STH activity : Participating in CASA's Program on 'Climate Change and Impact on Lives and Livelihoods' :19Mar2019 (Darjeeling)

Major issues highlighted:

·       Critical water security problems in the entire Dooars and mountain regions.

·       Food Security in the mountains almost non-existent with the rural youth not interested in farming due to low yield, crop disease, water shortage, human- wildlife conflict in the backdrop of climate change.

·       Total focus on cash crops in mountain agriculture has led to a decline in cultivation of traditional crops such as millet, barley and even vegetables.

·       Decline in cash crops in the mountains: traditional crops such as ginger, oranges and even cardamom have almost disappeared with newer crops such as kiwi fruit, coffee likely to replace them. The moot question is when? –with the most important functionaries ie the relevant government departments being obsessed with other issues. The only viable cash crop in the mountains being broomsticks today.

·       While MNREGA project generates some employment for families, it has totally failed in promoting skills among the rural hill folk.

·       Tea production and the quality of tea has declined both in the Dooars and Darjeeling hills due to migration, triggered by low wages and tea garden companies slowly withdrawing benefits such as uniforms, homesteads, subsidized kerosene and power bills.

·       Large scale unemployment in the Dooars belt leading again to migration and human trafficking by organized gangs.

·       Regular flooding with no little or no warning in the Alipur Duar region due to rain in the mountains of  Bhutan which charges the Torsa and other rivers quickly and suddenly.

·       Rampant child labour in the Dooars with children working in factories in Bhutan on very low wages (Rs 50/day).

·       Extreme and erratic rainfall and temperatures compounding problems.

·       Emerging and powerful role of the water vendor in Darjeeling town in a scenario where the burgeoning population, declining rainfall has resulted in demand for water far outstripping supply. Little or no heed however, being paid to the quality of water being supplied.

·       Child –centric DRR

Praful Rao,
Kalimpong district,
Darjeeling-Sikkim Himalaya

STH activities : With students of Colby College (USA) -25Jan2018

Refer this post on the STH blog
Raising awareness about the environmental issues facing the Himalayas and also the severe landslide hazard problem of the Darjeeling-Sikkim region is one of the main roles of STH.
As such it was wonderful to talk to 19 students of Colby College (USA) once again in 2018. We hope that this will be an annual event for both STH and Colby.

Praful Rao
Kalimpong district,
Darjeeling-Sikkim Himalaya

Changes in rainfall pattern (Darjeeling Sikkim Himalaya) : Aug2016

In July and August are the peak months for the SW monsoons in this region, in Sept the rainfall should decline and in Oct the monsoons normally exit the sub-continent....


Praful Rao,
Kalimpong,
Dist Darjeeling

Welcome rains in Kalimpong - 27Apr2014

The entire north-east of India has been tinder dry after the SW monsoons of 2013 (We currently have 48% deficient rain in our region with the other north east states going upto 67% deficient - top slide)
Most areas are reeling under a severe water shortage in the Darjeeling-Sikkim Himalayas and numerous forest fires have been reported all over the region.
In this scenario, the sharp and heavy thundershowers brought about by a dense blob of CB clouds (IR satellite image of 27Apr2013, time 5.30pm), came as a welcome relief.What it also revealed was how unprepared we are for the onset of the monsoons 2014 with clogged drains and torrents of storm water turning roads into rivers.

Rainfall
Kalimpong - 34mm
Darjeeling - 13mm
Gangtok - 10mm

Praful Rao,
Kalimpong,
Dist Darjeeling