Team Effort In The Hour Of Need

The largest earthquake in the world forty years struck undersea off the western coast of Sumatra on December 26 2004. The resulting Tsunami was one of the most devastating natural calamities that affected millions of lives across the globe. More than 150,000 people have been killed in countries including India, Indonesia and Sri Lanka, with hundreds washed out to sea, and still many missing.

The Tsunami wreaked havoc especially on the southern coasts of our country claiming thousands of lives and rendering lakhs of people homeless and destitute. The damage has been extensive and irretrievable. The Murugappa Group through consolidated efforts of its stakeholders - Group companies, employees, customers, suppliers and collaborators- have generously responded to this national calamity and have addressed the the issue of relief for the Tsunami victims.

Employees contributed one day's salary and group companies made matching contribution. This fund was deposited with the Chief Minister's Relief Fund and the Prime Minister's relief Fund. Mr. M.A. Alagappan, on behalf of the Group, handed over a cheque for Rs.1.06 crore to the Prime Minister, Dr Manmohan Singh. Subsequently, Mr. A. Vellayan has handed over a cheque of Rs.50 lakh to the Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Dr Jayalalithaa towards the Chief Minister's Relief Fund.

On December 28, 2004 an in-house Task Force team was formed to effectively utilize the resources, address and deploy quick relief measures. It was decided to channel these relief measures through the AMM Foundation. The Task Force, within a day, identified a network of employees and dealers of the various companies of the group positioned close to the Tsunami affected areas, or to the markets to procure aid material. This happened over a long weekend with the New Year's eve approaching, a time to be with the families. The members of the Task Force immediately began their arduous journey to the Tsunami affected areas. Their immediate assignment was to assess the damage, identify the right kind of relief measures to be provided, and keep the core team informed.

The team from Coromandel Fertiliser visited and identified areas around Ennore. The team from CUMI identified areas near Thiruvottiyur. EID Parry team identified the villages near Cuddalore and Thyagavalli. The TI Cycles sales team, with their dealers, identified Nambiarnagar and Akkaraipettai as the most affected villages around Nagapattinam in need of aid. The TI Cycles logistics team at the Ambattur plant ably supported them.

The Task Force, with the help of the local administrators, residents, and volunteers, assessed the damage and identified the actual need. This in itself was a humongous task. In certain areas there was a deluge of relief items that were being misused or wasted, and others, materials that reached were of no use. There were also certain pockets of villages where the relief items had not reached for over a week. This was also the time for some miscreants to misuse the relief measures. The Task Force, to avoid such misuse and repetition of relief items, set out on foot to the interiors of these villages to identify their needs.

The areas that were washed out were visited; the actual homes that were destroyed were accounted for. A list of the families in need was prepared after spoken to the women of the affected families. Based on this study, utensils, bed sheets, kerosene stoves, life saving drugs, first aid and preventive medicines and day-to-day dry provisions were purchased and disbursed. Several managers and staff from various group companies joined forces, cutting across boundaries, to assist in procurement, packaging and disbursement of the relief materials to the identified locations.

In the villages near Nagapattinam, hurricane lamps have been provided to families to carry out their day-to-day activities, till electricity is restored. The Task Force from Murugappa Group, with the help of the army, was the first relief team to reach Akkaraipetai, which was totally isolated as all the routes to the village were damaged.

In the Cuddalore Area, relief measures were provided to the inhabitants of Sonnarkuppam, Singarapattinam, Akkerraigori and the villages near Thyagavalli - Nichingapettai, Swamiyarpettai and Chitrapettai. Coupons and and provision packets were distributed. This system of distribution has been well appreciated by the local administrators. The Raja of Jaipur who recently visited the area to provide his support also adapted this coupon system. At Nellikuppam, EID Parry is continuing to provide lunch everyday to the affected families.

At Ennore, with the help of the head of the village, coupons were printed and the relief provisions distributed in the presence of the Municipal Chairman. Periakuppam, Chinnakuppam, Indiranagarkuppam, Ernavorkuppam were the villages that received the relief extended by the Murugappa relief team. In addition to the provision packets and medical care, cranes are being made available to relocate the huge fishing boats that have been washed far inland.

At Thirvottiyur, in addition to providing provision packets, school books will be provided to the affected children. In association with the local medical officer and doctor a medical camp has been planned.

The Murugappa Group relief team has been effective in providing immediate relief to over 1700 families. In the second phase more permanent and long-term needs for sustainable livelihood for the affected families in these villages are being identified. The relief measures will be provided in consultation with the local administrators - the collector, tehsildar or the village head.

Each member worked tremendously hard, putting aside their personal difficulties, and worked round the clock. This has been one of those occasions where a cross-functional team cutting across the various group companies and different functions has come together to support a social cause.