'REPORT ON THE ADMINISTRATION OF THE BOMBAY PRESIDENCY FOR THE YEAR 1903-1904' [‎88v] (64/112)

chm
^KODUCTIOIST
AND
DlSTRIBUTIOlSr-
Forest fires.
Plantations.
Free grants.
C om nm n i c ations
and buildings.
Financial results.
Area.
Boundaries.
Working plans.
Forest assignments.
Forest offences.
Forest fires.
Plantations.
Free grants.
Financial results.
Area.
Working plans.
Demarcation.
Communications
and buildings.
Forest offences.
Forest fires.
Reproduction.
Free grants *
B inancial results.
40
BOMBAY ADMINISTRATION REPORT. [IDOS-I^
5. Fire traversed 834g892 acres or 24 per cent. o£ the forest aiea in charge of
Department against 19 per cent, in the previous year.
6. Artificial reproduction was carried on over an area of 5,234 acres. The central nursery
at Manjri raised 1,378,850 plants as against 1,407,080 in 1902-1903. The season was af a ir
one for natural reproduction, but locusts damaged the tree growth along the Western Ghdts.
7. Free grants of timber were made to the value of Rs. 3,072 as against grants to the
value of Rs. 4,411 in the previous year.
8. A road 6 miles long to open out one of the Yawal (Khandesh) blocks was laid out depart,
mentally. Work was also done in connection with the Dara-Mdndvi Road in West Khlndesh
and the Bhawli-Ambew4di Road in the Igatpuri Range. The outlay on new works and repairs
amounted to Rs. 3,556. A forest bungalow at Pal, in East KMndesh, was completed at a cost
of Rs. 848. The Public Works Department completed the Forest Officer’s bungalow at Dhulia
at a total cost of Rs. 7,464.
9. Receipts rose fromRs. 3,52,048 to Rs. 4,32,668, while expenditure fell from Rs. 5,12,190
to Rs. 5,08,122. There was thus a decrease of Rs. 84,688 in the loss on the working of’the
department as compared with the results of 1902-1903.
3.—Southern Circle.
1. The area of reserved forest increased by 516 acres and that of protected forest by 4 square
miles 542 acres.
2. External boundaries were completely demarcated over 345 miles and partially demarcated
over 255 miles. The total cost of boundary work was Rs. 17,820.
3. The working plans of Kolaba were revised and 358 square miles were gone over during
the year at a cost of Rs. 8,098.
4. Further assignments of 2,238 acres of forest lands were made to wild tribes in the
Karjat and Khaldpur ranges.
5. Prosecutions before Magistrates increased from 248 to 337 in number. The percentage
of convictions rose from 76 to 80. Rs. 4,056 were recovered in 1,438 compounded cases against
Rs. 3,356 in 1,213 cases in the previous year. The number of cattle impounded rose from
11,974 to 19,570.
6. The area under protection from fire was 1,713 square miles against 1,860 square miles
in the previous year and the percentage of failures to protect rose from 3 to 9.
7. No regular plantations were undertaken.
8. The value of forest produce granted free fell from Rs. 8,063 to Rs. 7,507.
9. Receipts rose from Rs. 12,61,369 to Rs. 13,46,263 and expenditure from Rs. 7 , 09 , 22(1
to Rs. 7,98,124.
i
4.—Sind Circle.
1. The area of protected forest remained at 585 acres : that of reserved forest increased
from 1,062 to. 1,066 square miles by reason of additional reservations under the Forest Act,
though the. action of therriver caused a net loss of 5,790 acres against a net gain of 3,661 acres
in the previous year.
2. The working plans of the Naushahro Division were sanctioned.
3. In Naushahro 3 miles were demarcated .and in Jerruck 9 miles in the newly acquired
reserves were defined by boundary marks. 151 miles of rides were cut with the object of
dividing the forest into compartments. Of this 17 miles were cut in exchange for the material
cut. The average cost per mile of the rest was Rs. 7-15-8. 16,124 boundary marks were
erected or repaired over a length of 1,491 miles.
4. . A sum of Rs. 3,865 was expended in various works coming under the head of
communications and building's.
^ Criminal prosecutions disposed of numbered 85 and the percentage of convictions rose
from <2 to 75. The number of cases compounded was 318 and the amount of compensation
received Rs. 669. Illicit grazing eases fell in number by 210 to 1,181, but the amount received
m compensation increased slightly to Rs. 1,335.
6. The area traversed by fire fell from 9,o58 to 1,155 acres. The improvement is attributed
to the good inundation which made grazing plentiful, so that maldars had no cause to fire the
torests to obtain fresh grass.
^ sa ^ ura ^ re P ro ^ u ^bion was good owing to the favourable inundation. For the same reason
e oi s o assist reproduction by broadcasting babul and kandi seed were fairly successful.
8. Free grants of forest produce were made to the value of Rs. 444.
9. Receipts _rose to Rs. 3,21,142 and expenditure fell to Rs. 1,29,344. There was thus 8
surplus of Rs. 1,91,798 or Rs. 71 ; 2b6 more than in 1902-1903.