DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT

FOREST DEPARTMENT

Organisation.

THE HEAD OF THE FOREST DEPARTMENT IN THE STATE is the Chief Conservator of Forests, whose headquarters is at Poona. There is also a Deputy Chief Conservator of Forests at Poona. who assists the Chief Conservator in this work. For administrative purposes, the whole State is divided into live 'Circles' as shown below:—

At the head of each Circle is a Conservator of Forests. The Conservators have tinder them Divisional Forest Officers and Sub-Divisional Forest Officers to look after the administration of divisions and independent sub-divisions respectively. The Divisional Forest Officers belong to Maharashtra Forest Service, Class 1 and the sub-divisional forest officer in charge of independent subdivisions to Maharashtra Forest Service, Class II. Some divisions are divided into sub-divisions which are in charge of sub-divisional forest officers who belong to Maharashtra Forest Service, Class II, and unlike the sub-divisional forest officers in charge of independent sub-divisional they are under the control of the Divisional Forest Officers. The divisions or sub-divisions, as the case may be, are divided into small executive parts called 'Ranges' and each range is managed by a range forest officer under the control of the Divisional Forest Officer or sub-divisional forest officer as the case may be. The. range forest officer is a nongazetted subordinate officer (Class III) who is usually trained at one of the Forest Colleges of India, viz., at Dehra Dun and Coimbatore. Each range is sub-divided into 'rounds' and each 'round' is managed by a round officer or forester, who is usually trained at the forest classes in State. Finally each round is sub-divided into " beats " and each beat is managed by a beat guard.

Duties of Forest Officers.

Duties of Forest Officers.—The Revenue and Forest departments are closely interconnected in their work at a number of points. Afforestation and disafforestarion are practically joint functions of Revenue and Forest departments since public rights in the lands proposed for afforestation have to be settled by Revenue department. Working plans (described later) for the management and development of forests are prepared solely by the Forest department hut in so far as the prescriptions of a working plan affect local supply and rights and privileges of the inhabitants of the tracts, the approval of the Collector concerned has to. be obtained before it is submitted to Government by the Chief Conservator of Forests for sanction.

The Divisional Forest Officer is directly responsible for the exploitation and regeneration of the forests according to the sanctioned working plans and other executive orders. He conducts sales, enters into contracts, supplies material to departments and the public, realises revenue and controls expenditure under instructions from the Conservator of Forests. He deals finally with forest offence cases, having power to compound the same. In short, he is responsible for forest administration and management in all matters relating to technical forest operations.

The duties of a sub-divisional forest officer, in charge of an independent sub-division, are exactly the same as those of a Divisional Forest Officer, while the Assistant Conservator of Forests or the sub-divisional forest officer, attached to a division assists the Divisional Forest Officer in the work of inspection and supervision of various kinds of silvicultural works requiring technical knowledge, besides attending to other duties entrusted by the Divisional Forest Officer. There is no sub-divisional forest officer under the Divisional Forest Officer, Jalgaon.

The Range Forest Officer is in charge of his range. He is responsible for carrying out with the help of his round officers and beat guards and according to the orders of the Divisional Forest Officer or the assistant or sub-divisional forest officers, all work in his charge, such as marking, reservation, girdling and felling of trees, the transport of timber, fuel, etc., to the sale depots, sowing, planting, tending and other silvicultural operations, construction of roads, buildings and wells according to the sanctioned plans and estimates, protection of forests and investigation of forest offences, supervision on removal of forest produce by purchasers and holders or rights and privileges and issue of forest transit passes and permits.

The forester's duties include protection of forests, detection and investigation of offences, issue of forest transit passes and permits, collection of revenue from permits and compensation in offences, preservation of standards (i.e., the number and kind of trees prescribed for preservation and the number of cuttings, etc.) in coupes given out to contractors for cutting, inspection and protection of forests and guidance and supervision of forest guards.

The beat guards's functions are to patrol and protect all forests in his beat, repair and maintain forest boundary marks, execute silvicultural works, viz., sowing, planting and creep cutting and detecting forest offences.

Classification of Forests.

Under the Indian Forests Act (XVI of 1927) forests are divided into two categories, 'Reserved' and 'Protected'. 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 the case of reserved forests, the existing rights are either settled, transferred or commuted. In the case of protected forests the rights arc clearly recorded and regulated.

Working plans.

