Report of the

Exposure visit by the Kerala Partners of

Community Based Disaster Preparedness Programme
to Thanjavur and Puducherry

16-20 February 2010

Organised by

Kerala Social Service Forum

 Participants of
the exposure programme

Rev.Fr.Romance Antony, Executive Director, KSSF

Rev.Fr.Jacob Kattady, Director, CHASSS
Rev.Fr.Jaison Vadassery, Asst.Director, ESSS
Rev.Fr.Paul Cherupilly, Asst.Director, WSE
Mr.John Pookunnel, PSO, Caritas India
Mr.Deepak.O.J, Program Officer, KSSF
Ms.Lakshmi Shankar, Documentation Officer, KSSF
Mrs.Silpa Treesa Sebastian, Gender Coordinator,KSSF KSSF
Mr.Jaison Varghese, Program Officer, KSSF
Mr.John Cyril, Project Coordinator, TSSS
Mr.Tomy Kuriakose, Asst.Project Coordinator, TSSS
Mr.Thomas George, Project Coordinator, MSSS
Mr.George Daniel, Project Officer, MSSS
Mr.Karthik Sasi, Field Officer, QSSS
Mr.Umesh Unnikrishnan, Field Officer, QSSS
Mr.Shaiju Elias, Field Officer, QSSS
Ms.Savitha, Project Coordinator, WSE
Mr.Siju Varghese, Asst.Project Coordinator, WSE
Mr.Edwin Michael, Project Coordinator, CSSS
Mr.P.L.Johnkutty, Project Officer, CSSS
Mrs.Philomina Joseph, Field Animator, CSSS
Mr. Vipin Joe MJ, Asst.Project Coordinator, ESSS
Ms.Jiji Ponnan, Project Coordinator, ADC & SWS
Ms.Amrutha Sebastian, Asst.Project Coordinator, ADC & SWS
Ms.Alby Stephen, Project Coordinator, KIDS
Mr.Ujesh N, Asst.Project Coordinator, KIDS
Mr.Toney Thomas, Project Coordinator, Bodhana
Mr.Bobbin Thomas, Asst.Project Coordinator, Bodhana
Mr.Siji Mathew, Field Animator, Bodhana
Mr.Jinto Varghese, Office Assistant, KSSF
Mas.Nevin John Tony

Documentation : Deepak.OJ, Lakshmi Shankar

Photos: Jaison Varghese, Fr. Paul Cherupilly
Learnings from the experience
of people....
K erala Social Service Forum, with the support of
CARITAS INDIA, organised an exposure visit
for the CBDP SOA II Phase partners in Kerala. The
programme intended to augment the knowledge and
experience of the team members working with disaster
mitigation programmes at diocesan level and to make
an understanding on the best practices in other
organizations in the same field.
Objectives of the programme were to provide the
delegates
An opportunity to interact with the members of
Community Based Organisations involved in disaster
mitigation activities
An exposure to the best practices in disaster
preparedness
Better understanding of systems and procedures that
are in place at community level to respond when
emergency occurs
An interaction with the staff members/volunteers
involved in disaster mitigation programs in the
respective Dioceses
A view to the rehabilitation houses of the displaced
people in the tsunami disaster
Participants for the programme:
The programme intended only for the personnel who
involved in CBDP programme in Kerala. A total of 37
members attended the tour programme.
?
Directors, point persons and Assistant point persons
of the 10 DSSSs involved in Disaster preparedness.
?
Director and CBDP team members from KSSF
?
Programme Support Officer Caritas India
The team visited the operational areas of TMSSS and
Pondicherry Multipurpose Social Service Society
(PMSSS). Rev.Fr. Antony Arokyaraj welcomed the
team members at TMSSS. He presented the activities
of TMSSS and CBDP interventions. The team visited
the Tsunami housing project at Sellur and interacted
with the tsunami victims. The group visited the Village
Coordination Committee at the village Esanoor
Kattalai. VCC members shared their experiences in
disaster mitigation programmes. Mock drill on water
rescue methods was demonstrated by the villagers.
Rev. Fr. V. Albert Thambidurai introduced about the
activities of PMSSS. Presentations on Information
Communication Technology (ICT) and disaster
preparedness programme of PMSSS provided new
insights in disaster mitigation and preparedness.
Effective utilisation of information technology devices
at Village centres are the high light of their programme.
 DAY ONE: 16 FEB, 2010

Team at Bharananganam

Self introduction by participants

DAY TWO: 17 FEB, 2010

About the agency:

Thanjavur Multipurpose Social Service Society, TMSSS,

established in 1968. Its operational area covers four Districts and
650 villages. TMSSS's vision is to empower the economically and
culturally backward and socially and politically disadvantaged
towards holistic human development

Major programmes of TMSSS

Relief and Rehabilitation

?
Ecological and environmental education
? TMSSS, regional Office
Promotion of Sustainable Agriculture
?
Community Based Rehabilitation of differently challenged
?
persons.
Formal and non-formal vocational training
?
Promotion of indigenous herbal medicines
?
Community based disaster management
?
Antihuman trafficking project
?

