Dinesh In The UNDP: Nagapattinam

On August 3rd and 4th, 2010, Dinesh travelled in and around the tsunami-ravaged areas of coastal Nagapattinam. He had a lengthy discussion with Mr. Muniyanathan, IAS, District Collector of Nagapattinam, on the preparedness measures being taken in the district to face future disasters, and the rehabilitation efforts taken to mitigate the post-tsunami suffering of the fishermen. He also surveyed the disaster prone areas with the UN workers, learned of the relief and recovery efforts being undertaken, interacted with school children about their disaster preparedness, and had personal meetings with the local fishermen's families to learn of the relief they had received. He also visited local NGOs to learn of their relief and recovery work in the area. Finally, based on all his discussions with government officials and personal interactions with the fisher folk, he has written a detailed report to be submitted to the Commissioner of Revenue Administration (CRA), the top official of the Indian Administrative Services in the state of Tamilnadu, India.

Discussing with the Collector and taking copious notes

Q & A session with the Collector
The Collector patiently answering Dinesh's questions

Interacting with school children with the help of a translator


The school children who told Dinesh about their disaster preparedness

With his mentor and Mr. Krishnakumar, Director of AVVAI, a local NGO


The UN team describing the extent of the tsunami

The government strengthening the dikes and shoreline

The newly-built bridge, the old one having been decimated by the tsunami


Mr. Krishnakumar explaining the human tragedy and devastation caused by the tsunami

In front of a partially standing structure on the shore

Tsunami-ravaged areas

A badly hit coastal village

A rebuilt fishing colony

Meeting a fisherman at his home

Thanking the fisherman for his kindness

Meeting a family that lost the fisherman father

The boy had to stop his education in order to find work to support the family
Outside the fishing colony, pondering over the human tragedy brought on by the tsunami



Indeed, an experience of a lifetime for Dinesh! From a privileged life in one of the best countries in the world, he has now been to a place where he has seen the life-altering aftermath of a disaster, and the human faces connected to the tragedy, sorrow and suffering writ large everywhere in the community. From being a narcissistic, self-absorbed teenager in a materialistic society with the attendant iPod, Blackberry, laptop, game consoles, etc., he has now seen the suffering of children his age who have been forced to give up their education and seek a job in order to support their families. He has witnessed firsthand the tears of a mother who lost her fisherman husband to the tsunami, now buys fish from the other fishermen and walks all day on the city streets to sell the fish in the basket carried on her head. Her plaintive cry in answer to how prepared she is for another disaster: " Let not God be so cruel as to bring on another tsunami. I have already lost my entire livelihood to one, and if another one strikes, I will hold my children by the hands and walk directly into the ocean!" And this with torrents of tears coursing down her cheeks! Dinesh had tears clouding his eyes as well, and as he made a valiant effort not to let them fall, the woman pleaded,"Master, please do something for us. Help my children get an education. That's all I ask!"

God, why are there disasters on the planet? Why is there so much of suffering in the world? Like Keats, my heart aches and a drowsy numbness pains my sense, as though of hemlock I had drunk ...