WORKING-PLAN REPORT OF THE AMBARA RANGE IN THE 

 CHHINDWARA DISTRICT, CENTRAL PROVINCES. 



Area 184 Square Miles. 



INTRODUCTION. 



In 1896 a complete Working-Plan Report for the Ambara Range was com- 

 piled, but it was subsequently found that modifications to such an extent were 

 necessary for the proper working of the range that anew plan had to be prepared, 

 based on the proposals submitted in Conservator of Forests, Southern Circle, 

 Central Provinces, letter No. 4145, dated the ipth March 1899, to tne Inspector- 

 General of Forests. These modifications are embodied in the present report. 



A reference to the accompanying map will show that the Ambara Range 

 adjoins the Sillewanighat and Uinreth Ranges and occupies the south-west corner 

 of the district. 



The local demand is confined to the eastern portion of the range, particularly 

 those areas near the Nagpur-Chhindwara road. The plan has been arranged 

 to meet this demand. 



The major part of the data for the plan has been collected by Mr. McKee, 

 Conservator, and by Mr. Hobday, Forest Divisional Officer, conjointly. For the 

 remaining portion of the data and for the compilation of the plan Mr. E. A. 

 Rooke, Forest Ranger, assisted. 



PART 1. 



SUMMARY OF FACTS ON WHICH THE PROPOSALS 



ARE BASED, 



CHAPTER I, 

 DESCRIPTION OF THE TRACT DEALT WITH. 



1. The forests of the Ambara Range are situated in the Chhindwara District, 



partly on the southern slopes and spurs of the Satpura 



Name and situation. }.,. J . , . . r .. r . .1 XT 



hills and partly on the plain extending into the JNagpur 



country. It is bounded on the north by the Umreth Range ; on the east by the 

 Kanhan valley and various malguzari lands ; on the south by the Nagpur District 

 and the Berars, and on the west by the Betul District. 



The nearest part of the range is within twenty miles of Chhindwara town, 

 and the nearest forests to Nagpur are about forty miles distant. The river 

 Kanhan flows through the northern portion of the range in an easterly direction 

 and crosses the Nagpur-Chhindwara road at Ramakona, from which point it becomes 

 floatable for timber and bamboos. 



2. The height above sea-level varies from about 1,500 to 2,000 feet as the 



forests extend from the plain country in the south up the 



Configuration of the ground. . . _. . . . n n u ,.!_ 



ghats to the Chhindwara plateau. Practically all the 



forests are on the spurs of the Satpura Range, with the exception of a few isolated 

 scattered blocks situated on more or less hilly ground in the south of the range. 

 All aspects are represented, but the general aspects are southerly. The country 

 is hilly and cut up by numerous ravines and nalas and is in consequence rather 

 inaccessible 



3. The rock formation in the hills belong to the metamorphic and pl^tonic 

 Underlying rock and soil seHes - Trap prevails. Dykes of quartz are common 



and are met everywhere. Limestone and latente are 



found in varying quantities. The soil is either a reddish or black loam derived 

 from the disintegration of trap rocks and in most places intimately mixed with 

 trap nodules. 



