Source: Trent

A Solar-Powered Shed for India’s Perishable Food

By JOANNA M. FOSTER

sourceNYTIMES

Milk? Garbage. Spinach? Garbage. Leftover Thai takeout? Garbage. For millions in the Northeast, clearing out the fridge after days without power was just one more unsavory chore that was part of the cleanup process after Hurricane Sandy passed through.

University of Cincinnati The SolerCool shed has a small compressor powered by eight solar panels

But in the developing world, throwing out food because of inadequate refrigeration isn’t just annoying, it’s a devastating and irreparable economic blow that keeps farmers trapped at the level of subsistence and threatens food security. In India, the government estimates that anywhere from 30 to 40 percent of food spoils long before it finds its way to the table.
Such waste is endemic because so few farmers have access to electricity. Even in Tamil Nadu, one of the most industrialized states in the country and sometimes referred to as India’s California, only 40 percent of the population has electricity. Without power, tomatoes and okra stand no chance in 104-degree weather.
To address the problem, business students and engineers from the University of Cincinnati have teamed with local Ohio companies to create a small solar-powered refrigerated shed for storing food. The SolerCool container runs on just eight solar panels and keeps produce at a comfortably cool temperature, even at night, thanks to a battery that charges during the day.

Mohsen Rezayat, chief solutions architect at Siemens PLM and an adjunct professor in the University of Cincinnati’s engineering school, helped bring all the technology for the shed together. One of its more unusual components is the compressor.
“Compressors, which generate the cold air for refrigeration, are huge energy hogs,” Dr. Rezayat noted. But the team found a company that had created a small portable one that could be run on the power from just a few solar panels.
The unit was designed so that vending machines wouldn’t have to be hauled out for repair, he said. “When something went wrong with the cooling system, a new one could just be popped in like a fresh ink cartridge,” Dr. Rezayat explained. “Turns out, what’s good for vending machines at universities in Ohio is good for cabbages on farms in India.”
For now, the cold shed costs about $5,000, a price that the Ohio team knows is well beyond the reach of most small farmers.
“At the moment the price means that several farms would have to pool resources and share one unit,” Dr. Reyazat said. “We are very price-conscious and are looking at ways to bring the price down to really help the poorest of the poor increase their earning potential.” One possibility is to manufacture some smaller units for farmers with just a few acres.
In the meantime, a field prototype is on its way to an aloe farm near Pune, India, to see if it performs as well in that climate as it does in Ohio.

Sanjay Kanojia/Agence France-Presse — Getty Images

A young, naked sadhu, or holy man, at the Maha Kumbh Mela in Allahabad, Uttar Pradesh. His body is smeared with ash.

www.ceosikkim.nic.in

Several Forms can  be downloaded from CEO’s website www.ceosikkim.nic.in

It is also to inform all the existing voters to use the following facilities for checking their details in the Electoral Roll through:

i)                   Online search name in the CEO website  (www.ceosikkim.nic.in)

ii)                SMS facility-type EPICSIK give space and type Voter Id Card number and send it to 9211728083

iii)              Electoral Roll www.ceosikkim.nic.in

For any details may contact call center toll free number 1950 from your landline number.

India's monthly average income rose to Rs 5,130 in 2011-12

The per capita monthly income, a measure to assess standard of living, grew at a slower rate of 13.7 percent to Rs 5,130 in 2011-12 at current prices compared to Rs 4,513 in 2010-11.

Source: PTI

The per capita monthly income, a measure to assess standard of living, grew at a slower rate of 13.7 percent to Rs 5,130 in 2011-12 at current prices compared to Rs 4,513 in 2010-11.

"The per capita income at current prices is estimated at Rs 61,564 (per annum) in 2011-12 as against Rs 54,151 for the previous year depicting a growth of 13.7 percent, as against an increase of 17.1 percent during the previous year", said the revised data of national accounts released here today.

On the Gross Domestic Saving (GDS) front, the data revealed that the growth at current prices in 2011-12 slowed to 30.8 percent of GDP at market prices as against 34 percent in the previous year.

The GDS is estimated at Rs 27,65,291 during last fiscal crore as against Rs 26,51,934 crore in 2010-11.

The slower growth in GDS has been mainly due to decline in financial savings of household sector from 10.4 percent to 8 percent, private corporate sector from 7.9 percent to 7.2 percent and that of public sector from 2.6 percent to 1.3 percent in 2011-12 as compared to 2010-11.

