Site Visit Report
Date of Visit: April 26, 2005

Based on a request from the management of the Akkarapettai - Sinthanai Sirpi school, it was  decided in the ASHA volunteer's group meeting to make a site visit, as a first step towards extending a helping hand to the school. Since I was travelling to Tiruvarur to monitor the other ASHA school rebuilding projects, I accepted to make the site visit on behalf of ASHA Chennai.

Around 11.00 AM in the morning of April 26, 2005, I contacted Mrs. Indira Gandhi, the Principal of the school. I informed them about the visit and requested for a convenient time meet them. She informed me that we can meet around 3.00 PM on that day.

Mr. Seetharaman, who is currently managing the ASHA projects at Tiruvarur and Vishnupuram, a civil engineer, Mr. Ramanathan and a Nagapattinam-based photographer were kind enough to accompany me. AKkaraipettai is very close to Nagapattinam, 3 KMs from the central bus stand of Nagapattinam, the population residing there are mostly fishermen. 

Myself, Seetharaman and Ramanathan started from Tiruvarur around 1.30 PM and reached Venus Studios, Nagapattinam, around 2.45 PM. We picked up the photographer, who fortunately knew the way to Akkarapettai and interestingly knew about the school. We did not disclose to him the reason for our visit. We got some early feedback about the school even before we visited the premises. The feedback was very positive. 

We touched the outskirts of Akkarapettai and there - Oh My God!!! - the "Law of Nature has its own course - who are we, poor mortals before that powerful force". Broken boats, broken houses and broken hearts - everything broken, everywhere. We could not see the sea from the point of entry, but we saw a huge boat on the road. This is the force with which the Tsunami has hit.
We moved through the streets of Akkarapettai. There was a river formed due to the back waters and slowly we where approaching the shore. The photographer told us that anywhere we dig, within three feet we could find a skeleton. This was the horrifying picture that we saw AFTER exactly FOUR months. We cannot imagine what would have been the scene on the day of Tsunami. 

We reached the school exactly at 2.58 PM and Mrs. Indira Gandhi was waiting for us. From the school, the sea shore could not be seen at all. Therefore, the Tsunami should have reached a height of at least 40 feet to enter that place. 

I refer you to the photos that are posted already on the ASHA Chennai website. There was nothing in that school. All classroom walls are broken. In one of the photos you can see Mrs. Indira Gandhi and her husband pointing to the water level in one of the unbroken walls. All the furnitures were washed away into the adjoining river I mentioned earlier. 

The school needs everything, buildings, furnitures, books, financial support for teachers and more than all this, a quick motivation from all of us.

The school is a privately managed one, recognized by the Government. A trust has been formed to manage the school and the copies of the trust deed was given to us. We also got the Xerox copy of the Government approval. The school occupies the land that belongs to the Village Panchayat, and the latter has given the land to the Trust in lease for some long duration (30 years). The copy of this lease deed was also given to us. 

The school primarily caters to the educational needs of a large number of fisherman families at a affordable fee structure. The principal showed to us a number of paper cuttings about the various academic and co-curricular activities and achievements of the students of the school. 

The school has two partially build classrooms and is planning to reconstruct two more with some financial assistance from friends. They would like ASHA to support building of at least 1600 Sq. Ft of classrooms in addition to Books, furnitures etc. 

The next step was to make a rough engineering estimate for the proposed building. Mr. Ramanathan was kind enough to make a quick estimate. Since it is close to sea shore, three major points were to be considered

1. Water for construction needs have to be purchased and transported
2. The steel to be used should be corrosion resistant
3. Special type of cement that could withstand the salt-air exposure may have to be used.

The estimated cost per Sq. Ft is Rs. 600/= . Therefore, the overall building cost is close to Rs. 10,00,000/= which is approximately USD 20000. More details would be given after we make a complete comprehensive engineering estimate. 

We used the good offices of Mr. Seetharaman to contact the District Educational Officer. The DEO of Nagapattinam was kind enough to gather information about the school within two hours and he gave us a very positive feedback about the school. 

Based on the above, I STRONGLY RECOMMEND to ASHA to support this school project in all possible ways. 

If ASHA is confident of raising the funds for the school, then, since it is a Tsunami hit area
we have to get the Collector permission before we start the building. 

We left the school premises around 4.00 PM returned back to Tiruvarur around 5.00 PM.

Kamakoti