3 



PART I. 



SUMMARY OF FACTS ON WHICH THE PROPOSALS 



ARE BASED. 



CHAPTER I. DESCRIPTION OF THE TRACT DEALT WITH. 



Section 1. General description. 



1. There is hardly anything to add to the description given in the origi- 

 nal plan. Severe frost was observed in February 1904. The extension of cul- 

 tivation of all crops has changed the appearance of the country outside the 

 forests and reduced the area available for grazing. 



CHAPTER II. COMPOSITION AND CONDITION 

 OF THE FORESTS. 



Section 1. 'Distribution and area. 



2. The area of the Forests is now 113,606 acres=177 square miles. 

 Since 1896, 3,259 acres have been excluded from the forests as follows: 



2609 acres, comprising the whole of the Tista Forest, have been dis- 

 forested under Government of Bengal Notification, No. 2607 T. R., dated 28th 

 August 1905. 



502 acres, comprising the area taken up for Railway construction are 

 now under the control of the Bengal Duars Railway Company. 



148 acres, erroneously considered to be within the Reserved Forests, 

 was found to have been included in the grant leased out to the Gairkhata Tea 

 Company and was restored to this company in 1902. 



Section 2. State of boundaries. 



3. The only other changes of boundary not caused by the above 

 change of area have been due to alterations in the courses of certain rivers 



Breviously gazetted as natural boundaries, notably the Dharla, Jaldaka and 

 ainah rivers. These rivers, by depositing boulders and stones in their own 

 beds, raise the level of these beds until they overtop the surrounding coun- 

 try when the river changes its course ; as the old beds soon get covered up 

 with grass and tree growth, their courses are apt to become obliterated in a 

 few years. In one instance a change of river bed has obliterated a 

 demarcated boundary but it will not be so difficult to relay this at any future 

 time as the artificial boundary runs straight for a considerable distance. 



Section 3. Legal position, 



4. No alterations have to be recorded. 



Section 4. Rights. 



5. No rights exist. 



