APPENDIX VIII. 



Eeport on the reclamation of the ravine lands in Bundelkhand 

 and Muttra districts. 



The investigation, of which the following is a report, was made 

 under instructions contained in G. 0. no. 175-L/XIV, addressed to 

 the Director of Land Records and Agriculture, United Provinces. 

 At the end of October Mr. Fremantle joined Mr. Courthope at 

 Kalpi and studied the results obtained from the construction of 

 numerous small bundhs by Mr. Hobart Haropden, and a few larger 

 bundlis recently constructed, and the effect of nine years' protection 

 from grazing. From Kalpi Mr. Fremantle and Mr. Courthope 

 went to Etawah where they were joined by Mr. Clutterbuck, Con- 

 servator of Forests, Eastern circle : in this district they examined 

 the work done in the Fisher Forest by the forest department and 

 that done by famine labour at Chakernagar and Sahson. From 

 Etawah the above three officers proceeded to the Hamirpur district, 

 where they inspected the results of the experimental sowings in 

 the land acquired for the establishment of babul plantations, as 

 well as the bundlis constructed ia the Bandhar Bazurg block, from 

 the failure of which some useful experience has been gained. At 

 the beginning of December Mr. Fremantle and Mr. Courthope 

 separated, having agreed that Mr. Fremantle should make a sys- 

 tematic survey of the ravine country on the banks of the Barma, 

 Betwa and Dhasan rivers in the Hamirpur, Jhansi and Jalaun 

 districts, and that Mr. Courthope, who had received separate instruc- 

 tions to report on the Bhadawar estate in the Agra district, and 

 who had also to carry on his duties as Officer-in-charge of the 

 Afforestation division, should examine the possibilities of ravine 

 reclamation in the Agra and Muttra districts. 



2. Mr. Fremantle and Mr. Courthope began their investigations 

 under the impression, conveyed in G. 0. no. 173-L/XIV, that 

 Government intended them to enquire into the possibility of the 

 extension of operations for the reclamation of ravines on precisely 

 the same lines as those already suggested and approved by the 

 Government in the Etawah district, that is, that they were, in the 

 first place, to examine into the suitability of different blocks of 

 ravines for reclamation by bundhs and afforestation, and, in the 

 second place to ascertain whether zamindars are willing to carry 

 out the work at their own expense with the help and advice of the 

 afforestation officer or to band over their land for management, 



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