Authors of a report (April 19) on post-tsunami shelter and settlement strategy of the Tamil Nadu government respond to a rejoinder by C V Sankar (May 17), officer on special duty for relief and rehabilitation.

Ionizing radiations are a grave threat around the high background regions of the globe. Selected pockets of Brazil, China and India are reportedly under the grip of high background radiation. Presence of monazite sand along the beaches of these regions, among other factors, has contributed to these dreaded radiations. Recent studies have indicated the availability of monazite deposits throughout the erstwhile South Travancore region comprising parts of Kerala, and Kanyakumari District, Tamil Nadu.

The tsunami relief effort was based on the recognition that out of disaster an opportunity can be created to rebuild, expand and improve upon services, correct imbalances and meet the needs of vulnerable groups. But in housing, this case study from Tamil Nadu shows that even three years after the disaster, a large proportion of the affected continue to live in temporary shelters. April 19-25, 2008

To study the effects of pollution on road side paddy fields, three paddy fields situated at Kuttikkulam, Elamankulam and Rajathanthirikkulam near National Highway-47 passing through Kanyakumari distri

A thorough exploration for the rare, endemic and threatened species in the sacred groves of Kanyakumari District in Southern Western Ghats is lacking. The tropical climate and soil conditions coupled with the religious and social beliefs enabled these groves to harbour a large number of RET species, which are on the verge of extinction. (Sep 2007)