Category: Emergency news

  • Working with nature

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    Mudslide specialist Richard Hughes visited Shey in September 2010 to investigate the characteristics of the August mudslide, and started to prepare design concepts for protective measures, working with nature. 
     
    The school sits on the edge of an ‘outwash fan’ that has evolved over thousands of years and it is likely that water, rock and mud flows will happen again at some time in the future.  The Arup Design Team has worked on the design of protective measures that will be implemented in 2011.  Funding has been secured for these works.
     

     

  • All classes fully operational again – Latest News 25th October 2010

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    All classes are functioning again even though some classrooms are still being repaired. Following the loss of furniture and educational resources, there is much ‘making do’ until funding becomes available to complete the re-equipping.
     
    Against this background, it was nice for students and staff to be able to celebrate Founders Day on 24th September, marking the 9th anniversary of the opening of the school.  The event was celebrated in a quiet way out of respect for those who lost homes and loved ones.  The children sang, danced, performed plays, enjoyed samosas, and took part in competitions.  Each class prepared a display on a given topic – such as nomadic life, or the costumes or food of Ladakh.  The nomads won!
     
    Everybody was so enthusiastic and involved that sports day and prize-giving had to be postponed until the next day.  All this was a great way for the school community to come together in celebration after the traumatic events of early August.

  • Structural assessment – Latest News 22nd October 2010

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    Structural engineer Nicola Perandin from the London-based Arup Design Team visited the campus for a week in September 2010 and examined each and every building and piece of infrastructure.  Although the mudslide caused considerable internal damage and destroyed a lot of equipment, the only structural damage he found was an end wall of the Junior South Block that is 3cm out of vertical at the top.
     

     

  • Four weeks on … – Latest news 02 September 2010 17:00

    Four Weeks On …

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    17h00 London time, Thursday 2nd September 2010

    The disaster occurred during the night of 5th-6th August: four weeks ago.  All classes are now functioning again at Druk White Lotus School – some in recently cleaned classrooms, others in tents and dormitories.  Staff managed to salvage some furniture, but a huge amount remains to be done to provide furniture, learning materials and equipment to restore the school to a fully functional level.

    The challenge is acute because all materials and supplies required from Delhi or elsewhere in India will need to be ordered and delivered by truck before the only main road becomes blocked by snow, probably around the end of October. Air connections between Delhi and Leh generally continue throughout the winter, but air transport is too costly for heavy items.  Once the main road closes, it will probably not re-open until May 2011.

    Oxfam staff are kindly helping in various ways. They have installed temporary latrines on the campus because the school’s own latrines are still filled with mud, as well as running workshops on topics such as hygiene. 

    The school has so far admitted 17 new residential students displaced by the floods and mud.  Some are orphans or semi-orphans, while others are from families who have lost their homes or their property.

    Telephone landlines have not yet been restored in the area and so there is still no school phone or internet connection.  A satellite connection is being installed on the campus thanks to a donor from the United States, in order to facilitate basic communications with the school’s partners and support groups.

    Work continues on the clean-up of the external spaces around the campus, with continuing assistance from HCC (Hindustan Construction Company). 

    A team of three engineering experts from Arup in London is preparing to come to Shey from mid-September to check the structural integrity and safety of the school buildings and infrastructure, and to understand how and why the mudslide occurred and scope preventive measures to ensure the impact of any future event will be minimised.

    JCB India is kindly donating a mechanical digger to help with future works.

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  • Back to School – Latest news 24 August 2010 12:00AM

    12h00 London time, Tuesday 24th August 2010

    DrukpaTrust_IMG_0543Back to School

    All day pupils appear to be safe.  Two DWLS day-pupils who are currently in a relief camp will be moving into the school hostel for 2 months while their homes are rebuilt.

    All classes have resumed in a combination of cleaned classrooms and dormitories, and in tents.  The residential children are back in the hostel and are no longer having to sleep in the Dining Hall.

    Staff from HCC (Hindustan Construction Company Ltd) have nearly completed work on the clean up inside the buildings and will be active for a further 10 days on clearing mud and boulders from the campus.

  • Flash floods – Latest news 19 August 2010 12:00

    12h00 London time, Thursday 19th August 2010

    DrukpaTrust_DSC1896“All is not well” says Bollywood star Aamir Khan


    Bollywood star Aamir Khan visited the school yesterday in the company of the school’s founder, His Holiness Gyalwang Drukpa.  The school was the location of several scenes in ‘The 3 Idiots’ movie. 

    Aamir said, “All is not well.  But for the sake of humanity one should help others.  One should raise the morale of others.” He asked people to “reach out and help the people of Leh and Ladakh.”

    Please visit Aamir to rebuild Rancho’s school in Leh on NDTV Movies website

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    Help is coming from many quarters.  HCC (Hindustan Construction Company) is continuing to provide substantial assistance in the form of labour and machines to help clean up the school campus.  Experts from Médecins sans Frontières are on site, helping to counsel staff and students with respect to the trauma they have experienced.  And representatives of SEEDS INDIA, an NGO that specialises in community-based disaster management, have offered help with reconstruction. More than 200 individual volunteers have helped on site with the clean up of the school and we offer them our heartfelt thanks. 

