Twenty years ago today, giant waves—a tsunami—struck India’s coasts and forever altered what Indians imagined a disaster could be. Tamil Nadu, with around 8,000 deaths, was the worst affected state. In the immediate aftermath of the disaster, the state responded swiftly even as funds flowed in from across the globe to help the devastated communities, especially the fisher folk who had lost loved ones, homes and livelihoods. Much of what Tamil Nadu knows of disaster management was arguably learnt in the handling of the tsunami’s aftermath.
The National Disaster Management Authority was founded only in 2005. Since then, the state has faced multiple disasters, including the 2015 Chennai floods, the 2018 Gaja cyclone and the 2023 Thoothukudi floods. While some responses have been streamlined—relief and rescue is often fairly efficient, especially along the coast and in Chennai—long-term rehabilitation remains lacking. For instance, houses built with NGO support in tsunami-hit districts have been of varying quality; 20 years on, some are falling apart.
Relief and rescue in less disaster-prone areas are less streamlined, as seen in the 2023 flooding in the state’s southern districts caused by unprecedented rainfall. Given the effects of climate change, the state still must learn to quickly adopt and adapt mitigation and relief methods that work in every district, for every section of society—especially the aged, disabled and marginalised communities. Building resilient communities must be a priority given natural disasters now come calling every year. States must also learn from one another and their experiences must meaningfully inform national policy.
The tsunami taught us that trauma from surviving a natural disaster lives on, affecting behaviours. While rehabilitation is often focused on shelter, food and livelihood, the importance of mental health cannot be ignored. To ensure people can return to normal lives with healthy coping mechanisms—and not be drawn to harmful or addictive ways—mental health support must be made available to children and adults alike in the immediate aftermath and in the longer term. The morning of the tsunami still haunts thousands of families living along Tamil Nadu’s coast, many of whom have had to survive other disasters too. Their pain can be mitigated if the state puts to better use what nature has taught it.