Tenshug refers to a ceremonial and devotional request made to a great spiritual teacher to live long and continue turning the Wheel of Dharma for…
As an international river, there have been serious issues on table with regard to the management and sharing of its water between India and Bangladesh. Besides several existing and proposed mega hydro-dams in the Sikkim-Darjeeling catchment, the Government of West Bengal has diverted almost entire Teesta Water via artificial canals at Teesta (Gajoldoba) Barrage in Jalpaiguri to irrigate its thirsty North Bengal leaving little or no water for Bangladesh.
Despite the warnings we received from the 2023 experience, now in January 2025, the Union Environment Ministry’s Expert Appraisal Committee (EAC) on River Valley Projects has given its approval to resume construction of the 1200 MW Teesta III hydroelectric project.
Teesta has massive siltation level, thus it is certain that the siltation level of the river will raise staggeringly with the construction of a series of dams and the sediment load will be trapped within the reservoirs, reducing their production capacity. This, in turn, could compel dam managers to release water during heavy rainfall, causing sudden flash floods downstream. Further, the NHPC has failed to undertake the study on the cascading effects of Dams (i.e. in case of dam breaking at the top what will happen to subsequent dams), which is likely to occur in coming days.
They Say “Blood is thicker than Water” and A friend in need is a friend indeed and Sikkim has proven the old adage true once again. Sikkim stands with us not just as our neighbour and friend but also our extended family of Blood and Bones.
We bow our heads to the 21 Bravehearts Indian Army soldiers who laid down their lives on icy heights of Cho La in Sikkim from 01 to 04 Oct 1967, kept Tricolour Flying.
A dangerous drama unfolded in Sikkim when Sikkim Chief Minister’s political secretary Jacob Khaling was accused of attempt to rape by a local civil society. Sikkim Nagarik Samaj (SNS), a civil society organization based on Gangtok had claimed on Saturday that “Khaling had attempted to rape a woman, and that the FIR was lodged before SP of East Sikkim district via post after the local police ‘failed’ to register a case against Khaling”.
“Annually, approximately 500 billion plastic bags are used worldwide with more than one million bags used every minute.” “A plastic bag just has an average…
Mountains are hotspots of bio-resource and cultural diversity as well important sites of traditional cultural knowledge. Mountain provides various Ecosystem services to the rural native communities living in the Himalayan region. Darjeeling-Sikkim Himalaya marks the beginning of the Eastern Himalayas. The confluence of biological diversity with its complex topography, high humidity along with its diverse physiographic and varying climatic zones, has contributed to the occurrence of large diversities of bio-resources. The Mountain services (MSs) can provide a wide range of benefits for human well-being, including provisioning, regulating, supporting, and cultural services.
It is very embarrassing and heart wrenching for me to get sarcastic remarks being an Indian Nepali or Gorkha in the rest part of Indian soul. Living away from the cold mountain air and friendly own community of the hill for Postgraduate and M.Phil. Studies did come across many times with such sarcastic remarks as Chinese because of having ‘Chimso’ eyes and “How Nepali language while living in Bengal!” considered as some bitter remarks are the inner pains of the Indian Gorkha who resides plains or rest part of Indian soil.