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HIKKADUWA, SRI LANKA (17 March 2005) - The first big wave left fish stranded on the beach of this bustling town on Sri Lanka's west coast. Survivors of the first tsunami, including children, rushed to the shore to scoop up the unexpected bonanza.

But, minutes later, came the second wave - even bigger than the first - that claimed a second round of lives.

The tsunami of 26 December 2004, was so powerful that even after curling around the southern coast, it had enough energy to plough several hundred meters inland on the lee side of the island.

In addition to the human toll, the tsunami swept away railways, bridges and embankments and covered roads with thick debris, cutting off several towns from vital assistance.

Among those who came to the rescue was an ADB contractor on an inland expressway between Colombo and Matara. The day after the tsunami, the Japanese firm, Kumagai Gumi Co. Ltd, diverted resources to clearing the southern coastal highway between Bentota and Matara.

Acting on a request from the government, a 100-strong team and fleet of heavy duty equipment - loaders, dump trucks, cranes and motor graders - cleared the road by early January 2005.

"They removed huge rocks and debris and installed Bailey bridges where these had been washed out," says Bob Rinker, deputy country director and head of portfolio management at ADB's resident mission in Colombo. "They worked flat out to clear a major impediment to the relief effort."

This was part of the relief effort - and now ADB is preparing substantive grant assistance to rehabilitate roads in many parts of a country that depends heavily on coastal links to ensure easy access to remote areas.

Some $150 million in grants from ADB's new Asian Tsunami Fund has been earmarked for Sri Lanka.

Needs assessment reports prepared by the government and donors - including ADB, Japan Bank for International Cooperation and the World Bank - estimate the reconstruction needs for roads alone at $200 million to 300 million.

People working in tourism, trade, and fishing - key sectors of the economy - rely heavily on efficient supply and distribution lines, as Mr. Rinker observed during a reconnaissance road trip between Colombo and Hikkaduwa on the west coast.

In Moratuwa, just south of Colombo, trader Santha Peiris, 28, looked ruefully at the spot once occupied by his home near the main road by the beach.

He stood on a cornerstone - all that remained of two adjacent homes. Santha and his family occupied one and his parents and brother lived in the other.

Santha buys and sells fruit for a living, but he is finding it hard to start afresh as he lost his possessions to the tsunami.

He and his family are staying at a nearby Buddhist temple until they sort out what to do.

Further down the road, entrepreneur Ranjit Premakumar, 28, stood with his young son in front of what had been a brand new seafood restaurant - until it was smashed by the giant waves just days before opening.

He had borrowed money from a bank to take advantage of a tourism boom, but now he isn't sure what will happen.

In Hikkaduwa, fishermen sat by a roadside stall, hoping to sell their wares to passing customers - but demand was well down because of a widespread belief that the fish fed off corpses.

Near a beach of broken boats, Simbakotti Edward, 59, was mending a narrow skiff. He invited visitors home to see the waterline left by the tsunami - and the tall Mr. Rinker had to stretch to reach it.

The need for good access is also vital at nearby Telwatte, where the tsunami derailed a train, killing hundreds of people. A center for internally displaced persons (IDPs) has been set up beside the station and people were queuing up for food and other supplies brought in from outside.

Bulldozers worked the main road, scooping up debris to keep the aid lifeline open. After the clearing up, the serious task of rehabilitation and reconstruction will begin in earnest.

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