Raise funds to help “Save The Hills”
Many of you do not need an introduction to “Save The Hills”, so to keep things short for you I’ll get straight to the point.
“Save the Hills” has been tirelessly crusading towards raising awareness about, and implementing prevention of landslides in the Darjeeling hills. However STH has been doing this pretty much on their own… or to be more accurate, Wg Cdr Praful Rao (retd) has been doing this pretty much on his own… in terms of both time and expenses.
We can participate in a small way by helping to offset the financial burden borne by STH in the course of this crusade. There are numerous expenses related to travel, documentation, publicity etc. Hopefully it will make STH’s path a little easier if some of these can be taken care of by us.
To that effect, I have started an online fund raising effort to make it easy (and safe and secure) for people to contribute some funds to help this organization. Please take the time to contribute whatever you can using the “Chip-In” widget below:
All you need to do is click on the “ChipIn!” button above and make your contribution using your credit card or via Paypal (All international credit cards can be used). It is safe and secure. The entirety of the collection will be forwarded to “Save The Hills”.
So do take the time and make a contribution. Every bit counts so please do not hesitate to chip in whatever sum you think you can.
For those who do not know much about “Save the Hills” I’ll attempt an introduction:
For the past 11 months (since the 2007 monsoons) the NGO Save The Hills (http://savethehills.blogspot.com) has been working tirelessly towards creating awareness about landslides in the Darjeeling hills. Through first person reports, photographs, regular blog updates and seminars and presentations STH has been able to document the unreported catastrophe of landslides and, the apathy of the administration, be it the local or the state governments. In the course of the past year STH has made clear how unprepared the administration is in case of any eventualities, and how the system is so messed up that it isn’t even entirely clear who or which department is responsible for disaster management or prevention.
Unlike other organizations, instead of pointing fingers and placing blame, STH has taken upon itself the momentous task of researching the present state of disaster prevention and management in India and how it applies to the Darjeeling hills’ landslides situation. Singlehandedly, STH has brought about an unprecedented level of awareness through its reports and seminars and has now been recognized by major government agencies as the repository of local landslide information for the region.
STH has corresponded with the DGHC, the state government, the District Magistrate, the Chief Minister, the Governor, the Prime Minister, as well as renowned exerts in the field of landslide studies and disaster management. And the fact that “Save The Hills” has been invited to attend and speak at several meetings organized by government bodies such as National Disaster management Authority (NDMA) is a mark of the recognition that the NGO has achieved so much in terms of awareness and education, something that the government and the administration isn’t even close to achieving.
The credit for this tireless crusading goes to Wg Cdr Praful Rao (retd) of Kalimpong. He has spent his own time and money to pursue this issue and has achieved much in the past year. We, as hill residents, can support the efforts of this NGO to save our hills by raising funds to help STH deal with various expenses that are associated with this crusade. If we do not have the time, or we are not in a position to be able to contribute directly to the landslide prevention efforts, we can at least offer our help and support and show our appreciation by helping out financially.
So please take the time out to contribute by clicking on the widget above. It is safe, secure, quick, painless and the best long term investment you could ever make.
Thank You
-Admin
July 9th, 2008 at 6:36 am
Very positive and doable for the Darjeeling diaspora.
As for us locals, we could contribute directly by sponsoring miscellaneous expenses of STH.
July 9th, 2008 at 7:16 am
i was just wondering if mr rao could throw his weight, and mediate an amicable resolution of the garbage dumping dispute that is plaguing kalimpong far the past year…i see this as a sign of the things to come… a weak administration, an assertive and politically vocal populace, and of course an aspirational and consumerist middle class whose disposal incomes (and waste) can only grow in the future…already the battle lines are being drawn…what we are seeing in kalimpong is a microcosm of a problem that predatory capitalism has wrought on the rest of the world….bahlukhop’s (an economically backward area)refusal to accept kalimpong town’s rubbish should be taken as seriously as the hue and cry some third world countries make when they are threatened with the waste of developed countries…
July 12th, 2008 at 2:57 am
Thanks to Anuj bhai for this initiative, long overdue. Can it be made easily accessible for regular contribution, bhai? For example, as a sticky in the Darjeeling forum?
As for an amicable resolution Prabin bhai, it is not just up to Praful bhai, it needs a concerted effort from all. Poor Praful bhai is already swamped under the efforts to save the hills campaign so it is not fair to expect him to go alone for another issue, we all need to support him in our own way. However, support from people IN Kalimpong is most important and crucial.
July 12th, 2008 at 6:41 pm
charity must begin at home as one saying goes….which is indeed true and i think this is the high time for all the people from hills to contribute whatever amount they could afford to make our place as beautiful as it was…so kudos to all you guys for making a noble deed.