Tsunami Struck!
Kalpakkam, a township for the residents of the Nuclear power plant here, is roughly 60 kms south of Chennai. Last weekend we decided to visit one of our relatives in this small town. As we approached this town by bus, I was wonderstruck with the proximity of the town from the sea. The sea itself is a stone’s throw away from the road. The Kalpakkam Township itself is a sprawling area with its own backwaters, beaches and trees that dominate the houses. 
The entry to Kalpakkam greets visitors with the backwaters first and then the Tsunami Park, aptly named after the Tsunami that wreaked havoc here in December ‘04. Simply said, this place is very charming, calm and makes for a good living.
Now a wall (about 10 feet tall) is being built along the beach to protect the township from a future Tsunami! The wall they are building must be some 15-20 feet from the sea line itself. I doubt at the utility of this wall. The massive cost for the wall might not be worth the purpose it is going to serve. What if Tsunami doesn’t strike? It will just block the lovely breeze that the residents are used to. Joggers & people who take a walk on the road by the sea can’t see that beautiful sunrise or sunset anymore. 
The wall will take away a lot of charm away from this town. But this precaution may be worth the human lives that can be lost if Tsunami strikes. But is this wall being built for a Tsunami that won’t return?
The entry to Kalpakkam greets visitors with the backwaters first and then the Tsunami Park, aptly named after the Tsunami that wreaked havoc here in December ‘04. Simply said, this place is very charming, calm and makes for a good living.
Now a wall (about 10 feet tall) is being built along the beach to protect the township from a future Tsunami! The wall they are building must be some 15-20 feet from the sea line itself. I doubt at the utility of this wall. The massive cost for the wall might not be worth the purpose it is going to serve. What if Tsunami doesn’t strike? It will just block the lovely breeze that the residents are used to. Joggers & people who take a walk on the road by the sea can’t see that beautiful sunrise or sunset anymore. 
The wall will take away a lot of charm away from this town. But this precaution may be worth the human lives that can be lost if Tsunami strikes. But is this wall being built for a Tsunami that won’t return?
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