In our district Guntur 14 costal villages were badly affected by this tsunami. There are about 8 people that lost lives. Thank God that it occurred during the daytime otherwise the death toll would have been much higher. The people have narrated their mixed feelings when 3 palm trees high of the monster-like white wave stuck them before the could be aware of what was really happening around 10.30 A.M on Sunday 26th of December. Some women living on the one side of the backwaters could watch the giant wave rushing towards them as a good number of them were sitting in their huts and were having their meals. Their conversation during the meal turned into amused laughter when they first saw the huge wave at a distance. They did not expect it that it would travel towards them. As it came very close to them only then they realized that it was a dangerous one and so much so got up and rushed towards upper part of the land.

The children those were playing by then have already ran away for the sea. There was no time to think of fetching their belongings or the little money that they have stored in their huts. Everything was washed off by the giant wave and then they were trying to look for their children. There were 56 families that were living at this place. They said that on Sundays they usually don’t go for fishing (use country boats). But due to the coming New Year day that follows by Sunday, some of them were in the sea. They could trace back their men that went for fishing (some of them) only by 27th and the rest on 28th. Meanwhile they were asked to vacate that place and go towards the lighthouse side. They were returning back (with some of their little holdings) only on 29th by 5 P.M when I visited them (a few of them reached the other side starting from 1 P.M.) by 4.30 P.M. (Our woman coordinator Nirmala, our filed coordinator Mr.Subba Rao reached the other side when the same boat that carried them and their belongings once again came to this side and fetched us).

2 days after once again our staff members who conducted door-to-door survey and got down the list of the fishermen community that was living in 4 localities round the backwaters and main bunch of them along the road leading towards the lighthouse. Meanwhile a group of our friends from Italy send us green signal that they were sending some financial help to help the tsunami victims. Our staff once again visited the village and given them token that we have prepared (the seal of our organization with my signature) and distributed them to the fishermen. On 8th of January we together with our staff of volunteers from my parish and some youth over there undertook the distribution of blankets, utensils and some rice.

If there is substantial help is coming forward the most useful assistance that we can give them is to provide them with some nets. It costs Rs.6000 to 16000 per family. There requires some replacement of some of their damaged boats and some new ones. New boat costs Rs.35,000 and for repair or secure a 2nd hand boat it costs from Rs.7,500 to Rs. 20,000. We will appreciate if some more generous people or groups of people come forward and provide us some financial assistance so that we can undertake the actual distribution of the commodities that we have planned originally.