Home > News > Tsunami Strikes > Report
Kalam to donate money meant for New Year bash
Onkar Singh in New Delhi |
December 31, 2004 03:40 IST
Money meant to be used for the New Year's celebrations at Rashtrapati Bhavan would be donated to the Prime Minister's Relief Fund, a top official told rediff.com on Thursday.
President A P J Abdul Kalam had cancelled the New Year festivities after tsunamis wrecked havoc in Andaman & Nicobar Islands, Tamil Nadu, Pondicherry, Kerala and Andhra Pradesh.
On being informed of the incident on December 26, "The President immediately started monitoring the developments through the Internet and television channels. He was moved by the heartrending scenes in the affected states," S M Khan, Rashtrapati Bhavan spokesman to told rediff.com.
President Kalam spoke to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Cabinet Secretary B K Chaturvedi. He then spoke to the chief ministers of the affected states and the Lt Governor of the Union territory of Andaman and Nicobar Islands. The cabinet secretary called on the President on December 27 and briefed him about the counter measures undertaken by the government of India.
Besides, the loss of precious human lives, he was also worried about the safety of Defence Research and Development Organisation, Indian Space Research Organization establishments and the Kalpakkam nuclear power plant in Tamil Nadu.
DRDO chairman Dr N Natrajan, ISRO chairman Dr Madhavan Nair and Atomic Energy Commission chairman Dr Anil Kakodkar assured him that their respective organizations and personnel were safe.
The Kalpakkam plant was shut down because water had entered its premises and caused the death of over 25 employees.
The President also sought information about the Dr Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre in Sriharikota in Nellore district of Andhra Pradesh and missile testing range in Chandipora-on-sea in Orissa.
On December 29, Union Home Minister Shivraj Patil called on the President and briefed him about the ground situation and the relief and rehabilitation work being carried out by governmental agencies in the affected areas. Patil had visited Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh to assess the impact of the tsunamis.
Addressing the ninth convocation of Hyderabad University through video conferencing on Wednesday, Kalam stressed on the need of installing tsunami warning systems in coastal areas.
"Technologically, there is a solution. It may involve the participation of multiple institutions like Hyderabad University, ISRO and the departments of science and technology, ocean development and atomic energy," he said.