The rate of Gross Capital Formation at current prices is 35.0 percent in 2011-12 as against 36.8 percent in 2010-11. The gross domestic capital formation has increased from Rs 28,71,649 crore in 2010-11 to Rs 31,41,465 crore in 2011-12 at current prices.

It further revealed that the per capita private final consumption expenditure (PFCE) at current prices in 2011-12 is estimated at Rs 42,065 as against Rs 36,677 in the year 2010-11, showing an increase of 14.7 percent as against an increase of 15.7 percent in the previous year.

Wed, 30 Jan 2013 20:15:00 GMT | By PTI

China to construct 3 more dams on Brahmaputra

 

Reuters
Beijing: China has approved construction of three more dams on Brahmaputra river in Tibet in addition to the one being built, and much to the disquiet of India, it has not been informed about the plans so far. A document approved by the Chinese cabinet recently mentioned three dams to be built at Dagu, Jiacha and Jiexu on Brahmaputra, Indian officials here said.

The document listing projects to be completed in China's 12th five year plan made a passing reference to the three dams without any details, they said. India has not been informed about the move so far, they said here. Asked about the plans to build the dams, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman, Hong Lei told a media briefing here that "China has always taken a responsible attitude towards the development of cross border rivers".

"Any new project has to go through scientific planning and study with consideration of the interests of lower and upper stream countries", he said. Brahmaputra river is known as as Yarlung Zangbo in China. Asked whether plans to build the dams have been approved and whether India and Bangladesh, which were lower riparian countries of the river, have been informed, Hong said he needs to get specific information.

Beijing's decision comes at a time when India-China relations have improved considerably in all areas of cooperation and the two countries held lengthy round of the bilateral exchanges during National Security Advisor, Shivshankar Menon's visit here with his Chinese counterpart Dai Bingguo. Sharing of cross border river waters has figured in the discussions but apparently China has not informed India of its plans to build the dams.

In his interactions with media after the talks, Menon has spoken about the two sides discussing water flows and China assurance that nothing what it is doing will affect the flows. The two again met on the sidelines of BRICS Security officials meet this month in New Delhi. The new projects were reportedly approved by China at the State Council or Cabinet meeting on January 23.

China has already been building a 510 MW dam at Zangmu and one of the three dams were reportedly bigger than this. China has been arguing that its dams are run of the river designs, therefore would not be affecting the flows of the water.

India has been expressing its concerns on this issue during the bilateral meetings. It figured during the then External Affairs Minister, S M Krishna's visit in last March. About India's concerns about Zangmu dam, Hong said at that time that the dam was not big enough to affect much of the flow to the lower riparian regions and China has not developed new hydro projects on the river.

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Power Peak demand in Winter in Sikkim- 80 MW

The peak electricity demand for the entire state of Sikkim during winters is recorded at 80 MW per day, but Sikkim is currently receiving barely 50 MW. 

 Power Grid Corporation India Ltd has been shutting down the Siliguri-Melli 132 KV transmission line and the Kurseong-Rangit 132 KV transmission line on a continuous basis since 27 January; a procedure which is scheduled to continue till 02 February 2013. This shutdown, it is informed, is being done for emergency stringing of transmission line conductors at a new tower location (No. 194) situated near Kurseong in West Bengal.

With the two transmission lines down, the Eastern Regional Load Dispatch [ERLD], Kolkata, which is the main grid that supplies power to Sikkim, has restricted Sikkim’s net withdrawal to 50 MW [against a peak demand of 80 MW] to avoid tripping of power in grid disturbance. This has necessitated load-shedding during the peak demand hours from 5:30 PM to 8:30 PM in Sikkim 

