Sunday, March 27, 2011

STH Activities : Hazard, Risk and Vulnerability Assessment trainees field visit to Kalimpong (25Mar2011)

The West Bengal State IAG organized a 3 day training program at Siliguri from 24-26Mar2011 in which almost 30 participants from North Bengal received training on Hazard, Risk and Vulnerability Assessment. (Suraj Sharma and Bhushan Chettri from SaveTheHills (STH) also participated in the training program). On the 25Mar2011, the entire team headed by Ms Debadrita Sengupta (Coordinator, State IAG) along with participants drove upto Kalimpong and spent the entire afternoon and early evening visiting landslide prone areas of Kalimpong.
a) They were first taken to the massive erosion and landslides caused by the natural rivulets (jhoras) at Pashyor
(Slides 1&2).
b) We then visited Sindebung village to see the impact of landslides on a farming community. The team interacted with villagers who had lost land, property and livelihoods to landslides. The village has been featured on this blog many, many times (Slides 3&4).
c) This was followed by a visit to Dhobi Dhara village which is densely populated near the Sub-Divisional Hospital (Slide 5).
d) Lastly, the whole team was briefed by Wg Cdr Praful Rao (retd) on landslides situation around Kalimpong and landslides in general in a powerpoint presentation.


Comment by Praful Rao
All members of STH would like to thank the State IAG and all those took the trouble to visit Kalimpong to understand a serious problem which has otherwise been for all practical  purposes been neglected by one and all.


1 comment:

Subash Chhetri said...

we really need engineering approach ti save the hills. The govt funds must diverted for the same alongwith cordanation fo local people.