March 2021- Rainfall of the Darjeeling - Sikkim region

Praful Rao with Ms Shreya Gurung

Kalimpong district
Darjeeling - Sikkim Himalaya

STH activities - Participating in 'Deluge and Disaster' a Sensitization Program in Siliguri College (Dept of Geography): 17Sep2019

A sensitization programme on climate change entitled " Deluge and Disaster: Towards Mitigation and Adaptation " was organised by the PG Dept of Geography and Applied Geography, Siliguri College in collaboration with the Center for Mitigation of Climate Change and Global Warming ( CMCCGW), on 17.09.2019, in the Dept of Geography, Siliguri College.
Anthropogenic climate change is one of the greatest challenges that humanity is facing in the 21st Century. Hence, the need to motivate and inspire young minds to ponder upon questions and issues that confront us today.
With this main objective and with the target audience primarily being the post graduate students of the
Department, the Programme was just the right mix of profound and proactive exploration of the core theme, under the tutelage of very distinguished experts:

• Dr S. Mishra(Retd. Ag-meteorologist, WB) presented an in-depth research-based account of the climate change patterns in West Bengal for a period of over 100 years.

• Wg Cdr Praful Rao (retd), President, STH spoke on 'Water - too little or too much, the new normal.'

• Dr P. T. Bhutia( Ex APCCF, NB) presented a scientific account, which was at the same time, an empathetic and poignant portrayal of the impact on climate change on the Jaldhaka WLS.

• DR S. Halder ( Exe. Engineer,WB) gave an enlightening talk on Deluge Disaster Risk Assessment. Dr. S. Ghosh( Director, Soil Survey, WB) explored issues of climate change vis a vis agriculture, while Smt Majumdar ( President, IRGSD, Kolkata) addressed the psychological response to climate induced disasters.

The quality of the lectures and the wisdom imparted by the speakers ensured that the students were inspired and motivated to look at issues of climate change, with the gravity and seriousness it deserves.

My thanks to Dr Nima Lama for the write up.

Praful Rao,
Kalimpong district
Darjeeling Sikkim Himalaya

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

Our activities in 2018

We regret not being able to publish these accounts of our activities in time. As explained elsewhere in the blog, it was only because we, today use other social media platforms which reach out more effectively and expeditiously to the community at large.

While updating our activities in 2018, I am glad to inform you that we have also updated  & published RAINFALL RECORDS for some major towns in the Darjeeling-Sikkim for the whole of 2018. Please feel free to use all data/photos in this blog freely and without asking for our consent.

With regard to rainfall, quite clearly the Darjeeling-Sikkim Himalaya (except for North Sikkim) went deficient in rainfall in 2018 and as such we had no major landslide activity in this region. Hence, there is no reference to occurrence of fresh landslides in 2018 in this blog.

Praful Rao
Kalimpong district,
Darjeeling Sikkim Himalaya

SaveTheHills activity 01/02Feb2019 - Kalimpong District Environment Fair

Praful Rao
Kalimpong district
Darjeeling Sikkim Himalaya

Notice: STH blog resumes in Feb2019

It is with regret that I wish to announce that we were unable to continue the SaveTheHills (STH) blog after April 2018, having done so for almost 10years since STH was established in Sep2007.
The reason:-

• In our experience, STH has found that other social media platforms are today more efficient and 'user friendly' to disburse warnings and information.
• While blogging may have once been a wonderful tool, today STH operates a WhatsApp (WA) group called 'Hazard Alerts' (HA) which is a much more effective way of disbursing information and warnings.
• WA along with other platforms like FaceBook reaches out to wider audiences and very quickly while the blog maybe restricted to the more serious reader and for preserving data and historical facts.
  
  However, since all of STH history and some useful data is published in the blog, STH will again start re-publishing the blog while apologizing for the break.
  