Sikkim gets an Overseas Employment Skill Development Centre at IHM Sajong

AMEET OBEROI

Sikkim Now

GANGTOK, 29 Jan: Aspire Human Capital Management [Aspire] and Institute of Hotel  Management [IHM], Sikkim launched the first Overseas Employment Skill Development Centre in Sikkim, here at the Institute situated at Sajong, Rumtek today. The centre is being supported by Directorate of Capacity Building.
IHM was selected for this project by Aspire, the knowledge partners for this Ministry of Overseas Indian Affairs [MOIA] sponsored project, jointly implemented by India Centre of Migration [ICM] and International Organisation of Migration [IOM], while the certification comes from Edexcel, a Pearson group company, United Kingdom.
Speaking at the launch, chief guest, Secretary, Labour Department CT Wangdi, remarked that such centres would provide exposure to students to different kinds of trainings which would help them apply for any kind of job in any part of the country. This is a pilot project and is being done for the first time in Sikkim, he added.
The state government started the Directorate of Capacity Building with a vision for the children of the state so that they could learn different skills and apply for placements in various fields, he informed.
Students of the state have a good command over the English language as they are taught to speak from an early age and they also dress up reasonably well which is needed in the hospitality industry, thus this gives them a plus point amongst others, he said and added that even if 20 students get placements after this project, it will be a huge boost for the state. This is a big opportunity for the students, so the students should not miss out on this chance, stated Mr Wangdi.
“There is ample scope in this industry, it is just that there is the need to harness this potential. There is a lot of money going out of the state in terms of human resources, which can be curtailed as it is not necessary for students to go out of the state to work”, he said. He added that people here are not ready to work hard so work force has to be brought in from outside, thus, there is the need to change the mentality of the people first.
The programme was also addressed by Ravindra Singh [Vice President, Vocational Education and Training, Aspire] and Mr. Paul from Edexcel, UK, who are also the resource persons for the two-day programme and by JT Gyaltshen [Principal, IHM].
The Aspire-IHM [Sikkim] Overseas Employment Skill Development Centre will provide short-term vocational training programmes targeted at the youth who wish to take up overseas employment, while the certification is by Edexcel, UK’s largest awarding body offering academic and vocational qualifications and testing to schools, colleges, employers and other places of learning in the UK and internationally.
The Aspire-IHM [Sikkim] Overseas Employment Skill Development Centre also launched its first programme, Aspire Edexcel BTEC Hospitality level 2 Advance Certificate Programme for the students of Sikkim. Trainers from IHM [04] and Assam Downtown University [09], another Aspire venue in Guwahati, Assam will be trained at IHM by Edexcel UK to roll out the programme.

Data source: Business Standard

SIKKIM GOING BACK TO ORGANIC FARMING

by Nita Nirash

Sikkim the state with only 7096 sq km of total land area is on its way to become an Organic state by the year 2015.The state Govt. has launched the Organic Movement which is now being carried out seriously. Launching the mission in 2010    Chief Minister, Pawan Chamling, highlighted some of the reasons behind the Sikkim Organic Mission. He said, “Our hilly state is dependent for food commodities, specially vegetables and fruits, on outside State supplies to some extent. As a result money does not go to our farmers and there are issues about the safety of food to consumers. We want to reduce dependence of the consumers of the state for vegetables and fruits on outside state supplies in order to help our farmers benefit from the consumer boom and discourage Sikkim becoming a consuming society, particularly when rural population starts moving away from farming. It will benefit farmers and state if they could diversify farming and in this regard increasing access to Sikkim farmers Organic produce in the local markets, which will serve a meaningful purpose. Organic Mission will be beneficial to all citizens of state in terms of health and wealth, but also for our precious land, water resources and ecology.”

Organic Farming is a process in which Chemical fertilizers and pesticides or any other kind of chemical inputs are avoided

Organic Farming is a process in which Chemical fertilizers and pesticides or any other kind of chemical inputs are avoided. These are replaced by Organic inputs and Organic sources of soil nutrients. However, scientists & researchers differ on Organic food being healthier than the other one. Recent researchers from Stanford University, USA, after conducting research pointed out that “Eating Organic fruits & vegetables can lower exposer to pesticides, including for children- but amount measured from conventionally grown produce was within safety limits.” They also are of the opinion that even insecticides used inside homes resulted in the presence of pesticide level in urine of children examined. So it can be said that if we want to be within safety limits for our internal system, it has to be complemented & supplemented by equally beneficial products, when it comes to atmosphere & environment within the four walls of our houses.

According to the Economic Survey Report, Govt. of Sikkim, (2006-7), “Fertilizer consumption was over 3000 tones in 2001.The per hectare consumption of fertilizers has been steadily going down. In fact, Sikkim with a per hectare consumption of 5.8kg is the least fertilizer using State in the whole of North East, except for Arunachal Pradesh and Nagaland.”

Present scene is different from what it was in 2006-7, during the Plan. Now, the Govt. is steadily moving on the track of Organic Mission 2015. Prior to launching of the Mission –’15, total 8128 hectares of certified land was already in existence. A 50 Thousand acre land, which remained to be converted, is being changed into an Organic area phase wise. This process will bring all the agricultural land under Organic system and Certified.

