OTHER DEPARTMENTS

FOREST DEPARTMENT

Organisation.- The head of the Forest Department in the State is the Chief Conservator of Forests, with headquarters at Poona. For administrative purposes the State Forest Department is divided into seven territorial circles as under:-

The officer in charge of each circle is the Conservator of Forests. The Conservators of Forests have under them Divisional Forest Officers and Sub-Divisional Forest Officers to look after the administration of the Divisions and independent Sub-divisions, respectively. The Divisional Forest Officers belong to Maharashtra Forest Service Class I and Sub-Divisional Forest Officers to Maharashtra Forest Service Class II. The Divisions in some cases are divided into Sub-Divisions, which are incharge of Sub-Divisional Forest Officers. The Divisions or Sub-Divisions as the case may be are divided into small executive units called Ranges and each Range is managed by a Range Forest Officer under the control of the Divisional Forest Officer and Sub-Divisional Forest Officer as the case may be. The Range Forest Officer is a non-Gazetted sub-ordinate officer (Class III) who is usually trained at one of the Indian Forest Rangers' Colleges of India, i.e., those at Dehra Dun and Coimbatore. The Assistant Conservator of Forests (Sub-Divisional Forest Officers) are also trained at Dehra Dun. Some are promoted from the Range Forest Officer's Cadre in the State. Each Range is sub-divided into rounds and each round is managed by a Round Officer, a Forester or Range Assistant who is usually trained as a Forester at the Forest School in the State. Finally each round is sub-divided into Beats and each Beat is in the charge of Beat Guard. The Beat is the smallest unit of forest for purpose of forest administration and protection.

Buldhana District falls under the Amravati Circle. In this District there is only one Forest Division, viz., the Buldhana Forest Division, with headquarters at Buldhana under Divisional Forest Officer, Buldhana.The following staff has been provided:-

Buldhana Forest Division.

The following are the Ranges in the Buldhana Division: -

An area of 471 acres and 35 gunthas belonging to Bhokardan taluka of Aurangabad district is included in Buldhana range.

CLASSIFICATION.

The type of vegetation is mainly governed by soil formation, configuration of the ground, drainage and influence by man. The variations of rainfall are very little, the average rainfall in the district being about 30" to 40" received from the southwesterly monsoons. About 75% of the rainfall is received during the monsoon followed by a long dry spell. The type of the forest that is met with belongs to the Southern Tropical Dry Deciduous and can be further classified as follows: -

Superior Teak Forests.-This type of forest is mainly confined to the Ambabarwa block and Mangeri F. S. The stretch of forest is, however, narrow. The quality is M.P. III (40' to 60) The principal associates are Ain (Terminalia tomentosa), Karam (Stephegyne parvifolia), Bel (Aegle marmelos), Tiwas (Sugenia dalbergioides), Lendia (Lagerstroemia parviflora). Dhawada (Anogeissus latifolia), Tendu (Dicspyros melanoxy-lon) and Sernal (Salmelia malbarica).

Inferior Teak Forests.-(a) General Type: This type occurs over a major area, the average quality being IV-b and IV-a (25' to 40') high. Teak has a tendency to form almost a pure crop, the percentage, invariably found being 50. Interspersed better quality patches teak III (45' to 60') high, as in Pach-deola and Girda Reserve of Ghatbori and Buldhana Ranges, respectively, are met with where the soil deposits are fairly deep. The density is invariably 7 to 8.

(b) Poor and openly stocked teak type: This type is more or less similar to Sr. No. 1, described above, the difference being in the condition and the composition of the crop. The crop is of poor density and quality due to its occurrence on shallow soil and the variations caused by frequent severe fires. The crop is generally M.P. IV-b (25' to 40') high. Teak occurs almost pure with a heavy growth of rank grasses.