  Having completed updating rainfall records from April2018 toJan 2019 we will now record significant events which were undertaken by us and our partners in 2018 - much of which was about raising awareness on DRR and environmental issues of the region
  
  
  Praful Rao,
  Kalimpong district,
  Darjeeling - Sikkim Himalaya

Notice and Regrets

It is with regret that I wish to announce that we were unable to continue the SaveTheHills (STH) blog after April 2018, having done so for almost 10years since STH was established in Sep2007.
The reason:-

• In our experience, STH has found that other social media platforms are today more efficient and 'user friendly' to disburse warnings and information.
• While blogging may have once been a wonderful tool, today STH operates a WhatsApp (WA) group called 'Hazard Alerts' (HA) which is a much more effective way of disbursing information and warnings.
• WA along with other platforms like FaceBook reaches out to wider audiences and very quickly while the blog maybe restricted to the more serious reader and for preserving data and historical facts.
  
  However, since all of STH history and some useful data is published in the blog, STH will again start re-publishing the blog while apologizing for the break.
  
  Firstly, we will publish the available rainfall and other records of this region and then significant events which were undertaken by us and our partners during the past in 2018.
  
  
  Praful Rao,
  Kalimpong district,
  Darjeeling - Sikkim Himalaya

STH Stormwatch : Cyclone 'NADA' brews up in the Bay of Bengal (30Nov2016)

Cyclone 'NADA' has  formed in the Bay of Bengal and is expected to make landfall in Tamil Nadu in the early hours of the morning on 02Dec2016.
Thus far in 2016, we have had 3 Cyclones forming in the Bay of Bengal - Roanu, Kyant and now Cyclone NADA

Praful Rao.
Kalimpong,
Dist Darjeeling

STH activities (May2016) : Landslide protection work thru MPLADS and donating tanks to a parched village for water storage

STH had applied for approx Rs 15lakhs from MPLADS for landslide protection work at Bhamey Gaon, a village in Sindebung GP, Kalimpong. The village has been featured in this blog many times. We met Shri Jaswant Singh Hon MP Darjeeling in May 2013 (see here) to seek funds from MPLADS for the work.
Though the project took time to be implemented, river training work (slides 1 & 2 above) to check erosion by a particularly virulent jhora (mountain stream) has been completed at Bhamey Gaon. The work was executed by local contractors under the supervision of BDO Kalimpong -1.
We hope that this work will help mitigate the landslide problem of Sindebung in a small way.

STH had toured areas in Bara Bhalukhop during this parched summer to check water availability in rural areas and had visited Thakuri Gaon (see here)
We had promised the villagers two 500L water storage tanks to store water from the trickle that came in from 2 springs. On 24May2016, we delivered the tanks and a coil of plastic pipes to the village, the tanks will benefit 4 households of that village who will have stored water available for domestic use.

Praful Rao,
Kalimong,
Dist Darjeeling

Comment
Our deep thanks to Shri Jaswant Singh, Hon MP of Darjeeling in 2013, who made the MPLADS work possible.

Upcoming events : Workshop on 'Climate change and its effects on hydropower, water and development in the Eastern Himalayas’ - 22Jan2013 at Kalimpong

Tentative Program

1. 0930 to 10:00h : Arrival of invitees. Informal introductions over tea/ coffee.

Session I

2. 10.00 – 10:45h : Hydro-power on the Teesta River. A local perspective: 20 min by local activist/spokesperson.
Overview by the project team of field visits to Teesta Lo Dam Stage III at  27th Mile and discussions with PFAs at Gail Khola and 29th Mile (on 21Jan2013) - 10min each.
Dr Jessica Budds, Lecturer in Environment & Development, Univ of  Reading (UK) ; Dr Vimal Khawas, Asst Prof School of Policy Planning and Studies, Sikkim Univ will jointly present academic perspectives and interests followed by NGO perspectives by Mr KJ Joy and Partha Das

3. 10:45 to 11:30h : Open discussions

Session II

4. 11:45-14:00h : Dams or hydropower in the Himalayas - brief Introduction by Dr Deepa Joshi, Asst Prof, Irrigation and Water Engineering Group, Wageningen Univ, The Netherlands.

Workshop is being jointly organized by Wageningen University, The Netherlands and other academic institutions in India and Nepal.

Venue : Park Hotel
             Kalimpong

Praful Rao