Working Plans.—All forests in charge of the Forest department are managed and organised according to the prescriptions of the ''Working Plans". A working plan is a document which lays down the derails of scientific management of a forest for a prescribed number of years. Before a working plan is drawn up, a survey is made of the growing stock, at times by actual enumeration and an analysis is made from the stems of standing trees to determine the rate of growth of the principal species with special reference to the soil and climatic conditions of each locality. On the basis of the data thus collected. plans are drawn up for the felling, regeneration. silvicultural treatment and protection of forests with provisions for the due exercise of the rights and privileges of the people including grazing of cattle.

Jalgaon Forest Division

Jalgaon Forest Division.—The Jalgaon Forest Division falling under the Poona Circle is held by the Divisional Forest Officer, Jalgaon. Under him there are eight range forest officers, 33 round officers and 117 beat guards. The following are the ranges in his division:—

The total reserved forest area of Jalgaon district is 801.58 sq. miles. Out of this 764.05 sq. miles are in charge of the Forest department and 37.53 sq. miles are in charge of the Revenue department. There are no protected forests in the district. Similarly there are no Malki or Inam forests in the district.

Forest types.

Forest types.—Reserved forests in Jalgaon are of two types: (1) Scrub and (2) Dry deciduous.

Scrub Forests.—The forests on the southern side of Tapi are mostly of the scrub type. The rainfall varies between 15" to 25". The summer temperature goes up to 120°. The vegetation is therefore of poor quality, the trees being invatiably stunted. The principal species are Khair, Dhavda, Salai, Anjan, Bor, Henkal, Arati, etc. Except for the felled coupes which are closed for grazing for eight: years, the rest of the area is open for free grazing.

Dry Deciduous Forests.—These arc the forests of Satpuda hills on the northern side of Tapi river. They cover Chopda, Yawal and Raver ranges. The rainfall in this tract is about 30" to 40". The growing stock consists of Teak, Khair Dhavda Kalam, Haldu, Sissum, Sadada, Anjan and Salai.

Functions of the Department

Functions of the Department.—The main functions of the Forest Department are exploitation, regeneration and protection of forests according to sanctioned working plans and oilier orders, and the conduct of sales, entering into contracts and supply of material to Government departments and the public. The salient aspects of the functions are described below: —

(1) Regeneration and Maintenance.

(1) Regeneration and Maintenance.—As an area is cut and tree growth removed, it is regenerated with fresh crop. The principal duty of a forest officer is the protection of the forests in his charge. Great care and precaution is required against damages by man. animals, and insects and other pests and against adverse climatic influences and other inanimate agencies. Damage by man is caused by: (1) lighting of fires, (2) encroachments, (3) faulty exploitation methods,, including illicit, cuttings and (4) misuse of forest rights and privileges. Though occasionally forest fires may originate from natural causes, in the majority of cases they are due to human action also, either within or without the forest. The most frequent cause is carelessness or recklessness and sometimes illicit shikar, but occasionally there is incendiarism. To prevent damage by fire, the wholehearted support and co-operation of the public is required. This co-operation is secured through the authority and influence of the village headmen. Precautionary measures like fire-tracing and early burning are also taken by the department in good time against accidental fires. Clearing of shrubby growth along roads and paths is also done to avert any fire spreading in the forest. Rigid patrolling and vigilant watch against unauthorised felling and removal of forest produce by the villagers are resorted to. Offenders in respect of unauthorised grazing and other damages from cattle are dealt with severely under the Forest Act and other laws.

(2) System of Management

(2) System of Management.—Due to large variations in rainfall from tract to tract and in the type of vegetation in different localities, the forests of Jalgaon Division are managed under the following five different working plans:—

(1) Working plan for Satpuda Forests of Jalgaon Division, (2) Revised working plan for the scrub forests and Jamner teak reserves of the Jalgaon Division, (3) Revised working plan for Anjan and scrub forests of Edlabad range, (4) Working plan for Satmala forest, and (5) Working plan for Jalgaon Babhul forests.

The system of management differs slightly in each working plan. The principal systems of management are: (1) Clear felling, (2) Clear-felling with reserves, (3) Selection-cum-improvement and (4) Coppice with standards. Five to ten per cent of the area worked is regenerated by preparing rabs of 66'x 66' in the felled coupes. The regeneration is carried out mainly in two ways, viz., (1) mainly natural (Coppice) and (2) mainly artificial. 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 stool, stump of bole when cut over. Under the artificial system, when the trees are felled regeneration is effected by artificial methods such as sowing. transplanting of root and shoot cuttings, called stumps in lines. tending young plants, etc. Cleaning, thinning and other cultural operations are undertaken by the department in the coupes in the 5th, 10th and 20th years of plantation.

