Five years after Aila

WE go back to our report yesterday on conditions in the Aila-hit zones five years after the destruction. By now, it should have logically been for us to see some real development, or call it rehabilitation, in the region. We do not argue that a certain measure of relief has gone into easing the lives of those affected by the disaster. But it is the bigger picture which matters; and it relates to the continued lack of vegetation in the area in the aftermath of Aila.
It is quite clear that there has been little or no effort to promote new vegetation in the area, unless of course one takes the few coconut, date and palm trees there as proof of vegetation. More to the point, a very large number of the 38,000 people inhabiting the place yet remain deprived of homes and employment.
The question which worries us is why such issues as salinity, the availability of drinking water and, overall, the general rehabilitation of the area --- which encompasses fifteen villages --- have not been dealt with in the seriousness they have deserved. Any visitor to Gabura will be horrified at the sight even after all these five years. A certain primitive or prehistoric taint is perceptible, which is what worries us. Matters are made worse by the prevalence of virus attacks on the few shrimp farms that yet try to stay in tolerable conditions.
The authorities need to revisit all Aila-affected regions in order to ensure a speedier rehabilitation process.