    Drukpa Trust, the school’s UK partner, and Live to Love are appealing for further funds to help pay for the replacement of learning materials and school equipment, and for the repair of buildings and infrastructure.

     

  • Flash floods – Latest news 14 August 2010

    Classes restart in a phased manner

    12h00 London time, Saturday 14th August 2010

    DrukpaTrust_DSC_1777_ThumbThe school’s founder, His Holiness Gyalwang Drukpa, arrived in Ladakh this morning and met with the Principal, Prasad Eledath.  His Holiness is comforting students and staff, and expressed words of support and encouragement.

    Prasad said “The school has recommenced in a phased-wise manner.  With the grace and blessings of His Holiness Gyalwang Drukpa, and the efforts of all, the school will soon be fully operational.” 

    The lead class, M8, recommenced on Thursday 12th August, and classes M6 and M7 are due to restart on Monday 16th August. 
    A volunteer has returned from Ladakh to London with many photographs showing the extent of the damage at the school.  We are in the process of uploading a selection of images to this website.

    We are very grateful to the HCC (Hindustan Construction Company Ltd) for their rapid and solid support.  They responded last Wednesday to a request and today mobilised 55 staff on the Druk White Lotus School campus in Shey to help with the clear-up.  The team includes labourers, electricians and plumbers.  They aim to provide a JCB digger and tipper trucks from Monday to help remove the mud from the site – see HCC

    The Resident Engineer, Anokhee Shah, is on site and with the support of colleagues in the London-based Arup Design Team will be starting a damage assessment of the buildings and infrastructure, and a risk assessment.  The risk assessment will guide the design and implementation of preventive measures to minimise injury and damage in the event of any future flooding or mudslides. Please follow this link Disaster relief for Ladakh school for Arup’s official news release.

  • Flash floods – Latest news 11 August 2010 17:00

    17h00 London time, Wednesday 11th August 2010

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    Construction Manager Angdus carried out a preliminary assessment of damage and repair costs today for the buildings and infrastructure only. The costs mainly relate to the repair or replacement of doors and windows, internal walls and wooden floors; the replastering; and recommissioning the latrines. One solar water heater must be replaced. More detailed work needs to be done to determine the damage in some areas e.g. damage to wooden floors.

    The base currency for the estimate is Indian Rupees (INR). The estimates in other currencies have been rounded to the nearest hundred.

    We intend to update these estimates and will add in the cost of re-equipping the school as soon as figures are available (e.g. furniture, books, computers, office equipment).

    Item INR USD EUR GBP
    Science Courtyard 1,50,000 3,300 2,500 2,100
    Junior School (North) 1,90,000 4,200 3,200 2,700
    Junior School (South) 2,40,000 5,300 4,000 3,400
    Administration Courtyard 2,00,000 4,400 3,300 2,900
    IT Room 80,000 1,800 1,300 1,100
    Nursery & Infant (North) 2,10,000 4,700 3,500 3,000
    Nursery & Infant (South) 1,70,000 3,800 2,800 2,400
    Assembly Courtyard 30,000 700 500 400
    Drinking Water System 1,00,000 2,200 1,700 1,400
    Irrigation Water System 1,50,000 3,300 2,500 2,100
    Residence 1 1,10,000 2,400 1,800 1,600
    Residence 2 1,80,000 4,000 3,000 2,600
    Compound Wall 7,00,000 15,600 11,700 10,000
    Site clearing, cleaning 1,30,0000 28,900 21,700 18,600
    Electrical System 5,00,000 11,100 8,300 7,100
    Sub-total 43,10,000 95,700 71,800 61,400
    Contingencies
    Wooden Flooring 12,20,000 27,100 20,300 17,400
    General (10%) 4,31,000 9,600 7,200 6,100
    TOTAL 59,61,000 132,400 99,300 84,900

  • Flash floods – Latest news 11 August 2010 12:00

    12h00 London time, Wednesday 11th August 2010

    policeandvolunteersMore than 200 villagers, army personnel, monks and volunteers were at the school today clearing mud from the Science and Junior courtyards.   One classroom block is almost clear and a damage assessment can now be made.  Class 8 is due to restart tomorrow (Thursday).

    Five of the six residence buildings are now clean.  The mud has been removed from the sixth residence, but the wooden floor is damaged and will need to be replaced.  78 residential students are currently at the school.

    50 mattresses, blankets and quilts are needed to re-equip the residences.

    The Indian army is providing substantial help in the form of food supplies, tents and portable latrines (the VIP latrines adjacent to the Residences are full of mud and will have to be cleared).

    The electrical wiring in many of the buildings is damaged and must be replaced.

    The team is working on a needs assessment, which will be uploaded to this website as soon as possible.

  • ‘Rancho’ to comfort students of Leh school

    The Time of India reports

    “Rancho will visit ‘his own’ school — five days after flash floods devastated Druk Padma Karpo School in Leh.- please follow this link for details – ‘Rancho’ to comfort students of Leh school – India – The ToI.

    Aamir Khan spoke with with the Principal, Prasad Eledath, and offered his help to repair the damaged school buildings and help the students to recover from the psychological shock.

    Aamir Khan writes in his Facebook

    “Just spoke with Mr Prasad, the Principal at the school in Leh. Big relief after speaking with him. Am trying to go there.”