Earthquakes under the ocean floor, especially those neat the area where the continental plates join, generate huge waves which travel deep under the surface of the water and as they approach the continental shelf swell up to form tunamis. It is usually felt that Japan, Korea and the islands of Hawaii are tsunami prone. However this proved wrong on December 26, 2004 when tsunamis generated by the Sumatra earthquake hit the coasal areas of Southern India and Sri Lanka. In Pondicherry and Tamil Nadu alone nearly 10,000 people have been killed. The town of Nagapattinam was hit so badly that more than 4,557 bodies have been recovered so far. Whole communities of coastal people, particularly fisher folk have been wiped out. The saddest part of this tragedy is that the tsunamis took two hours to strike the Indian coast and had the Central Government been vigilant timely warning could have been given and the coast evacuvated of people. This was not done and a gigantic trgedy is now unfolding.
After a shaky start the relief has started trickling through. Food and clotes are being provided. There is dire need for baby food and medicines. Large number of children have been orphaned. The survivors are hudling together in high ground waiting for aid and relief to reach them. In the case of the islands of Andaman and Nicobar it appears that the tsuanmi caused extensive damage and there has been a loss of nearly 5,000 lives. Drinking water is the main problem.
A number of civil society organizations and individuals have contributed to the relief work. As usual politicians with their eye on the next elections are out making ostentatious display of their generosity.
The countries of the region were completely unprepared for this kind of natural calamity. Cyclones, floods and other such calamities are dealt with effectively aas the governament agencies have exprience of such calamities. In nearly a century this region has witnessed a tsunami. The world must send earh moving equipment, anti-cholera vacinines, water purifiers and building materials. This is the need of the hour.