Guest Post by: Ravi Chopra (People’s Science Institute)

I have before me PSI’s new calendar for 2010.  Even at the risk of sounding immodest, I think it is stunning.  I thought that our 2009 calendar on river Ganga could not be topped.  But I think that aesthetically this one is better! A pdf version is attached. 

I would like to urge you to order your copies before they are sold out.  The pricing structure is

The 2010 calendar features Gori Ganga, one of Uttarakhand’s remote and pristine rivers.  The photographs capture the sun-bathed beauty of the lower valley, the wilderness of the upper catchment and the quietude that comes with the remoteness.  Our dynamic photographers, Devraj Agrawal and Salil Das trekked on foot and pony for four days from Munsiyari to Milam glacier, the source of the river, to bring you some rare and breath-taking photos.

The Gori Ganga belongs to a class of rivers that ecologists call wild rivers.  Their wilderness is largely undisturbed and their aesthetic and recreational values are unparalleled.  But they are becoming increasingly scarce today.  The very existence of the Gori Ganga is threatened by plans to build five hydroelectric projects along its 107km length.  Each one will divert the river’s water into a tunnel and drop it several kilometers downstream at a powerhouse.  The river bed downstream of the dam will be left dry several hours a day, destroying the river and its biota. 

PSI is working with local communities to push for sustainable hydropower development in Uttarakhand so that the environment that sustains us is not destroyed in the name of development. As you are aware PSI has been engaged for over two decades in rehabilitating watersheds, harvesting rainwater for household use and irrigation – as an alternative to big dams, and monitoring river water quality.  More recently we have begun assisting mountain communities to develop water sanctuaries to recharge local springs and streams.  We have been undertaking studies to determine environmental flows to sustain our rivers.  And we are engaging with policy-makers at the highest levels to bring about the desired changes.   Fortunately our efforts and others like them are leading to discernable shifts in public opinion and official attitudes. Your contributions and moral support have helped us immensely. 

The calendar is a part of PSI’s efforts to inform and educate people about the pristine heritage of the Himalayan region and the need to sustain it.

I will take the opportunity to urge you to buy the calendar and also donate to PSI’s campaign to save the pristine Himalayan rivers.  Your generosity is vital.  We need your continuing support.  All donations to PSI are tax exempt under section 80G. 

PS: Please send your order along with a DD or cheque in favour of People’s Science Institute, payable at any bank in Dehra Doon, and your exact postal address.  We will dispatch the calendar immediately. 

The last page has a flap of 5cm (2in) width.  Your logo or message can be printed on it at Rs5/-per calendar (minimum order 100 calendars).        

For further details:

Peoples' Science Institute
252/I Vasant Vihar, Dehra Doon 248006
Uttarakhand. INDIA

phone: +91 135 2773849; 2763649
fax: +91 135 2763186, 2762516
psiddoon@gmail.com, psiddoon@rediffmail.com