Major Achievements of TMSSS

2100 Self Help Groups formed with main focus on Women

?
Empowerment.
50000 people reached through various activities.
?
Vocational skill training program like Tailoring, Computer
?
training, printing which has provided job to around 4000 Digitalized social map displayed in the office
people Securing Livelihoods of the Marginalized Section.
2000 Differently challenged people covered Health, Education
?
and Livelihood program.
250 villages covered under the promotion of Sustainable
?
Agriculture and Herbal Medicine.

Disaster mitigation programme of TMSSS

Disaster management programme is being implemented in 63

villages in three districts with an objective of ensuring sustainable
disaster risk reduction in the most vulnerable areas. The
programme stresses the need for a change in addressing disaster
management an integral part of any development process.
Objectives of the programme are:
Welcoming participatns at the office
• Strengthening of Community Based Organizations (CBOs)
with special focus on socially and economically vulnerable
communities and enabling community to equip themselves to
take up development programmes and address issues
• Preparing the community for an effective Community Based
Disaster Preparedness Programmes
• Net working with Panchayat Raj Institutions, Government
Departments, public financial institutions and other
likeminded NGOs
• To Promote and build children's interest and involvement
towards community development.
• To improve community health and sanitation standards in the
new habitat.
• Ensure effective monitoring mechanism is in place.
Tsunami housing project at Sellur

Resource map developed by the community members (up)
Team members interacting with the villagers at Esanoor
Kattalai (down)
Achievements in DM
Zonal level Task Forces and Children Parliaments formed
?
Social maps have been updated
?
Village Development Plan prepared in all the 63 villages and
?
started implementing the prioritized plans
Task Forces have acquired knowledge in Rescue operations,
?
First Aid and Health and Hygiene. They are keeping the
rescue materials ready for at any time.
Children Group planted Trees in Tranquebar village
?
People are getting increased wage under RLEGP Scheme
?
after the wage struggle initiated by the community
Selling of illicit arrack has been totally eradicated In
?
Natchinarkudy village and the surrounding villages
The low lands leveled in Seven villages to avoid the
?
stagnation of water during rainy season
Health committees are maintaining the village cleanliness and
?
health matters.
The team visited Velainkanni shrine on 17th evening and a special
mass was celebrated jointly by Fr. Romance Antony, Fr. Jacob
Kattady, Fr. Paul and Fr. Jaison.
The team went to Muslim Street at Melayur to see the income
generation project of SHG of Muslim women. The women
entrepreneurs are making handicraft products using natural fibre.
The women Task force members demonstrated fire and rescue
methods and first aid methods for the visitors. The VCC meeting
 DAY THREE: 18 FEB, 2010

Director with the

TF members at Melayur welcome..
with ‘kumbham’

rescue operations..
demonstration

heartful thanks...
fire rescue methods.. a village man at Melayur
demonstration

Women entreprenuers at Muslim street receiving the Director-KSSF

 DAY FOUR: 19 FEB, 2010
th
On 19 the team visited PMSSS and attended a meeting with the
Director and key staff. Rev. Fr. V. Albert Thambidurai welcomed
the team. He explained about the activities of PMSSS. Application
of ICT in disaster preparedness was well described to the
participants through a PowerPoint presentation. The coastal
villages are connected to the govt machineries and relevant
information is disseminated to and fro through the communication Best practices observed
devise installed. Knowledge about the application of ICT
(Information Communication and Technology) in disaster Social maps are well exhibited with the
mitigation programmes has enhanced the insight of the evacuation routes and major resources in
participants. the community in the organisation
(TMSSS)
Fr. Romance Antony expressed the gratitude of the team by
honouring the director of PMSSS with 'Ponnada'. The Director of Entrepreneurship among the women at
PMSSS invited Fr. Romance for attending a seminar in which the Muslim street is found remarkable and
ICT is going to be discussed in detail. After that the team went to their enthusiasm is appreciable
Oravil, an International centre for peace and harmony and returned
at 5.30 PM. Consciousness of the organisations in
providing prolific information to the
visitors' team

Instant support from the project team in

both the agencies

Rescue methods practice by women and

children at Melayur using locally
available materials (coconut lifebuoys,
bamboo raft, barrels etc) was a different
experience to the group

Women and children are well associated

with the disaster preparedness
programme which can ensure the
effectiveness of preparedness

Multi-level coordination at field level and

the decentralised model of disaster
Rev. Fr. V. Albert Thambidurai welcoming the participants response in the interventions of TMSSS

Churches are effectively used for the

social development activities in the
community as a whole

Information Communication and

technology (ICT) has been well
integrated in the activities of Disaster
preparedness programmes at Pondicherry

Communities are very receptive to

towards the outside visitors. Their keen
interest to hear the visitors' experience
also to be appreciated.