Organic Food Market at Sikkim

The State, which had started discouraging the use of Chemical Fertilizers & Pesticides, has stopped the subsidy on these from 2006-7.When ever some thing new is started anywhere, awareness among the stakeholders and convincing, them is very important. But, in a state where Farmers rarely use Chemical inputs in the olden days, convincing them should not have been very hard. The agriculturists, according to official sources, were not following the practice of using much Chemical Fertilizers, till the Initiation of Green Revolution in India, in 70’s.The most challenging aspect of having the whole state converted into a systematic and recognized Organic Farming, appears to be the training. This has been receiving appropriate attention from the State Govt. The youth have also been trained for marketing.’ Demonstrations of nutrient management’ are being given in the fields of Farmers in order to generate more awareness. They have been brought home to the fact that to increase the production and to enrich the soil, they have to use Farm Waste System. Those, who have taken to Organic Farming, have started using recycled farm & forest waste, as organic sources of nutrients.The Sikkimese farmers have also started using bio-fertilizers and organic fertilizers. The govt. has been providing the farmers with rural compost pits, vermicompost and bio-fertilizers.

For having proper Organic Farming, giving up chemical fertilizers is not enough, as there are many more strings attached to it. The seeds have to be totally organic also. So, the concerned department has been breeding seeds and testing too. Efforts are being made to produce seeds organically.

Do people prefer buying Organic produce? The Organic produce appears to be a bit expensive, but tasty, nonetheless. It is said to be better than conventionally produced food items, the fruits are said to be sweeter, also. On visiting the Khangchendzonga Shopping Complex, in the capital, Gangtok, one finds the stalls selling Organic Vegetables & Fruits, flourishing like any other. Youth having formed Cooperative Society for selling the organically grown produce are happy with their income, but they think that consumers should be made more aware about the benefits of Organic Food. There are stalls selling Organic food from both Sikkim as well as Siliguri.

All that is produced in harmony with nature is naturally healthier and tastier compared to conventional type of items. The Organic food is also said to be lower in nitrates and antioxidants. The health hazards and risks like cancer and nerve problems caused due to chemical pesticides at times can also be reduced by consumption of Organic food.

The state has adopted the most authentic certification system, which has been accepted by the European Union, Switzerland and USDA. Group Certification and Participatory Guarantee System can also be accepted in future, though it is acceptable in domestic market only. The Certification process takes around three years.

The persons, who have switched over to proper Organic Farming, have all the joy of beautiful birds and insects chirping and singing in their farms. Some animals are also expected to be back to their original habitats.

Nita Nirash

The Indian economy is in bad shape. The economic growth has slowed down considerably. Investments have dried up. Thus in-order to step up investments and kick start the growth process, Commerce and Industry minister Anand Sharma is trying to woo investors by hard-selling the National Manufacturing Policy (NMP). If implemented properly, NMP would take the share of manufacturing up from 16% to 25% of GDP and would create 100 m skilled jobs in one decade in India. Under the NMP, the government has proposed to set up National Investment and Manufacturing Zones (NIZM). These will be mega industrial zones with world class supporting infrastructure. The government is offering a host of incentives like exemption from capital gains tax and a liberalised labour and environment norms to promote these zones. 12 of these NIZM had already been notified, which would not only be transformative but is an investment in the future of the country.

Source: Financial Express

Homestay tourism flourishes in rural Sikkim

ANI

Homestay tourism flourishes in rural Sikkim (Thinkstock photos/Getty Images)

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Many villages in Sikkim provide tourists with scenic beauty and facilities for traditional home stay.

Zuluk, a small village with a population of about 700 people, is one of them. Located near the Indo-China border, Zuluk is an upcoming tourist spot and a paradise for nature and adventure lovers.

Though the village lacks hotels, but the villagers have adopted the concept of Homestay.

"We started green cottage for tourists through a self-help group. The homestay concept was launched in October 2008 by few locals of this place. From then onwards there has been no looking back. In peak season we have cent per cent bookings," said Rajesh Rai, owner of Zuluk homestay.

As of now, there are two cottages in the village with attached bathrooms. They come for Rs. 1,200 per night for visitors and include daily traditional meals.

