Photo - essay on 'The Teesta Valley GLOF Disaster - the unheard voices' featured in Social Documentary Network.

'Social Documentary Network (SDN), founded in 2008, is a global community of documentary photographers, editors, curators, NGOs, students, journalists and others who believe in the power of visual storytelling to build understanding and appreciation for the complexities, nuances, wonders, and contradictions that abound in the world today.'

I had uploaded a photo-essay on the landslides in our region ie 'The Silent Disaster' in SDN , way back in 2011 and since then had almost forgotten about it.

A few days ago, I decided to do a story on the Teesta Valley GLOF Disaster focusing mostly on the social impact ie on individuals and communities rather than on the destruction of bridges, dams and other infrastructure.

After curating the photos, writing up captions and so on, I uploaded 17 images onto the SDN website last night which I am glad, to say have been chosen for display.
The exhibit is 'LIVE' and entitled 'The Teesta Valley GLOF disaster - the unheard voices'

The link to the SDN exhibit is here

I hope this will give the Teesta GLOF Disaster better visibility to a world wide audience.

Do have a look and kindly pass the link to others as well.
The exhibit is best viewed on a laptop in the 'Full Screen' mode.

Praful Rao
SaveTheHills
savethehills@gmail.com
9475033744

(Lack of) Rainfall Data of March 2025 of some towns in Darjeeling - Sikkim Himalaya

 

All data from IMD

 

Sikkim, particularly North Sikkim, typically receives more winter and pre-monsoon precipitation than Darjeeling and Kalimpong districts. This is largely due to western disturbances that the reach higher latitudes, bypassing Darjeeling and Kalimpong.
However, this year, the Darjeeling and Kalimpong districts also experienced an unusual lack of significant pre-monsoon thunderstorm activity. The absence of moisture incursion from the Bay of Bengal contributed to this anomaly.
The resulting dry weather in the lower latitudes has led to severe water shortages in Darjeeling and Kalimpong, coinciding with peak tourist season. Furthermore, the dry conditions have caused numerous forest fires along the Teesta Valley, generating pollution and haze due to smoke.

Drone image of a forest fire in the Teesta Valley (in Sikkim, NE of Melli town) on 04Apr2025 at  9.20pm. These fires are a daily happening all along the valley where tinder dry vegetation catches fire or is set on fire.

The reason why we have not published rainfall data after Oct2024 is that in the ensuing drought like condition, there was absolutely no rainfall and as such no data to publish. Unfortunately, this is becoming the trend in our precipitation pattern.

Praful Rao
SaveTheHills
savethehills@gmail.com
9475033744