Tsunami Response

Total Funding: $200 million ($100 million in grants and $100 million in loans), apportioned as $143.75 million for Tamil Nadu State and $56.25 million to Kerala State (does not include US$5 million livelihood grant).

Key Challenges:

Efforts to ensure consensus building and bottom-up planning in project implementation have resulted in a number of time-consuming management issues (e.g., resource optimization, environmental and social safeguards, accountability). All government departments involved in rehabilitation efforts are also under time management burdens, as tsunami restoration work comes in addition to their normal operational duties. With the ongoing freeze on hiring new civil servants, especially at field level, there is a shortfall of manpower which, when coupled with additional works, has necessitated the hiring of private sector assistance. Large-scale rebuilding efforts in many smaller communities has given rise to shortage of building material such as bricks, sand and aggregates, resulting in an escalation of costs, and lukewarm response from contractors. The planning and design of multi-hazard resistant construction as required necessitates significant capacity building among all stakeholders (government, affected communities, contractors, NGOs, self-help groups, etc.), which also takes time.

Next Steps:

Efforts are still focused on expediting the completion of infrastructure works, land acquisition processes and remaining livelihood interventions. For livelihood programs, marketing support will be provided through, inter alia, the training of women marketing executives, establishment of chain sales outlets, professional branding and marketing support, and linkages with cluster-level production centers. Environmental and social safeguard issues continue to remain at the forefront of the capacity building agenda.