Though I dont want to remind him of that day, Kumar talks of the black Sunday which no one wants to remember, but can never forget. It was around 9 in the morning, when they had returned after the daily catch. As usual the 
fishermen stood on the beach, repairing and knitting their expensive fishnets when the first wave spilled sea beyond the usual limits and started dragging the nets and boats.He clearly remembers everything - as a natural reaction, without thinking much, without seeing much into the sea's plans, they ran towards the waters trying to save their means of livelihood- the boats with engines and nets. While running, some of them saw the Kalpakkam nuclear reactor's cooling tower platform being swallowed by giant waves. This one scene ran a shiver down their spines and that moment, they shouted and screamed at each other to just leave everything and run to safety, damn the boats and nets.
fishermen stood on the beach, repairing and knitting their expensive fishnets when the first wave spilled sea beyond the usual limits and started dragging the nets and boats.He clearly remembers everything - as a natural reaction, without thinking much, without seeing much into the sea's plans, they ran towards the waters trying to save their means of livelihood- the boats with engines and nets. While running, some of them saw the Kalpakkam nuclear reactor's cooling tower platform being swallowed by giant waves. This one scene ran a shiver down their spines and that moment, they shouted and screamed at each other to just leave everything and run to safety, damn the boats and nets.(Photo: Boats and nets spread out on the beach)
By the time they reached high ground, the waters had reached well beyond the main road - around 400m from the usual sea limits. Astonishingly, the children had run to safety and crossed the backwaters, minutes before it was inundated by the tsunami waves. It is their observation and relfex action that saved hundreds of lives that day.
(Photo:The platform to get water for cooling the reactor can be seen at a distance)
Kumar recounts with gratitude that without the NGOs, it would have been difficult to survive the tough times. The Government relief efforts came late, but the NGOs made sure the people had food, water and shelter. "The whole thing lasted less than 15 minutes, but that was more than enough to wreak damage of a scale I have never seen (or want to see) in my life, says Kumar. "When we saw the sea, it was like a giant monster sucking pump - after all the waves hit the mainland, they were sucked back with such force that it just pulled anything and everything in its sight into the sea. We could see almost a kilometre into the sea - the troughs and dunes.So, we ran back in as far as we could salvaging anything useful. Our friends who had gone into the sea came back and thought that they had reached some other village. They could not believe that their village is devastated by the same sea that was so calm in the middle"
Kumar recounts with gratitude that without the NGOs, it would have been difficult to survive the tough times. The Government relief efforts came late, but the NGOs made sure the people had food, water and shelter. "The whole thing lasted less than 15 minutes, but that was more than enough to wreak damage of a scale I have never seen (or want to see) in my life, says Kumar. "When we saw the sea, it was like a giant monster sucking pump - after all the waves hit the mainland, they were sucked back with such force that it just pulled anything and everything in its sight into the sea. We could see almost a kilometre into the sea - the troughs and dunes.So, we ran back in as far as we could salvaging anything useful. Our friends who had gone into the sea came back and thought that they had reached some other village. They could not believe that their village is devastated by the same sea that was so calm in the middle"I patiently listen to his narration, wondering how a fisherman would have felt in this drama. I ask him about the black sand and whether this is because of the nearby reactor - he does not know "it has always been like this".
