Chirag works in the Kumaun region of Uttarakhand in India. Geographically, the Kumaun region is situated at the tri-junction of Nepal, Tibet and India and lies between 200m to 7,400m above sea level. The communities that Chirag works with live in the zone between 1000m and 3000m. Development and human activity have had a significant impact on this fragile ecosystem. The socio-economic, cultural an
d environmental backdrop of the region is changing; tele-communication and internet services are improving, land prices are skyrocketing, there is a growing drinking water crisis and sectors such as tourism are rapidly growing. As a result, Chirag has to continually reassess its strategies to keep up with the region’s changing conditions. We have 7 area teams and a direct presence in nearly 250 villages. We work in four blocks of Nainital district, and one block each in Bageshwar, Pithoragarh and Almora district. Our main office and training center is located at Simayal village in Ramgarh Block of Nainital district. The Chirag School and one experimental farm are located adjacent to the office. The second experimental farm is at Dewaldhar in Bageshwar district. A small cottage hospital with 8 beds opened at Sargakhet village in Nainital district in January 2009.
