natural disasters
Kadar Village Threatened by Landslides
The Kadar living in the Anakkayam Colony had to flee for their lives last August 16 when a huge landslide swept everything away right next to their homes. They’ve been homeless ever since, according to a news report published in the New Indian Express last week. A good review of the background was provided by […]
The Ladakhi Cherish their Environment
The use of polyethylene bags is a growing problem in the mountains of Northern India, except for Ladakh where the people have been able to get rid of them. Why are the Ladakhi so concerned about their natural environment that they embrace the idea of banning the polluting bags when others who live in equally […]
Lepcha Memories of the Earthquake
A year ago, on September 18, 2011, a powerful earthquake devastated many communities in northern Sikkim. In a strange rehash of events this year, a minor tremor rattled the same Indian state on the same day, within about 15 minutes of the time of last year’s quake. It appeared to do no damage, though people […]
Ladakh Disaster 18 Months Later
An ANI reporter, Chetna Verma, visiting Leh 18 months after a mudslide disaster, wrote last week that “it was the traditional lifestyle and belief systems of the Ladakhi community [as well as] their humane quality” that helped them get through the tragedy. She argued that the Ladakhi spirit of mutual assistance was essential. One of […]
Earthquakes Destroy the Dzongu, but Lepchas Abandon Mun
The earthquake that devastated the Dzongu Lepcha Reserve in Sikkim on September 18th continues to produce its aftershocks—both in the local mountains and in the attitudes of the Lepcha people. A news story last week in The Hindu, a major daily in India, reported that another minor aftershock had just hit the same region. The […]
Fiftieth Anniversary of the Evacuation of Tristan
Fifty years ago, on October 8th, 1961, two months after the rumbling and shaking had started, a new volcanic cone shattered the earth only two hundred yards east of the settlement on Tristan da Cunha. This past week, the British media have been commemorating the eruption, and the evacuation of the islanders that had become […]
Leh Rises, Slowly, from the Mud
The peaceful Ladakhi culture will certainly survive the winter, but many inhabitants of Leh and vicinity are facing a very difficult time ahead due to the tragic mudslide of August 6th. Freak cloudbursts the night of August 5th caused a huge mudslide to devastate the city very early the following morning. The news media in […]
Peaceful Societies Survive Tsunami
The deadly tsunami two weeks ago in the Indian Ocean has awakened many to the plight of people who live in low-lying coastal areas and on small islands. On January 6, world leaders announced their intention to support the development of a tsunami early warning system for the Indian Ocean to match the system in […]
