands testimony to the reconstruction work going on in tsunami-hit areas.

The original bridge linking the two villages, built at a cost of Rs 9 crore, had been completely washed away in the tsunami. Damaged houses in the area have been rebuilt and new roads are being laid along the beach.

Dunston, co-pastor at the St.Andrews Church here, told sources that psycho-social workers are caring for victims who have not overcome the trauma. Games and interactive programmes are being conducted periodically.

Mela Manakudy, where 115 persons died and 252 houses were destroyed, has been adopted by Swiss-Caritas, a church-run charity, Dunston said.

Rajayya, a fisherman, said most people have come to terms with the tragedy that hit them and are now back to their old routine. Next to his house, Selin Mary, however, wept inconsolably looking at the sea that took away five members of her family including both her parents.

In temporary shelters at Kottilpadu adjoining this hamlet women and children are struggling hard to make both ends meet as the supply of provisions have stopped.

"Only a few men are going out to sea and those in the shelters share whatever they get," said Fr Xavier Raj Sam of the St.Alex's Church.

"The rule that a family would get only one house has deprived dwellings to many who lived as joint families by the seashore. The families cannot be accommodated in a single house in 1.5 cents of land where they were rehabilitated, "he said.

Shauri Muthu, a fisherman living nearby, says fish catch had dropped considerably in the last year, making it difficult for them to shore up their lives after the tragedy.

Only 350 houses had been handed over to the tsunami-hit people in Kanyakumari district so far out of the planned 2,536 G Prakash, Additional Collector (Relief and Rehabilitation) told sources.

The delay was largely due to problems in acquiring land, which was costly in the district.