8 Davis AWS stations are available in the Darjeeling Sikkim Himalaya - a brief tutorial on using the AWS.

Kindly refer STH blog of 21Nov2025 on the same subject 

Ever since two Davis Automatic Weather Stations were installed in Kalimpong under Project SHAMROCC in March 2016, I have consistently advocated for expanding the use of automatic weather stations across our region. In the Himalayas, where weather conditions can shift rapidly and the impacts of climate change are especially pronounced, timely and localized data is not a luxury—it is essential. Here, I am glad to inform you that as of now, we have 8 AWS in our vicinity from which updated weather inputs are available 24X7.

Against this backdrop, it is concerning that the extensive AWS network maintained by the India Meteorological Department (IMD), which was previously accessible to the public, has been taken off open access since around March 2025 and now requires login credentials.

AWS can transform how we understand and respond to weather in fragile mountain ecosystems. These systems automatically record and transmit real-time weather data without the need for human intervention.
In the Himalayas, where terrain is rugged and access is limited, AWS are indispensable. They provide continuous, high-accuracy data from remote locations, filling critical gaps left by traditional observation methods. This is especially important as climate change accelerates shifts in weather patterns, glacier melt, and extreme events.
AWS also play a key role in strengthening early warning systems and can help map changing rainfall patterns. 

For those interested in using the global Davis AWS system, here is quick tutorial:

1. Install the Weatherlink Mobile app from Google Playstore. You may have to create an account and register.
2. Open the app and add stations by hitting the + sign in the top left hand corner. Here searching by place names gives satisfactory results 
eg searching for 'Kurseong' will give 'STH KURSEONG NEW' result.
Touch the flag icon on the left to confirm adding the station - it will turn GREEN.
3. In our vicinity, you can add the following 8 stations:
a. Kalimpong - for 'STH AWS' (operated by SaveTheHIlls).
b. Kurseong - for 'STH KURSEONG NEW' (operated by SaveTheHIlls).
c. Ahalay - for 'AHALAY GBN AWS' (operated by Govt of WB, in Gorubathan).
d. Darjeeling - for 'ST PAUL'S SCHOOL METEOROLOGICAL STATION' (operated by SPS, Darjeeling).
e. Pedong - for 'BSA AWS-PEDONG' (operated by Bal Suraksha Abhiyan, Kalimpong).
f. Todey - for 'BSA AWS, TODEY, KALIMPONG' - (operated by Bal Suraksha Abhiyan, Kalimpong) - Todey is located in the eastern most corner of Kalimpong district, close to Bhutan.
g. Gangtok - for 'LAMA BUILDING' (privately operated).
h. Gangtok - for 'SSDMASEEDS' (operated by Sikkim Govt).
4. Your phone display should look something like this👇

Do experiment with the various features which are on the app to receive updated weather information from the DAVIS AWS located in our area as well as all over the world.

Praful Rao
SaveTheHills
savethehills@gmail.com
9475033744

AI enhanced and restored photos of October 1968 Disaster in the Darjeeling-Sikkkim Himalaya

I was a 17yrs old college student when the October 1968 disaster struck the Darjeeling–Sikkim Himalaya — 57 years ago now. About a week after 04Oct1968, my cousin, a friend, and I walked down to Teesta Bazar, where I took some photographs with my father’s Zeiss Ikon bellows medium-format camera. 
Those photos, badly damaged over time, had long been missing until recently, when I stumbled upon them while rummaging through some old prints. 
While using AI to enhance/restore the photos, I instructed the AI programs (Gemini's Nano Banana and ChatGPT)  'NOT TO MAKE ANY SIGNIFICANT CHANGES IN THE PHOTOS' and I have scrutinized the 4 photos to see that the details of the original are enhanced and preserved, not changed.

                                                    The original 57yr old photo👆

The restored image of the Andersen bridge. It was brought down by the Teesta river during the 1968 flood. The blurry figures standing on the bridge are my cousin and a friend.

The original 57yr old image👆

The restored image of the Teesta bazaar from the opposite bank. This area sustained a huge amount of damage including a petrol pump and all the equipment which were swept away by the rampaging Teesta. The remains of the Andersen bridge are still visible today.

                                                The original 57yr old image👆

The restored image which is still quite bad - but you can make out some damaged homes and a lot of scars which are landslides... this area is where Krishnagram now stands in Teesta bazaar.

                                            The original 57yr old image👆

The restored image of the Teesta bazaar is where the community hall and the haat bazaar stands today. You can distinctly see the road going up to Darjeeling and Peshoke in the upper right.

Please note: the captions which I wrote on the first 3 photographs 57years ago are reproduced unaltered in the AI images.

Praful Rao
savethehills@gmail.com

9475033744

An event of Note : The 7th World Landslide Forum, to be hosted by India in November 2026.

Photo of a landslide from the first post in this blog of Sep2007 when SaveTheHills was formed.

SaveTheHills was formed in September 2007 in the aftermath of intense rainfall that struck North Bengal and Sikkim in the first week of that month. The resulting deluge triggered widespread landslides and devastation. We began documenting these events through the STH blog to build a lasting historical record of a recurring hazard that continues to trouble the region year after year.

Nearly two decades on, landslides remain at the core of our work and concern. It is therefore heartening news that the 7th World Landslide Forum (WLF7) will be hosted in Faridabad, India, under the auspices of Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham from 23–27Nov2026.

In this connection, while attending the first virtual TOWNHALL for WLF7 on 19Apr2026 (see below), we hope to participate in and learn from the forum in Nov2026.

Praful Rao
SaveTheHills
savethehills@gmail.com
9475033744

SaveTheHills photo exhibit on 'The Teesta Valley GLOF disaster - the unheard voices' renewed till April2028 (by Social Documentary Network).

Exactly a year ago, I published a report on the Social Documentary Network (SDN) titled “Teesta Valley GLOF Disaster – The Unheard Voices.”

For those unfamiliar, SDN is a ‘global platform for documentary photographers and visual storytellers, with a strong focus on social, environmental, and human-rights issues, featuring the work of around 3,000 photographers worldwide’ (ChatGPT).

A few days ago, I was notified by SDN that the GLOF exhibit was due for renewal, which involved a fee in US dollars. However, there was also an option to apply for a fee waiver. I’m happy to share that considering our work, SDN has graciously waived the renewal fee until Apr2028.

This means our Teesta Valley GLOF exhibit will continue to remain accessible on a respected international photojournalism platform. I have also updated and refined the exhibit, and it is now available to view here.

I would urge you to take a look and share it further. The disaster remains largely unknown beyond the region, and greater awareness is essential so that the scale of the tragedy—and its continuing impact—is not forgotten.

Praful Rao,
savethehills@gmail.com
9475033744