PLSI survey on languages spoken in Sikkim nears completion

GANGTOK, 16 Sept: Assistant Professor of Sikkim University, Balaram Pandey who is also the editor of Sikkim Region for the People’s Linguistic Survey of India [PLSI] informs in a press release that PLSI has almost completed its survey on languages spoken in Sikkim during a three-day seminar held recently. Sample books on Sikkim in Nepali and English have also been released.
Over 100 years after Irish Orientalist John Abraham Grierson brought out his detailed study of Indian languages in 1900 after an effort of 28 years, the Peoples Linguistic Survey of India (PLSI), a rights-based movement is now in the final stages of bringing out the final documentation in the country.
PLSI started its three-year research project in 2011 which has covered more than 700 languages in India. The survey in Sikkim was conducted by a 20-member team headed by Balaram Pandey. The Nepali section will be published soon, however, the English edition will be published in the beginning of next year, it is informed.
At present almost 16 languages exist in Sikkim and amongst them the Mazi Language is on the verge of vanishing, Mr Pandey informs.
This is the first time that any research under the banner of PLSI, has engaged language resource persons from the place where the language originates.
During the seminar, large number of national and international linguistic leaders were present while a panel discussion was also aired on Gyan Darshan, Doordarshan Channel.
The seminar was jointly organized by Lalit Kala Akademi, Indira Gandhi Open University, New Delhi.

Forest officials from Sikkim and Nepal undertake joint monitoring of West Sikkim border

GANGTOK, 08 Aug: A joint monitoring team comprising of Forest Department officials of Sikkim and Nepal surveyed the border areas of West Sikkim from 02-05 August to assess the ground situation regarding forest status, biodiversity and communities residing in these areas.
The five member team from Nepal comprised of DFOs of Panchthar and Taplejung, the two adjoining districts in Nepal, Chairman of Kanchanjungha Conservation Area Management Council (KCAMC) the protected area having contiguity with the Khangchendzonga Biosphere Reserve in Sikkim and the Warden of KCAMC.  The Sikkim team was represented by DFOs of Barsey Rhododendron Sanctuary and Khangchendzonga Biosphere Reserve, members of EDCs and two Himal Rakshaks. The joint monitoring was facilitated by WWF-India and WWF-Nepal, working under the 10-point agreement of the last transboundary meeting between Nepal and Sikkim organized in Gangtok in June 2011, an official press release informs.
The team acknowledges the cooperation and support rendered by the Sashastra Seema Bal officials during the monitoring, the release adds.
Starting from Uttarey in West Sikkim, the team reached Chewabhanjyang on the first day and then trekked along the border between the two countries interacting with herders and inspecting cattle sheds along the way. The absence of cattle sheds following the ban on grazing policy was noted by the team on the Sikkim side, whereas cattle sheds were present on the Nepal side.  While there was pressure on natural resources from these cattle sheds on both sides of the border, the team observed that the overall status of forest was good.
The herders from Nepal also commented that herding as a tradition was on the decline, as people had other livelihood options which the younger generation preferred more.  On the Nepal side, construction of the road that had been brought right till Chewabhanjyang had caused noticeable damage to the forests along the area leading to landslides and erosion.
Interaction with local communities also yielded information that trade in wildlife items had reduced considerably from the past with the removal of cattle sheds that had once acted as stations for poachers and hunters. The presence of Sashastra Seema Bal along the border on the Sikkim side also seemed to act as deterrent for illegal crimes as there was close monitoring of people moving along the borders.
The joint monitoring also facilitated sharing of best practices between the two adjoining countries, and future strategies were also discussed by the two teams. The monitoring team would report their observations at the next transboundary meeting to be organized in Pokhara, Nepal in the month of September.

