Cuddalore, Jan 07: Joining relief operations, Bollywood star Vivek Oberoi and his father Suresh Oberori today said a batch of fishermen in a fishing hamlet in this district of Tamil Nadu will go to sea on January 16 for which all arrangements had been made.
The first batch of fishermen from Thevanampattinam will put to sea on that day after performing `Ocean Pooja` at Thevanampattinam.
The Oberois said here that the Mumbai-based "Yashodhra Oberoi Foundation" had been undertaking relief and rehabilitation works at Thevanampattinam from December 27.
The Oberois met Tamil Nadu Governor Surjit Singh Barnala at Chennai before proceeding to Cuddalore and explained the relief work being taken up by the foundation named after Vivek`s mother.
"Later, our team went to Cuddalore, met District Collector Gagandeep Singh Bedi. According to the Collector`s guidelines, relief work started at Thevanampattinam Coastal village," they said.
Over 150 people were killed and hundreds of huts and houses destroyed by the tidal waves that had struck the hamlet on December 26.
About 170 huts of size 10`x12` had been put up by the foundation workers and were occupied by fishermen families today. Work on putting up over 200 thatched huts was underway. Food was being provided to fishermen and boats and nets will be given soon by the foundation.
Damaged houses will be rebuilt and new mechanised boats and nets will be imported from China and distributed to the fishermen, they said, adding the foundation was willing to adopt children orphaned by the Tsunami.
Bureau Report
