Looks like the Indonesian earthquake with a magintude of 8.7 has also triggered a Tsunami alert.for contries surrounding it. The Indian Home Ministry has alerted the coastal states including Tamil Nadu and Andaman Islands.
A prayer more than a hope that the Tsunami doesn’t get in the way anymore.No way !!
This isn’t a spoof of CRY[Child Relief and You] but just a similar naming which flashed me while I was driving to office this morning.
If you appreciate this TRY[Tsunami Relief and You] and would love to use this name for you Tsunami Relief fund, go ahead. Pay me a $100 which I would donate back to TRY itself. Howzaaaat ?
Thendral, the first daily internet tamil radio in the US is conducting a Special Non-Stop 12 hour Live Program in Thendral.com, tomorrow [Sunday, January 2nd]. This program is a fundraising song request program to raise funds towards relief operations of Tsunami victims. Check out Thendral for more.
Sudarshan, who belongs to AID-US is co-ordinating the Tsunami relief operations. He is sending out a call for or volunteers from AID-Chennai. There’s still a HUGE need for volunteers for different teams. There’s also a similar need of volunteers who can spend a few days in Pondicherry / Cuddalore/ Naagai / Kanyakumari. Preferably those who can speak tamil.
If there are any volunteers for the areas mentioned above, please contact the aid-india office or the telephone numbers given below.
Contact :
The main AID help line is 044-2835 0403, 044 5561 5629.
Chennai : 20, Ratheenam St, Gopalaupuram, Chennai-600086
Cuddalore: Balaji - 94440 61033, K.P.Narayan 04142-229108 and
Damu - 94442 41918
Nagapattinam: Jagadish - 98403 79889 and Ranganathan - 94440 18590
Pondicherry: 0413- 2290733
I’ve had friends/relatives calling up if everything is safe because of the emrgency alerts flying red on the televisions. My friend who lives in Triplicane had informed that a portion of Radhakrishnan salai is blocked because it leads directly to the sea and their are divertions in that place.
Another friend panickly called up and said that people are leaving to their homes and the electric trains are already running full houses.
Update - Two hours after the previous para was written, the televisions are announcing that Tsunami alert in Chennai may be reduced. Looks like the Port Trust of Chennai will start functioning from evening.
There’s panic here as Chennai is put on highalert for Tsunami attack again. The news and rumors are all twined together making people more panicked.
It remains a question as to how many lives are pending to go before 2004 ends. God Bless !!
NDTV reports that the sea waves are seen to be rising near Chennai. Chennai Port Trust is put on highalert and starts evacuating people from there.
[Click thumbnail to read the poem]
Vairamuthu’s tribute to the Tsunami victims was in a form of a poem. A worthy read. This was the same poem which he quoted in Sun News Channel, a couple of days back.
The guys at Google have done a wonderful job by giving a link to Tsunami relief sites on the home page. The websearch main page looks like the image above. By giving the link on the homepage they are spreading the news of relief operations faster.
The linked Tsunami Relief page displays lists of donation sites and information sites. The information site also lists the Tsunami help blog.
The following tribute to Tsunami victims is written in Tamil.
- by Latha
Pirandha Pin Ninaitha Aayiram Aasaigal,
Arivu Thelindha Pin Artham Atru Pogalaam,
Arivu Mazhungi Aadai Inri Mannil Maraiyum Naal,
Aasaigal Artham Ketta Kelvigal Arthamaai Thonralaam
Vaazhvin Artham Edhil Dhaan Irukkiradhu
Annayin Paasathila, Iyarkayin Seetrathila
Illai Vaazhaikai Mudiyum Nodigalil Thonrum Seiyalatra Peedhiyila
Artham Atra Manidhanaai Vaazhavadhai Vida
Artham Thedi Alaiyum Aanmavai Iruppadhe Uyarvo?
This article, Bloggers step in to help tsunami victims, in Sify written by Catherine Hours of AFP talks about the Bloggers are getting into the relief efforts of the recent Tsunami attack.
Not only people from Chennai are helping in Tsunami relief but there are many others around India who are contributing the efforts.
Blogs however should not replace professional journalists, said Robert Thompson, who heads the Center for the Study of Popular Television at Syracuse University in New York state.
“But they are useful because they can do a lot of important work, they are very good at getting lots of information rapidly,” he said.
The big news media organisations keep offices in large cities “but they can’t be everywhere. The world of blogs means you get correspondents everywhere,” he said.