CHAPTER XI

FOREST OPERATIONS IN BENGAL AND ASSAM, 1865-1870

I

T has been mentioned (I, Chap. XXVII) that no attention had been paid to the question of introducing conservancy into the Bengal Forests during the previous periods into which this history has been divided.

In January, 1863, the Government of India requested the Bengal Government to give its attention to the conservation of the forests under its jurisdiction and to favour us with its views as to the best course to be adopted in placing this branch of the administration on a more efficient footing.' In September, 1864, the enquiries set on foot by the Bengal Government, which had been undertaken by Dr. T. Anderson, the Superintendent of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Calcutta, resulted in this officer being temporarily appointed as Conservator of Forests, Lower Provinces, in addition to his other duties. His instructions were to submit a scheme for conducting forest operations in British Sikkim and Assam. Dr. Anderson's proposals were submitted in January, 1865, and included also the working of the forests in the Bhutan Duars. Military operations were, however, being carried on in Bhutan at this period.

The enquiries into the condition of the forests were instituted by Anderson on sound lines, and have resulted in presenting us with a succinct account of the position of the Bengal Forests at the period

It will be remembered (I, p. 512) that, towards the end of 1862, Anderson had discussed with Brandis the policy to be pursued with reference to introducing Forest Conservancy into the Bengal Forests. Brandis had already made a tour through a part of these forests, having received orders to do so on his way from Burma. In addition to the charge of the Botanic Gardens, Anderson also held charge of the Government cinchona plantations in the hills in which four Europeans were employed, one of whom was Mr. G. Mann. This officer

Anderson recommended should be appointed Assistant Conservator of Forests in charge of the Sikkim Forests. The preliminary conservancy proposals he drew up and the staff he would require have already been detailed. They had reference to the British Sikkim Forests only, and his idea was to commence exploiting the sâl forests on the western bank of the Rungeet River for timber. His suggested operations for the east or Bhutan side were not sanctioned at the time, as military operations were still being carried out on that side. His descriptions of the sâl forests of the Terai at the foot of the hills and of the Great Rungeet and the temperate forests of British Sikkim as then known have been already alluded to in Volume I (p. 517) of this work.

Anderson had proposed that exploitation should be started in the British Sikkim Forests and that a timber depot should be formed in the plains at some spot between Sivoke and Jalpaiguri. To the suggestion that Dubri should be selected as the site of this depot and in reply to the request for an estimate of the number and cost of sâl sleepers which he could send to this depot within the following two years, he wrote:

"I have the honour to remark that it is impossible for me, or anyone else, to give such an estimate. At present no data of any kind exist of any use whatever in forming such an estimate. I am not aware if there exist any special reasons for selecting Dubri as the site of a depot for railway sleepers, but if there are none, then viewed merely with reference to the position of the forests, from which any large supply of railway sleepers of sâl can come, for an extension of the railway from Korshten, Dubri is the least suitable for a timber depot. From the information supplied me by the Commissioner of Assam in the Reports from the officers of districts in Assam, it is evident that the supply of sâl sleepers for Assam must be sought for in the forests of the Bhutan Duars. The rivers consist of: Ist, the Tista, draining the waters of the Duars on its left bank only and joining the Brahmaputra between Serajgunge and Bugwah; 2nd, the Durlah, composed of the Mansae, the Toorsa and the Boora Toorsa, containing the Chamoorchee, the Balla and the Madar Duars, and reaching the Brahmaputra at Burwah. The Guddadhur, after the Monas, the largest branch of the Brahmaputra, is the next river from the Duars: it drains the Buxa and Bulka Duars, and joins the Brahmaputra below Dubri. As no timber can be profitably dragged against the

VERY TYPICAL MIXED FOREST IN INDEPENDENT SIKKIM. ELEVATION 4000-7000 FEET. THE STREAM IS A TRIBUTARY OF THE GREAT RUNGEET, NOT FAR FROM THE MONASTERY OF PEMIONCHI. THE VIEW IS TAKEN LOWER DOWN BETWEEN CHAKUNG AND RINCHING PONG Photograph by Professor W. Wright Smith

stream, the timber which would be carried by these rivers into the Brahmaputra could not be stored at Dubri. Above Dubri the only large stream from the Bhutan Duars is the Monas, a first-class tributary of the Brahamputra which it joins opposite Goalpara.

From this it is evident that at Dubri the timber of only a very small tract of country could be stored, while to Bugwah or Serajgunge the timber of all the Bhutan Duars and Assam might be brought, and to the latter all that of Sikkim drained by the Tista."

In the Tista Valley the sâl forests in British Sikkim are on the right bank of the Tista and those in British Bhutan on the left bank. Anderson suggested that the two areas should be worked as one for forestry and exploitation purposes. By means of cane bridges or boats he said it would be easy to pass from one bank to the other, the material from the valuable sâl forests of the Great Rungeet being floated down the river, the sâl sleepers, which will not float, he suggested being tied to sleepers of Pinus longifolia in order to render them buoyant.

Having held charge of both the Darjiling and Sikkim (now termed the Tista) Divisions the author can well appreciate, as will other Forest Officers who have held these charges, to what a small degree their great potential capacities in the interests of the people were realised at this period.

A Forest Conservancy establishment, including that of the suggested timber depot, was proposed by Anderson at a cost of Rs.17,604 per annum, including the salary of the Assistant Conservator already sanctioned.

The Government of India in a Resolution on the Bengal Government's letters forwarding Anderson's Reports and proposals, agreed that the British Sikkim Forests and those of the annexed Bhutan Duars, which had not yet been explored, appeared to be very valuable; and that taking into consideration the growing scarcity of sâl timber to the east of the Great Gundak, the conservation of the forests in British Sikkim is desirable, and the appointment of an Assistant Conservator with a small establishment requisite." They did not consider that any work should, in view of the fact that military operations were still being carried on in Bhutan, be commenced at that time in the Duars, and thought that the suggestion for storing timber at depots was premature. They therefore cut down the cost of the suggested establishment to