"The view here is very beautiful. Though there are no hotels around, but we like the home stay accommodation. It's very good," added Kamal, a tourist from West Bengal

The conclusion is inescapable that a majority of elected members of the Lok Sabha in recent years, and even earlier, won on a minority of votes cast in their constituencies.-Vice President of India

For a mature Democracy like Ours, Limitations of our Electoral System Require to be Addressed – Vice President Vice President Confers National awards for best Electoral Practice on 3rd National Voters Day

The Vice President of India Shri M. Hamid Ansari has expressed his concern that despite our achievements in election management, we cannot rest on our laurels. Addressing after conferring the“National Awards for Best Electoral Practice” at the National Level Function on ‘3rd ‘National Voters Day’ organized by the Election Commission of India here today, he said that Perfection is a matter of receding horizons. The experience of six decades propels us examine it critically. This would show, firstly, that every citizen entitled to vote does not exercise this right and secondly, that the First-Past-The-Post system adopted by us often results in the winner obtaining less than a majority of the votes cast. He opined that the conclusion is inescapable that a majority of elected members of the Lok Sabha in recent years, and even earlier, won on a minority of votes cast in their constituencies. The situation is no better, perhaps worse, in State Assembly Elections with percentage of returned candidates on minority of votes cast going above 70 percent in several cases. When this percentage is considered alongside the average voter turn out, it would suggest that the elected representative may not, often is not, representative of his/her electoral constituency. He said that furthermore, this system encourages candidates to focus on securing votes of a segment of the electorate and thereby accentuate or reinforce social divisions based on narrower considerations that derogate from inclusiveness and promote divisive tendencies and social conflict. The Vice President emphasized that for a mature democracy like ours, both these limitations of our electoral system require to be addressed. Lauding the efforts of Election Commission, he said that the high standards set by the Election Commission in election management are now globally recognized. In fact, the Commission is now sharing its resources on election management with other countries through the India International Institute of Democracy and Election Management. The aim of the National Voters’ Day is to bring every eligible citizen on the electoral roll with primary focus on the newly eligible voter, i.e. the 18-19 yrs old. Following is the text of Vice President’s address : “I am happy to be here today for the commemoration of the Third National Voters` Day organized by Election Commission of India, which also coincides with its Foundation Day. We in India take pride in being the world’s largest democracy where regular, free and fair elections are conducted in an efficient and effective manner. The credit for this goes to the Election Commission that has, over six decades, conducted 15 elections to the Lok Sabha and about 350 elections to State Legislative Assemblies. An idea of the magnitude and complexity of our electoral process can be gauged from the fact that in the 2009 General Election the electorate numbered more than 714 million. It was catered to by 10 lakh polling booths in which about 50 lakh personnel were deployed. 360 parties put forth candidates. The average voter turn out was 59.7 percent. The high standards set by the Election Commission in election management are now globally recognized. In fact, the Commission is now sharing its resources on election management with other countries through the India International Institute of Democracy and Election Management. The aim of the National Voters’ Day is to bring every eligible citizen on the electoral roll with primary focus on the newly eligible voter, i.e. the 18-19 yrs old. Many of these new voters are being felicitated in similar functions at around 7 lakh locations. I commend the Election Commission for undertaking this exercise. I also congratulate the 10 young voters from Delhi, who have just received their Voter ID Cards. I urge millions across the country to value their vote and the importance of exercising their right to vote in an informed and ethical manner for the betterment of our democracy. It is a matter of satisfaction that the Election Commission has taken up a systematic and sustained programme for voters’ education and electoral participation. The results of these efforts have been quite visible in the last few general elections in the states as we have even seen consistent increase in voters’ participation. However, more needs to be done. Despite our achievements, we cannot rest on our laurels. Perfection is a matter of receding horizons. The experience of six decades propels us to examine it critically. This would show, firstly, that every citizen entitled to vote does not exercise this right and secondly, that the First-Past-The-Post system adopted by us often results in the winner obtaining less than a majority of the votes cast. In regard to the first it has been argued, in terms of the democratic theory, that the right to vote carries with it an obligation to exercise the franchise in favour of a candidate of choice. A corollary of this would be the right to reject if none of the candidates on the list find favour with the voter. Such a conscious rejection would be preferable to abstention from voting. The procedural modality for bringing this about can be worked out on the model of some of the democracies where it is in vogue. The second corrective pertains to the First-Past-The-Post system in which the successful candidate wins on a plurality, rather than a majority, of votes cast. Its limitation is evident from the factual data. In the first general election in 1952, the percentage of successful candidates who secured less than 50 percent of the votes cast was 67.28. This figure went down to 58.09 percent in 1957. In the 13th, 14th, and 15th general elections in 1999, 2004, and 2009 respectively, it was 60.03, 75.87 and 82.68 respectively. The conclusion is inescapable that a majority of elected members of the Lok Sabha in recent years, and even earlier, won on a minority of votes cast in their constituencies. The situation is no better, perhaps worse, in State Assembly Elections with percentage of returned candidates on minority of votes cast going above 70 percent in several cases. When this percentage is considered alongside the average voter turn out, it would suggest that the elected representative may not, often is not, representative of his/her electoral constituency. Furthermore, this system encourages candidates to focus on securing votes of a segment of the electorate and thereby accentuate or reinforce social divisions based on narrower considerations that derogate from inclusiveness and promote divisive tendencies and social conflict. For a mature democracy like ours, both these limitations of our electoral system require to be addressed. I take this opportunity to congratulate the various Awardees who are being recognized today for their fine performance in the field by conferment of the National Awards for Best Electoral Practice. I also extend my felicitations to the Election Commission of India on its Foundation Day and for its services to the nation.”