Photo exhibition at PMSSS

 ICT intervention of PMSSS
PMSSS continued to enable the disaster affected
communities with various developmental initiatives
focusing on community mobilization and community
based disaster preparedness (CBDP) towards creating
a resilient community. In the context of CBDP,
PMSSS introduced the Information and
Communication Technology Program as a viable tool
to prepare the coastal communities to face any form of
future disasters.
Technological Intervention:
• Establishment of Village Information Centres
(VIC) in 10 Villages in Pondicherry and 3
villages in Karaikal locating them within the
villages with the concurrence and
participation of the local Village Fishermen
Panchayat and CBOs.
• Each Village Information Centre is equipped
with computers, printers, scanners, BSNL &
VSNL internet connections, Public
Addressing System and Information Display
Board.
• All the VICs are connected with Hub centre at
PMSSS.
• One ICT Field instructor and One Community
Level Animator are based in each Village.
Village Information Centre- Information
Linkages
• Indian Meteorological Department (IMD),
Chennai provides weather forecast,
depression and cyclone.
• Accuweather.com – Daily Weather forecast is
being downloaded and updated thrice a day.
• INCOIS – Hyderabad provides informations
on Ocean State Forecast (Wave heights, wind
speed, directions) and Potential Fish Finding
Zones [PFZ].
Information Technology Transfer to the
Community
· Received Information are translated in local
language and disseminated through the email
network from PMSSS Hub centre to the VICs.
· The information are broadcast through the
village Public Address System (PA system)
thrice a day (9AM, 12Noon & 5PM)
· The same information is displayed in the
Public Notice Board.
Activities at the Community Level:
Ø Awareness and Education on CBDP
[Children, Youth, Men & Women]
Ø A one week CBDP awareness program was
conducted with the expertise of Sarista
Foundation, Mumbai at PMSSS. His
Excellency the Lt. Governor of Puducherry
Shri M.M. Lahera inaugurated the program.
Ø Formation of Village Task Force Team (12
village task force team formed)
Ø Training Task Force Team members in
Early Warning
Search, Rescue and Evacuation
First Aid
Water and Sanitation
Shelter Management
Ø Conducting periodic Mock drills in the
village.
Network organizations:
• Indian Coast Guard-Pondicherry
• IMD-Chennai (Early Warning System)
• Indian Red Cross Society-Pondicherry
• Rotary Club-Pondicherry
Technological Intervention:
· The First Consultation on Integration of
Technology with CBDP was organized by
PMSSS on 21st Feb 2007.
· His Excellency the Lt. Governor of
Puducherry Shri. MUKUT MITHI
inaugurated the consultation and highlighted
the importance of Integration of Technology
with CBDP.
· INCOIS, UNDP, BSNL, IMD, Indian Coast
Guard, Bharathidasan University-Trichy,
District Administration Pondicherry, Caritas
I n d i a , C R S , C R C , T N T R C , TATA
Consultancy Services were the main
participants.
· As an evolution of the consultation the
members came forward to provide the
following to PMSSS:
Digital Display systems, Wave Rider
Buoy and Autonomous Weather
Station by INCOIS-Hyderabad.
SMS Network package by BSNL,
Puducherry.
 Training on Rescue and Evacuation by Indian
Coast Guard, Puducherry.
Web content development and Early Warning
Systems by UNDP, Chennai.
Remote Sensing and GIS mapping by
Bharathidasan Universitym, Trichy.
Information and Training by IMD, Chennai.
Deployment of Wave Rider BUOY by INCOIS-
NIO, Goa
• INCOIS in collaboration with Nation Institute
of Oceanography-GOA through PMSSS
deployed a first community based wave rider
buoy at Puducherry Coast 3kms away from
Chinnaveerampattinam.
• The wave rider buoy is safeguarded by Indian
Coast Guard-Puducherry.
• The Buoy data is received in PMSSS HUB
centre through VHF antenna.
• The wave rider buoy is shifted 2kms away
from Gandhi Statue-Puducherry on 7th Feb 08.
Setting up of Autonomous Weather Station by
INCOIS, NIO-GOA
• A first time community based Autonomous
Weather Station was Setup at PMSSS by
Indian National Centre for Ocean Information
Services (INCOIS) and National Institute of
Oceanography (NIO) Goa.
• The Autonomous station will provide Real
Time Data on
• Temperature & Humidity
• Wind Speed, Gust & Direction
• Atmospheric Pressure
The real time data is recorded and uploaded in the
website http://inet.nio.org/Pondicherry/
The importance of the AWS at PMSSS in
? PMSSS and BSNL to work hand in hand in
Pondicherry is that any abnormal change at any time
can be known through the website. This can facilitate
for Early Warning to the communities through the
official networks
.The Unique Feature of INCOIS and PMSSS
collaboration is:
INCOIS-Hyderabad has setup a special unit within
INCOIS technical centre exclusively for PMSSS and
a separate scientist team is working round the clock to
record, update, authenticate and disseminate
information to PMSSS.
INCOIS and PMSSS network further strengthened
and INCOIS sponsored a Regional Consultation on
Ocean Information Services.
th
The consultation was held on 14 September 2007.
Social, developmental, technological and research
organisations from Chennai to Kanyakumari
participated. It was presided over by Thiru. M.O.H.F.
Shajahan, Hon'ble Minister for Fisheries, Puducherry.
Indian Coast Guard, Puducherry, BSNL-Puducherry
and Department of Fisheries gave their inputs.
INCOIS displayed an updated Digital Display System
to be installed in Thengaithitu Harbour.
Digital Display of Ocean Information System
• Displays information about wave height,
direction, wind speed, direction, ocean
current, potential fish finding zones and Early
warning.
• The system is equipped with a siren and a
micro phone.
• The system is connected through Global
System for Mobile Communications [GSM]
technology.
Tsunami Warning System for the Community -
EDB
• Information on Wave Height, Wave Direction,
Wind Speed, Wind Direction, Tsunami Alert,
Cyclone Warning, Potential Fish Finding
Zone.
• Connected directly to INCOIS – Hyderabad
through GSM technology.
• Information updated once in 3 hrs in Tamil.
• Marine weather, Current speed, current
direction, sea surface temperature with
satellite pictures.
BSNL –SMS Information Package
§ Two major level consultations brought
exploring the possible packages for
information dissemination for coastal
population.
§ An SMS package is developed by BSNL.
§ INCOIS-PMSSS Ocean State Forecast is
given through SMS by BSNL network from
15th of Jan 2008 to the registered BSNL
customers free of cost.
§ The fishermen in the sea can directly receives
this message.
(From the Power point presentation done on
the day of visit at PMSSS)
 Kerala Social Service Froum
Community Based Disaster Preparedness Programme
Exposure Visit to Tanjavur Diocese

