Three years after the tsunami there are a lot more boats in areas affected by the disaster. But yields are low and there’s a new fear of the sea
     
     
Three years on from the devastating Indian Ocean tsunami and I wonder what the state of people’s livelihoods is in the affected areas. Annie George, CEO of the NGO Coordination and Resource Centre (NCRC), who has been working on the spot since the disaster, says: “As far as the fishermen are concerned, there was 200% replacement of boats. Where there were 2,000 boats pre-tsunami, now there are 4,000.  But if you are talking about improved livelihoods, there’s a big question mark. There was alarm at the way NGOs rushed to provide boats to all and sundry because, obviously, there has to be a balance between fishing and marine resources. But the number of people going out to fish has not doubled even though the number of boats has. By and large, life has settled back to the old patterns, but there is definitely a new fear of the sea which haunts the men.” 

Ramathayi from Tharangambadi village has a slightly different view. “Economically, our people have received a lot of money. Everyone had identical houses, so rich and poor were equalised in a sense. But the influx of money changed some people for the worse. They feel it’s their right to go on demanding help from everyone. That hurts the spirit of independence we had before. Fishing has reduced because, for one thing, people have compensation money and don’t need to go out everyday. But also there is a new fear of the sea. So if there’s an unusually rough sea, or huge waves, people hurry back or stay home.”

Ramathayi points out that livelihood grants for special groups like widows and disabled people were offered through the Asian Development Bank.

According to Annie, the agricultural livelihood scenario was optimistic from the start. “People started cultivation during the very first season in spite of dire predictions by the FAO and agricultural experts. And despite everything (the salinity factor, etc) the first yields were unexpectedly good, pre-tsunami levels. But the genetic potential of the land has deteriorated because of repeated floods, the resultant erosion, salinity, lack of inputs, etc. The challenge is to restore the land to its full potential. We are currently working in three river systems and have introduced participatory irrigation management. We are aiming for long-term disaster proofing of agriculture -- not merely tsunami reclamation. A lot more needs to be done as 85% of the population depends on agriculture.”

“Alternative employment generation has not been very successful. The Yusuf Meheralli Centre has tried a few new initiatives like coir products, an oil-making plant, soap-making, etc. The quality is extremely good and since they are linked to local self-help groups no funding is needed. Oil production is locally relevant, as coconut and groundnut is available in the region. The units are run by the people themselves with four self-help groups employing their own members.”

“Some NGOs have provided skills, sewing machines and solar driers. One project has undertaken steaming and drying of cashew nuts, which is quite successful. But by and large there have been no pathbreaking ventures. Hope International has done a very good job training technicians, masons and electricians and providing basic computer skills. The South Indian Federation of Fishermen’s Society (SIFFS) has added personal skills, like how to cope with job interviews.”

Manoharan, a traditional panchayat leader or nattamai from the fishing community, corroborates some of these things. Climate change is impacting dramatically on fishing livelihoods, he says. “Before the tsunami the sea was everything, our whole life. Now there is fear and many young people don’t want to go out to sea. They are afraid and are looking for options, new job opportunities. Even seasoned, experienced fishermen are afraid. The sea has changed. Pre-tsunami, we could predict everything about the sea. We knew her moods, every wind, every wave spoke to us. Now it is an unknown factor. Totally new fish appear which were never found in our waters. This is the prawn season but there are no prawns. It’s the rainy season but there are no rains. It’s bewildering, frightening. The first year we received a lot of aid. But now as we struggle to get back on our feet, the catch is not commensurate with our expectations. There’s a huge reduction in the amount of fish we catch and our incomes.”

SIFFS is working on forming a committee for resource management as there are serious livelihood and conservation-linked issues that need addressing. One of these is the use of purseine nets, locally known as surrukku valli. There is an international ban on the use of purseine nets which endanger marine stock as they capture enormous shoals, including fry. SIFFS is trying to educate fishermen to impose self-restrictions once they realise that using purseine nets endangers marine life and, in the long run, the livelihood of the entire fishing community.

A lot has been written about the discrimination shown to dalits during the post-tsunami relief phase. Natarajan, an enthusiastic young man who works for SIFFS, is a dalit and passionate about helping his community. What’s the situation three years on for dalit livelihoods in tsunami affected areas, I ask. “Most of my people were landless labourers and the economy was hit by land salinity. Peoples’ Watch, a Madurai-based NGO, formed a sangam of 44 dalit families in November 2006. The group received a corpus fund of Rs 1 lakh. They selected 10 families that each received Rs 10,000 to buy mulch animals. In nine months they repaid Rs 88,000. They agreed to pay 12% interest to create a revolving fund in the village. Each cow brings in an income of Rs 300-Rs 500 per month. We did this for 40 villages, and they have formed a federation. All of them are working successfully. It has transformed their lives.”

Natarajan continues: “We also started a brick-making unit which has helped stop migration. There are many social benefits. The kids are going to school. If a man is a drunk, the sangam gives his wages to his wife. That’s a huge difference for the family. It means the difference between a life of destitution, and dignity.”

“Of course there are problems everywhere,” Natarajan concludes, “but I would say that a lot of people are better off post-tsunami than before.”

Annie George agrees. In spite of all the negative publicity and the criticism, the position post-tsunami is less bleak than before, at least economically. An encouraging note to end on.