SIRSI TOWN WORKING PLAN. 



INTRODUCTION. 



The forests included in the plan were examined during the latter part of 

 May and beginning of June 1911. 



The total area is 12'85 square miles. The cost incurred was Rs. 1,676. 

 This amounts to Rs. 130'22 per square mile or annas 3, pies 3 per acre. 



PART I. 

 SUMMARY OF TACTS ON WHICH THE PROPOSALS ARE BASED. 



A, DESCRIPTION OF THE TRACT DEALT WITH. 

 1. Name and situation. 



This plan has been prepared for the forests situated around Sirsi Town in 

 North Kanara. It will be known as The Sirsi Town Working Plan. 



2. Configuration of tine ground. 



The greater part of Blocks III and IV is flat or gently undulating ground. 

 Most of Blocks I and II and a part of Block IV consist of small but fairly 

 steep hills separated by narrow strips of garden and rice cultivation. 



3. Underlying rock and soil. 



Sirsi Town is situated on the edge of a plateau. The surface rock in 

 Blocks III and IV, which lie on the plateau is laterite. Most of Blocks I and II 

 consist of the hilly ground below the edge of the plateau, where the underlying 

 rock is basalt with caps of laterite on the hill tops. The laterite soil, though 

 deep, is hard and dry. In the basalt area the soil is good. 



4. Climate. 



The average annual rainfall at Sirsi for the last 5 years has been 102 

 inches. The hottest months are March and April when the temperature some- 

 times reaches 98. The lowest temperature recorded in recent years is 63. 

 This was in the month of December. The climate is healthy. 



6. Agricultural customs and wants of the population. 



Part of the land is under garden cultivation and part under rice. Soppin- 

 betta assignments have been made for the benefit of the gardeners and areas of 

 minor forest have been set apart for the exercise of privileges and for grazing. 

 Betta lands are of course excluded from the plan, but a large part of the area 

 consists of Minor Forest. 



At present this Minor Forest is subjected not only to the privileges enjoyed 

 by the inhabitants of the surrounding villages and hamlets, but also to the 

 demands made on it by the people of Sirsi Town. Sirsi has a population of about 

 6,000 including many well-to-do people. Local coolies and also men from 

 Bhatkal, Kundapur and other coast towns are employed by the towns-people 

 from November to May in bringing in head-loads of firewood from the surround- 

 ing forest, and permits for nearly 2,000 cart-loads of fuel are issued every year. 



6. Distribution and area. 



The total area of forest under the plan is 8,228 acres. There are four 

 blocks. Block I (2,399 acres) lies to the north-west of Sirsi Town along the 

 Hulekal Road. Block II (1,900 acres) is to the north-east of Sirsi and is 



B 22411 