Itinerary of the programme (Draft)

Date Day Time Particulars

16-
Feb Tuesday 02.00 PM Arrival at Amos Center
03.00 PM Prayer
03.30 PM Flag Off
08.30 PM 09.30 PM Break for Dinner
17- Arrival at Velankanni (Check in at HOTEL MGM
Feb Wednesday 07.00 AM Velankanni Resorts)
08.30 AM Break fast
09.30 AM Arrival at TMDSS, Regional Office-Nagapattinam
10.00 AM 10.10 AM Prayer
10.10 AM 10.30 AM CBDM Programme Instruction
10.30 AM 11.30 AM Power point Presentation
11.30 AM 11.45 AM Tea Breaks
11.45 AM 01.00 PM Sharing and Clarification
01.00 PM 02.00 PM Lunch Break
03.00 PM 05.00 PM Visit to the Sellur housing project and VCC members
05.30 PM Evening tea & Return to Hotel
08.00 PM Dinner
18-
Feb Thursday 08.00 AM Break fast
08.30 AM Check out from MGM Velainkanni Resorts
09.30 AM Arrival at PMDSS-Nagapattinam
10.00 AM 10.30 AM Feed back of the programme
10.30 AM 11.30 AM Water rescue methods-E.Easanoor
11.30 AM 11.45 AM Tea Breaks
11.45 AM 12.45 PM VCC members' sharing
01.00 PM 02.00 PM Lunch Break
02.00 PM 04.30 PM Mock Drill-Vealainkanni
04.30 PM 05.30 PM Evaluation of the sessions
05.30 PM Start to Pondicherry
08.30 PM Dinner
10.00 PM Check in at HOTEL MASS
19-
Feb Friday 08.00 AM Break fast
09.00 AM 09.30 AM Travel to PMDSSS
Interactive Session with the staff and CBDP team of
10.00 AM 11.00 AM PMDSSS
11.30 AM 12.00 NN Tea Time
12.00 NN 05.00 PM Visit to the tourist places of Pondicherry
05.00 PM Check out from MASS hotel
05.30 PM Return to Kottayam
20-
Feb 07.30 AM Reaching at Kottayam
Project Support: Project Coordination:

CBCI centre, 1 Ashok Place, Amos centre, Adichira, Thellakom Post,

Opp.Gloedakkhana, New Delhi 110001 Kottayam, Kerala, India 686 016
Fax: 011 23742339, 23363390, 23362735 Tel: +91-481-2594802,
www.caritasindia.org, Fax: +91-481-2591795
director@caritasindia.org www.kssf.org, kssforum@yahoo.com