JICA survey on bear population to be completed by Feb

FOREST SECY HANDS OVER RELIEF MONEY TO BEAR ATTACK VICTIM 
GANGTOK, 31 Jan: A 60-year-old from Upper Payong, Lingee, who had been attacked by a Himalayan Black Bear yesterday, was brought to the STNM Hospital today for treatment. Chandra Man Rai, a farmer, was attacked by a bear at around 11 a.m. on 30 January while he was collecting fodder near his farm. The area where the attack took place is close to the Mainam Wildlife Sanctuary in South Sikkim.
“My brother was cutting grass in the morning, when the bear which was in the nearby kholcha that is around 10 to 15 feet away from the farm land attacked him,” informed the victim’s younger brother, Indra Kumar Rai, while speaking to media persons here at the STNM Hospital, today.
He has injury marks on the right side of his chest, left elbow and bite marks on the right side of his head. “We used to have visits by bears before, but this is the first time that a bear has attacked a person”, he added.
PCCF-cum-Secretary, Forest Department, ST Lachungpa, who visited the injured person at the STNM Hospital, while speaking to the media informed that this was the first incident in the area, but bears do get attracted to the smell of food and there was a need to avert such accidents in the future.
In the past few years as the forest cover area has grown so has the population of wildlife and no individual census of wildlife has been conducted in the state till now, he added. If the population of bears has grown, then culling of bears needs to be done, he stated.
The indirect effect of such an incident is that fear sets in within the minds of the people, but the direct effect is that this shows that there is forest growth, biodiversity is getting richer, which is a good indication for the environment and thus good for tourism too, the Secretary said.
Chief Wildlife Warden, Manjit Singh, in turn, informed that an international seminar on the proposed National Bear Conservation Plan is scheduled for November in Delhi by Ministry of Environment & Forests. “The meeting is tentatively proposed in November during which the Ministry will be discussing the National Bear Conservation Plan. They are collecting data from different States including Sikkim. The plan will be like the Tiger Project which will help us in getting funds for bear conservation and management,” he added.
Conservator of Forests [Wildlife], Gut Lepcha said that a survey is being done by Japanese International Cooperation Agency [JICA] researchers assisted by the Forest department in Sikkim forests to prepare a rough population estimate of Himalayan black bears in the State.
 “The survey started earlier this month and will be completed in February. Our forest personnel are guiding and providing all support to the survey team. They will submit a report to us with the approximate population estimate of bears in Sikkim and this report will be useful for the National Bear Conservation Plan”, said Mr Lepcha.
The team is setting up camera traps in the forests, recording the human-bear conflicts and crop damages by bear as part of the survey. The survey is being conducted in the different wildlife sanctuaries in different parts of the State. Two survey teams are presently at Pangolakha wildlife sanctuary in East Sikkim and Barsey Rhododendron Sanctuary in West district.
The Secretary also handed over Rs. 5,000 as relief money to the victim, while the expense of the medical treatment of the victim is being borne by the Forest Department and all the medicines are being provided by the STNM Hospital.

State’s high-powered committee on Ratong Chu HEPs begins preliminary survey of affected area

GANGTOK, 23 Nov: Within days of the State government constituting a high-powered committee under the Chief Secretary to examine issues related to the project implementation and other aspects related to the three hydel projects on the Rathong Chu in West Sikkim, the committee members have begun the task of conducting tours and surveys of the affected areas in West Sikkim.

INTACH to survey damage to heritage monuments in Sikkim

GANGTOK, 13 Oct: Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage [INTACH] Sikkim Chapter held an emergency meeting on 27 September to express deep concern over the condition of cultural and natural heritage sites of Sikkim after the recent earthquake, informs a press release issued by the Convenor, Sikkim Chapter, PK Dong.

Lepcha Youth Assc carries out extensive survey of Dzongu, feels more needs to be done

GANGTOK, 10 Oct: A team from the Sikkim Lepcha Youth Association carried out an extensive second survey of the earthquake affected areas of North Sikkim from 02 to 08 October, a press release informs. The team toured Lingzya, Sakyong, Bey and Pentong with the prime objective of taking a comprehensive account of the devastation caused by the earthquake and landslides which inflicted severe damage to life and property, informs a release issued by Kunga Lepcha [joint secretary, SLYA] today.

NSSO to sample survey consumer expenditure and employment

GANGTOK, 13 June: The National Survey Office (NSSO) has announced plans of organizing its 68th Round from 01 July 2011 to 30 July 2012. The 68th Round of NSS is earmarked for surveys on ‘Household Consumer Expenditure’ and ‘Employment and Unemployment’, informs an official release. 
In order to train the Assistant Superintending Officers on concepts and definitions of survey, Regional Training Camp will be held from 15 to 18 June 2011 in the Field Section of NSSO (FOD), Tadong, Gangtok and will be inaugurated by the Research officer in Charge, Regional Research Centre (Ayurvedic), Tadong, the release adds.
NSSO was set up by the Government of India in 1950 to collect Socio-Economic data employing scientific sampling methods.