Mixed Forests: This type of forest occurs in all blocks in the Buldhana Division. The soil derived is from shales and stones of the Raipur series. The quality is poor IV-b and consists of Ain, Lendia, Dhavada, Tendu, Anjan, Char, Bija (Pterocarpus marsupium), Bahera (Terminalia belerica), and Karam. Bharati (Gymnosporia montana), Chilati (Mimosa rabicaulis), Khair, Bor and Anjan are found in the understorey.

Understocked and blank areas: Such areas are common and comprise about 50% of the forest areas and lie interspersed all over. This occurrence is particularly due to the shallow soil with the out crop of the rocks at the surface.

Bamboos: This is not a separate type but occurs along the nala valleys and the easy slopes of the hills. The area under bamboo is however, sparse and occurs in some of the blocks of Ambabarwa, Wasali, Saikheda, Chunkhedi in Jalgaon Range of Buldhana Division. Bamboos due to its great value and demand from the cultivators have been planted successfully in the Ambabarwa Reserved Forests of Buldhana Division.

The Revenue and Forest departments are clearly interconnected in their work at a number of points. The general public enjoy certain rights and privileges over the forests. The extent of rights and privileges is however, assessed from time to time and fixed by the Revenue Department. Thus afforestation and disforestation become periodically the joint functions of the Revenue and Forest Departments. Working plans for the management and development of forests are prepared solely by the Forest department, but in so far as the prescriptions of working plans affect local needs and rights and privileges of the inhabitants of the district, the approval of the Collector concerned has to be obtained before it is submitted to the Government by the Chief Conservator of Forests, for sanction.

Divisional Forest Officer.-The Divisional Forest Officer is directly responsible for the exploitation and regeneration of the forests according to sanctioned working plan and other orders. He conducts sales, enters into contracts, supplies materials to public, realises revenue and controls expenditure under instructions from the Conservator of Forests. In short he is responsible for forest administration and management in all matters relating to technical forest operations of his division.

Sub-Divisional Forest Officer.-Buldhana division has no sanctioned post of Sub-Divisional Forest Officer.

Range Forest Officer.-The Range Forest Officer is in executive charge of his range. He is responsible for carrying out with the help of Range Assistants and Beat Guards and according to orders of Divisional Forest Officer and Assistant Conservator of Forests or Sub-Divisional Forest Officer, all works in his charge as per the annual plan of operation, such as marking, main felling, thinning, felling of trees departmentally for various purposes, the transport of timber, fuel, etc., to the sales depot, all plantation works, such as, sowing, planting, tending and other silvicultural operations, maintenance of nurseries, construction of roads, buildings and wells according to the sanctioned plans and estimates and their annual repairs, protection of forests and investigation of forest offences, supervision and removal of forest produce by purchasers and by holders of rights and privileges, supply and issue of forest transit passes and permits and general supervision of the working of forest labourers' co-operative societies and rendering them all help in technical matters.

Round Officers.-The foresters' duties include the supervision of the silvicultural and conservancy works, protection of forests, detection and investigation of forest offences, issue of forest transit passes and permits, collection of revenue from permits and compensation on offence cases, supervision and control on extraction of produce in contractors' coupes and supervision on work of forest guards. Some Foresters who work as coupe agents to the Forest Labourers' Co-operative Societies render guidance in technical matters, maintain proper accounts of the timber outturn, logging, preparation of lots in the depot according to size and quality classes and all other work in so far as they relate to working of the coupe.

Beat Guard.-The Forest Guard's functions are to patrol and protect all forests in his beat and to carry out all work pertaining to their proper maintenance, such as, repairs and silvicultural work, viz., sowing, planting and climber cutting and to detect forest offences.

Working Plan.-Under the Indian Forest Act (XVI of 1927) forests of this Circle are divided into two categories, viz., reserved and protected forests. Before forests are classified, they have to be subjected to regular settlement by a Forest Settlement Officer, who enquires into the existence of all public and private rights. In case of the reserved forests, the existing rights are settled, transferred or commuted. In the case of protected forests the existing rights are clearly recorded and regulated. The details of the reserved forests and protected forests are as below:-

The reserved and protected forests of the division are organised and managed under the prescription of the working plan.