Five Questions For: Prajwal Parajuly By PAMPOSH RAINA

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January 25, 2013, Source:NYTimes

Courtesy of Marzena Pogorzaly Prajwal Parajuly.

Prajwal Parajuly is an Indian writer whose first book “The Gurkha’s Daughter,” a collection of short stories on Nepalese-speaking people, was recently released in India. He spoke to India Ink from the Jaipur Literature Festival.

Q.

What are the occupational hazards of being a writer?

A.

When there is a lot of adulation coming in a short time — one doesn’t feel grounded. Second, I would say, a lot of people assume you don’t have a nine-to-five job. My health has taken a back seat. I write late at night.

Q.

What is your writing ritual?

A.

I write only when I think. I do a major chunk of writing in my hometown of Gangtok [in Sikkim state]. I did my first draft with a multitude of ellipses.

Q.

Why does the Jaipur Literature Festival matter to you?

A.

When I was invited, I was told by people that you are a debut author and you can’t miss the Jaipur Literature Festival. I feel I am the most insignificant author here. But I am enjoying the festival.

Q.

How do you deal with critics?

A.

I have learned that a lot of praise is unmerited and so is a lot of criticism. I try not to take it seriously. You can’t be 28 and writing considerably!

Q.

Why should we read your book?

A.

Buy it because the cover is beautiful and would look great on your mantelpiece.

Republic day in New Delhi

The fabulous flora of Sikkim

Special K: The fabulous flora of Sikkim

Anna Pavord's third trip to Sikkim didn't disappoint - with wild purple orchids, bright-pink cherry blossom, and uninterrupted views of her favourite peak.

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Khangchendzonga is the third-highest mountain in the world, and sacred to the Buddhists

Rex F

We returned from Sikkim (our third trip) to find the West Country once again wallowing in floods, with water pouring through the hedges either side of our route home. Finally traffic came to a standstill, with an ominous lack of anything passing by on the other side. So after a while, we did what everybody else was doing – made a wallowing turn in the water and made our way back to the main road.