Sometimes the regeneration areas are leased out to local villagers on "Agri-silvi" condition on "Ek-Sali" basis. Under this system villagers are encouraged to produce foodcrops along with plantation of tree species. In granting lands for cultivation under this system, preference is given firstly, to landless agriculturists of the locality and secondly, to local agriculturists who do not possess an economic holding and thirdly, to needy agriculturists of neighbouring villages. Such leases are restricted to a period of: three years only. Pure cultivations in the forests are not encouraged.

(3) Exploitation.

(3) Exploilation.—Forest produce is divided into two main classes, major and minor. The chief major forest produce of Jalgaon Division consists of timber, firewood and charcoal. Most of these is consumed in the district only and a very small quantity is exported to adjoining districts, viz., Aurangabad, Buldana and Dhulia. The chief minor forest produce is grass. There are 60 permanent grass kuranas in this division and they produce one of the finest qualities of grass. The other minor forest produce of the division consists of bamboo, kadhai gum, ordinary gum, tarwad hark, temburni leaves, ghatbor fruits, charoli seeds and rosha grass. Rosha grass used to fetch an annual income of 15 to 20 thousand rupees till 1956-57 but has suddenly lost the market due to synthetic production of "geranol" and the income in 1958-59 was less than Rs. 5,000.

The major forest produce is derived out of coupes due for working. The standing coupes are advertised for sale and are sold by tenders. The minor forest produce is either farmed out or sold on permit.

The annual income from major forest produce in Jalgaon Division in 1957-58 was Rs. 5,21,838.06. The income from minor forest produce in the year 1957-58 was Rs. 2,20,672.73 and the income from other sources for the same year was Rs. 39,461.59. The total income from all sources for the year 1957-58 was Rs. 7,81,972.38. The total expenditure for the same year was Rs. 3,66,198.33.

Forest roads.

The total length of the forest roads which lie in Satpuda Forests of jalgaon district is 126 miles 6 furlongs. All ate kachha roads of natural soil.

Rights and privileges.

In the forests of the district there are no recognised rights of the people other than the right of way and the right to take water from watercourses. As regards the privileges, apart from the ten general privileges as given in the Privileges Code the people of the district also enjoy the following few additional privileges: (1) Cutting and removing grass including Baru from closed forests and collecting dead wood (other than teak, khari and tivas). Collection of teak leaves from closed forests, removal of karvi by head load, collection of bones by head loads, removal of mhowra fruits and removal of thorns in head loads or cart loads for their own use (this is for forest villages of Chopda, Yawal and Raver only), (2) Chambhars are allowed to remove tarwad bark on permits at fixed rates, (3) Adivasis who arc permanent residents of forest villages arc allowed to collect dead-wood (other than teak, khair and tivas) for sale or barter on payment of half an anna per head load.

Inforest settlement.

For purposes of ensuring adequate labour for forest works in the interiors of forests, batches of landless Adivasis have been settled in the reserved forests by giving them lands for personal cultivation. These villages are called "inforest settlement''. They are in charge of the Forest Department. Before 1955, there were 42 such settlements in the district. In 1955-56, 16 such settlements were handed over to the Revenue Department and the land concerned was disforested. At present there are 26 inforest settlements which arc still in charge of the Forest Department.

Vanamahotsva.

The Government of India inaugurated in 1950 an important function called Vanamahotsva to be celebrated every year during the rainy season. The object is to encourage the planting of as many trees as possible at suitable places. In choosing trees for planting, preference is given to quick growing ones, of economic value, such as babhul, bamboo, fruit trees, shade trees, ornamental trees and fodder trees. Free supply is made of seedling of tree species to the public and to other departments for planting during this annual festival. Special nurseries for this purpose are raised in each range. The District Development Board arranges to celebrate this festival in different parts of the district. Special prizes are also awarded every year by the Board to persons who plant a large number of trees and rear them successfully. Cultivators desirous of planting trees in the forest areas or on roadsides belonging to the Public Works Department are given sanads enabling them to take the fruit of the trees planted by them.

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