The working plan is a document which lays down the details of scientific management of forests, for a prescribed number of years. Before a working plan is drawn up, a survey is made of growing stocks at times by actual enumerations and an analysis is made of the stems of standing trees to determine the rate of growth of the principal species with special reference to the soil and the climatic conditions of each locality. On the basis of data thus collected, plans are drawn up for felling, regeneration, silvi-cultural treatments and protection of forests with provision for the due exercise of the rights and privileges of the people, including grazing of cattle. The preparation of the working plan for this division was done by the Divisional Forest Officer, Working Plans, Amravati and Nagpur Circles, who is under the control of Conservator of Forests, Working Plans, Poona.

Functions.-The main functions of the Forest Department are exploitation, regeneration and protection of forests according to the sanctioned working plan and other orders and conducting the sales, entering into contracts and supply of material to Government Departments and the public. In addition, a number of schemes under the five year plans are executed by this Department. The salient aspects of the functions are described below:

Regeneration and Maintenance: As the annual area is exploited, it is regenerated afresh. Great care and precautions are taken against the damages by man, animals, fires, insects and other pests and against adverse climatic influences and other inanimate agencies. Damage by man is caused by lighting fire, faulty exploitation methods, illicit cutting and misuse of forest rights and-privileges.

Though occasionally forest fires may originate from natural causes, in vast majority of cases they are due to human action. To prevent damage by fire and illicit cutting the wholehearted support and co-operation of the public is required. The co-operation is secured through the authority and influence of the village headman. Precautionary measures like fire tracing of newly regenerated coupes, clearing of shrubby growth along roads and paths and yearly burning to avert any occurrence of fires or its spreading in the forests are taken by the department as per fire protection scheme under the prescription of the working plan. Fire watchers are also appointed at important places during summer to keep watch over the forests with a view to avoid occurrence of fire. Rigid patrolling is enforced through the staff and vigilant watch against unauthorised felling and removal of forest produce by the villagers is maintained.

Continuous, unlimited and unregulated grazing in 'C' class forests has badly affected the tree growth there. The 'A' class forests under systematic working are already loaded to their full capacity of grazing incidence. Adequate protection, introduction of intensive measures for conservation and development of these forests is. therefore, the primary need of the day. Offences in respect of unauthorised grazing and other damage from cattle are dealt with under the Forest Act and other laws.

The area under the management of the department in the division is worked under various silvicultural systems prescribed in the current working plan. Regeneration work is carried out in two ways, viz., (i) mainly by natural means (coppice), and (ii) partly by artificial means. Under the coppice system, trees are allowed to be cut at ground level or near it and regeneration takes place naturally by shoots from the stumps. Under the artificial system, when trees are felled, regeneration is effected by artificial method, such as, sowing, planting of roots and shoots cutting (called stumps) with a regular spacing.

In the working plan drawn in 1956, the following system of management was prescribed:-

Clearing, thinning and other cultural operations are also undertaken by the department mainly in coppices with reserve working circle at the age of 10 to 20 years and in the plantation working circle, at the age of 5, 10 and 20 years.

The general configuration of forest land in this Division is undulating and, as such, steep slopes or deep ravines are not noticeable. The forests are also fairly well stocked. Hence no afforestation schemes, as such, are being undertaken. However afforestation plantation on small scale is being undertaken in Mehkar Range of Buldhana Division.

Plantations are being carried in areas bearing mainly miscellaneous stock or in the areas devoid of natural reproduction to restock these areas naturally on agrisilvi method. On an average 100 acres in 500 acres in a division are being taken for plantation from 1965. Under the agrisilvi system the villagers are encouraged to produce food-crops along with plantation of tree species. Though the system is successful in this division, some drawbacks are normally experienced. For example, the plot-holders have a tendency to attend to their agricultural work in the plot and neglect the silvicultural part of the system. This can be avoided by strict and continuous supervision by the staff. Most of the plantations in this division are being done under this system only. Plots each with an area of 5 acres duly cleared of tree growth are handed over to the allottees in the beginning of May. The allottees plough the plots and prepare them for cultivation. Staking for purposes of planting forest species is done at 6' x 6'.