Our next option proved little better. A mudslide had filled most of the Montacute road and although a bulldozer was already working on it, only one car could squeeze through at a time. After that, we prepared ourselves for the fact that the stream at the bottom of our lane would be in full spate, creating a flood too deep to drive through. So it turned out.
In bad weather in this Indian state, you get used to driving everywhere with welly boots in the back of your car. Just in case. But when we'd left home three weeks earlier, getting away had been in the forefront of my mind, not the possible problems of coming back. So there I was in my white linen holiday trousers and my Converse trainers, ill-equipped for a deep flood chasing down the lane at a dizzying rate.
My husband, frustrated by the delays we'd already had, just stripped off and waded through. But I could see that even he had problems keeping his footing. So I chose the long route, picking my way through the brambles along the top of the bank to a footbridge at the bottom of the lane. In the floods of last July, this was thoroughly submerged. This time, luckily, it wasn't, quite. Once across the flood, I had to slither through the mud, jump a few little self-made streams and work my way up the meadow towards our place. As I did, the house alarm suddenly screamed out over the valley. My husband had burst into the house, forgetting the alarm would be set and also forgetting how to turn it off. So that was our homecoming.
Compared to what was happening in other parts of the country, this was nothing. Butf compared to what goes on in Sikkim, it was even more nothing. In September 2011, they suffered a bad earthquake. In September 2012, they had an appalling late monsoon. Whole mountainsides slipped away, as we saw when we tried to pick our way into territory that was new to us, east of the capital Gangtok.
Our goal was Tsomgo Lake, sacred to the Buddhists, set at about 12,500ft, quite close to the border with Tibet. For foreigners like us, getting into border areas is never simple, but Jeetu Giri, the guide who has walked with us on all our journeys in Sikkim, had spent most of the previous day sorting out permits. The road beyond the lake (forbidden to us) leads up to the Nathu La pass, used by traders since the days of the old Silk Route.
The way then can scarcely have been any worse than it is now: 35km of chaos as work gangs and the odd bulldozer try to cut a fresh route into the raw, newly-exposed sides of the mountains leading up to the pass. And next year the work may all be undone again, the underpinning swept away by flood-swollen rivers, the walls retaining the inside edge of the road crushed by another vast fall of boulders. It puts things in proportion, travelling here.
Once again, for almost our entire stay, we had peerless views of the Himalayas. Khangchendzonga (the third-highest peak in the world) has always meant much more to me than Everest. In Sikkim, the great K is the mountain that matters, the one that ends all long views north and west, jutting forward in a spur from the main Himalayan range. To the Buddhists, it's a sacred peak and no one's allowed to climb it. At least those magnificent flanks, unlike Everest's, won't be degraded and littered with tissues and crisp packets.
Each visit we've made to Sikkim has been made later than the last. This time we were away for most of November: blue skies, brilliant sun, shining views of the mountains, stretching all the way east into Bhutan. From some of our favourite places, Martam in east Sikkim, Borong in the south, you don't see the peaks, but there are other reasons to go there.
Martam, not far from the enormous Rumtek monastery, sits in a great amphitheatre, carved into curving rice terraces that follow the contours of the slopes, all the way up to the wild forest. They were harvesting the rice when we were there, a blacksmith sitting alongside the reapers' picnic, sharpening their small saw-edged sickles (the stems are tough and the sickles blunt quickly) with his triangular file. All the work is done by hand, the rice (which looks like our oats, but with a heavier head of grain), cut and laid by one gang, bundled by another, then carried by a third to the threshing floors, dotted around all over the terraces.
The rice farmers use mud and dung to make these floors extraordinarily smooth so that when the sheaves are beaten against them, the grain falls out easily and can be swept into baskets. The straw is built up into ricks, and used for feed or thatching. You can walk out in great swoops from Martam for six or seven hours at a time and there are always things to watch and people to talk to.
Less than half a million people live in Sikkim, but you are rarely alone. There's always someone gathering fodder or firewood, harvesting cardamom, walking to school, picking guavas, laying out beans to dry. "Where are you going?" the children always ask. Walking without a fixed purpose must seem a mad idea to them.
The wild cherries (Prunus cerasoides) that grow here were in exuberant bright-pink bloom, a sight we hadn't seen before. It was named in the 1820s by the Scottish botanist David Don before the most famous of the Himalayan pioneers, Sir Joseph Hooker, ever got into Sikkim. It's not listed in The Plant Finder, which is a pity as it's far showier than Prunus autumnalis, the only autumn/winter flowering cherry that we can get hold of here.
It was also peak time for the wild purple orchid, Pleione praecox, which grows in a great swathe through the Himalayas from Uttar Pradesh to Yunnan and Szechwan in southwest China. In this country, we're most likely to see pleione on sale in a florist's shop, trapped in a cellophane box. In Sikkim, they plaster the trees of the forest, growing vertically up the trunks, horizontally along the branches, or even, having been thrown to the ground in a storm, adapting themselves to rocky banks among the ferns. They erupt, almost stemless, from whatever they are growing on (the leaves come later), so sophisticated, so elegant, so bright in their magenta clothes, it's difficult to accept that this isn't some special effect, some extravagant piece of set dressing for a movie about to be shot here in the Bollywood Hills. Incredible India. Sensational Sikkim.
The difficulty in planning a journey through Sikkim is the lack of maps. The best we've found (though still basic) is provided with 'Sikkim' by Yishey Doma (Rs499) published by Trysts and Traces in Gurgaon. Find it at Good Books, off Gangtok's main street, the MG Marg
Source:the Independent