Educating the educated: Landslide presentation to a team from the School of Engineering, University of Pittsburgh, USA

Front row(L2R):- Ms G Kharel, Fr Van, Ms M Jaime, Ms B Sharma, Dr Bhujel
Rear Row(L2R):- Mr A Yonzone, Mr S Pradhan, Wg CdrP Rao (retd), Dr K Harries, Mr D Mitch
( Students and Faculty of University of Pittsburgh - Dept of Civil Eng are in red italics)

Dr K Harries and Ms Kharel have over the past years been working on sustainability issues with respect to construction.
The above team from the University of Pittsburgh (comprising of Dr Kent Harries- team leader, Ms Jaime and Sharma-postgrad students and Mr D Mitchell- undergrad student) are here in Kalimpong to look into the possibility of developing a long term relationship with the ongoing projects here such as the school at Mungpoo which is being constructed using bamboo as the main structural material. They are also here to examine any other potential issues which they might want to be involved with such as the landslide problem.
With this in mind a workshop was organized in Himalayan Hotel om 01May2008 at 1700h by Ms Kharel with the help of Krishak Kalyan Sanghatan. The workshop comprised of a presentation on the "The Silent Disaster" ie the landslides of Sep2007 [given by Wg Cdr P Rao(retd) ] and an interactive session with the members involved.
I am glad to say that both the presentation and the interaction went off very well.
praful rao