In the first year only cotton is allowed to be sown. Sowing is done in 3 lines, one foot apart leaving 2' wide strips on either side of the plant lines. The plants of teak and other forest species thus get a clear 4' wide strip, 2' on either side for its growth. Planting of forest species is done departmentally. After the planting is over, weeding operations including mulching are done by allottees.

In the 2nd year the cultivators are allowed to cultivate cotton as before. Casualties are replaced departmentally and the remaining tending operations including weeding and soil mulching are done by the allottees.

In the 3rd year, agrisilvi operations are terminated and the tending operations in the plantation are done departmentally. Extensive plantations under this system have been raised in the Buldhana division.

Exploitationff Forest products of this division are divided into two main classes, i.e., major and minor. The chief major forest products are timber and firewood. Almost all good quality timber is consumed by the timber markets at Aurangabad and Bombay. The firewood is consumed locally at Buldhana and other places in the neighbourhood. Due to inadequate means of communications, however, complete exploitation of all forest produce is rendered impossible.

There are no forest-based industries in this division. Present logging methods are very wasteful. Adequate labour is not available and hence it is necessary to work these forests intensively by using mechanical devices. Timber and firewood are derived out of those coupes due for working. These coupes are advertised for sale and are sold by public auction. The coupes are also worked through the forest Labourers' Co-operative Societies on the revised formula basis.

The minor forest products are mainly temburni leaves, rosha oil and gum. They are sold by public auction. Some minor products like grass are sold on rated passes.

Income and Expenditure.- The revenue and expenditure of the Division for the year 1964-65 was as below:-

Forest Roads.-The total mileage of principal forest roads in the Division is 164. These are all earth and murum roads and need to be properly repaired and maintained to facilitate the easy movement of the forest produce.

Public Relations.-No adverse rights or concessions burden the 'A' class reserved forests. The numerous concessions which burden the 'C' class forests are laid down in the Madhya Pradesh Forest Manual.

Ex-private forests taken over by Forest Department are not burdened with rights but in some of them Nistar and grazing are to be provided on payment.

Vanamahotsava.-The Government of India inaugurated in 1950 an important programme called Vanamahotsava to be celebrated in the first week of July every year. However the week of celebration of Vanamahotsava varies depending upon the commencement of monsoon. The object of Vanamahotsava is to encourage the planting of as many trees as possible in suitable localities. In choosing the trees preference is given to quick growing species of economic value, such as, eucalyptus, bamboos, fruit trees, etc. Free supply of seedling is made to public institutions and to other departments for planting during Vanamahotsava, and nurseries for this purpose are raised in all the ranges in this division.

The aftercare of the young plants is undertaken by the individuals or by the public bodies to whom seedlings are supplied. Under the Third Five Year Plan schemes, the following development works have been completed in Buldhana District.

Plantation of valuable species: The object of the scheme is to plant valuable trees, such as, teak, semal, eucalyptus, etc. During the plan period i.e., 1961-62 to 1965-66 an area of 60 hectares was brought under plantation and pre-monsoon work over an area of 10 hectares was completed at a cost of Rs. 54.063.

Creation of fuel and fodder resources:-The object of the scheme is to raise fuel plantation and create fodder resources. An area of 30 hectares has been planted under the scheme at a cost of Rs. 8,151.

Development of pasture lands:-The object of the scheme is to develop the pasture lands. An area of 10 hectares has been planted under the scheme at a cost of Rs. 9,970.

Plantation of oil-bearing species:-The trees bearing oil seeds have been planted under this scheme over an area of 16 hectares at a cost of Rs. 2,535.

Agave plantation:-Agave plants over a length of a square kilometre at a cost of Rs. 1,570 have been planted under this scheme.

Plantation of Bamboo:-Bamboo has been planted over an area of 7.60 hectares at a cost of Rs. 2,794.

Land reclamation and utilization.

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