77 Bangladesh e-Journal of Sociology. Volume 17, No. 1, January 2020 Community Participation in Tsunami Housing Rehabilitation Project in Kerala, India K. M. Muhammed Anil 1 and T. Sundara Raj 2 Abstract: Though Kerala coast was considered as a safe zone as far as Tsunami hazards are concerned, the impacts of the Tsunami in 2004 were felt all along the coast of Kerala. The Tsunami caused deaths, damages, injuries and also made thousands of people homeless. A total of 2.8 lakhs persons were evacuated and accommodated in 290 relief camps across the various coastal regions. Fishermen communities were the most affected segment. The focus of this article is the people’s participation in Housing Tsunami Rehabilitation Programme implemented for the victims of Asian Tsunami in 2004 at Alappadu Panchayath of Kollam district, Kerala. In post Tsunami phase housing reconstruction was one of the big challenges. Therefore, the Government devised a project for reconstruction using both own fund and with support of the civil society organisations. Thus affected people were rehabilitated in new places by constructing the houses both by the Non-Governmental Organisations [NGOs] and Government Organisations [GOs] in a phased manner. This study is intended to explore the participation of the stakeholders and its impact on that housing rehabilitation project. The article based on the field level study is analysing the interplay between people’s participation and Social capital in a wider but specific frame of various related components. Keywords: Tsunami, People’s participation, Instrumental organisations Introduction This article is based on the field level study conducted in Alappadu Panchayath of Kollam District of Kerala State where the Asian Tsunami hit hard in 2004. That devastating Tsunami occurred due to an earthquake in the Indian Ocean in December 2004 that destroyed communities, family networks, homes and livelihoods of coastal people in the area. The post-tsunami Housing rehabilitation strategy implemented by the then government was to relocate and resettle the people to more safe areas by constructing individual houses or housing colonies. In the rehabilitation process, the Government agencies [Grama Panchayath, Public Works Department] and Non-Governmental organizations came into the scene to construct houses for the victims. The plots for reconstruction were earmarked in the same Panchayath and Adjacent Panchayath areas as colonies based on the availability of land. As part of the rehabilitation programme, 6030 houses were reconstructed in and around Alappadu Panchayath of which 1817 houses were constructed by the Government organizations through local self Government and 4213 by Non-governmental organizations. 1 Ph. D. Research Scholar, Department of Sociology, Periyar University, Tamil Nadu, India. E-mail: ajsal2015@gmail.com 2 Assistant Professor, Department of Sociology, Periyar University, Tamil Nadu, India. E-mail: drsundararaj@periyaruniversity.ac.in