Saranda forest
Encyclopedia
Saranda forest is a dense forest in the hilly region of West Singhbhum district in the India
n state
of Jharkhand
. This area was formerly the private hunting reserve of the Singh Deo family( the erstwhile royal family of Saraikela
(Seraikella).The forest covers an area of 820 km² Saranda literally means seven hundred hills. Thalkobad is a scenic village at a height of 550 m (1,804.5 ft) in the heart of the forest. Thalkobad is about 46 km (28.6 mi) from Manoharpur, and about 160 km (99.4 mi) from Jamshedpur.
Ho people
inhabit the area, which is dotted with iron ore mining towns including Gua
, Chiria
, Kiriburu
and Noamundi
.
Sal (Shorea robusta) is the most important tree in the area and it seems to have a preference for the rocky soil of the area. Although sal is a deciduous tree and sheds its leaves in early summer, the forest undergrowth is generally evergreen, which has such trees as mango
es, jamun
, jackfruit
, and piar
. Other important trees are mahua
, kusum, tilai
, harin hara (Armossa rohitulea), gular (Fiscus glomerata), asan
.
The reserved forests are the haunt of many animals. Wild elephant
s are common in Saranada and Porahat
forests. Herds of sambar
and chital
roam about the forests. Bison
is still found. Tiger
s were never numerous but they are there. Leopard
s are more common.
1100 hectares of virgin forests of >40 per cent canopy cover is presently under iron ore mining leases. Several new aspirants for mining lease are in the waiting. The forest of Saranda is the home range for several elephants and also a very important overlapping habitat of the elephants from adjacent Keonjhar district of Orissa. The perennial rivers, Karo
and Koina
, pass through these forested areas supporting a diverse floral and faunal resource.
Since 2000 the area is under influence of Communist Party of India (Maoist)
group and hence is an unsafe place for tourist.
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
n state
States and territories of India
India is a federal union of states comprising twenty-eight states and seven union territories. The states and territories are further subdivided into districts and so on.-List of states and territories:...
of Jharkhand
Jharkhand
Jharkhand is a state in eastern India. It was carved out of the southern part of Bihar on 15 November 2000. Jharkhand shares its border with the states of Bihar to the north, Uttar Pradesh and Chhattisgarh to the west, Orissa to the south, and West Bengal to the east...
. This area was formerly the private hunting reserve of the Singh Deo family( the erstwhile royal family of Saraikela
Saraikela
Saraikela, also spelled Seraikella, is the administrative headquarters of Saraikela Kharsawan District of Jharkhand. Earlier it was a municipality in Pashchimi Singhbhum districtin the Indian state of Jharkhand....
(Seraikella).The forest covers an area of 820 km² Saranda literally means seven hundred hills. Thalkobad is a scenic village at a height of 550 m (1,804.5 ft) in the heart of the forest. Thalkobad is about 46 km (28.6 mi) from Manoharpur, and about 160 km (99.4 mi) from Jamshedpur.
Ho people
Ho people
The Ho people are a tribe of people belonging to the Indian state of Jharkhand.They are the fourth most numerous scheduled tribe Jharkhand after Santals, Oraons, and Mundas, and constitute around 10.5 percent of the total population in the state, numbering 7,087,068 in the 2001 census...
inhabit the area, which is dotted with iron ore mining towns including Gua
Gua
Gua is a census town in Pashchimi Singhbhum district in the Indian state of Jharkhand. It is a mining township situated in the Chotanagpur Plateau. The mines are operated by the Steel Authority of India Limited and are linked to IISCO at Burnpur....
, Chiria
Chiria
Chiria is a census town in Pashchimi Singhbhum district in the state of Jharkhand, India. India's largest iron ore mine with reserves of 2,000 million tonnes of iron ore is located here. It is operated by Steel Authority of India Limited.-Geography:...
, Kiriburu
Kiriburu
Kiriburu is a census town in Pashchimi Singhbhum district in the Indian state of Jharkhand.The town is mainly popular for having big Iron-ore Mines KIOM & MIOMboth governed by SAIL....
and Noamundi
Noamundi
Noamundi is a census town in Pashchimi Singhbhum district in the Indian state of Jharkhand.It is also an administrative 'block'. It is a small mining town in close to the Orissa border. It lies near to Jamshedpur and from Chaibasa. Nearby towns include Padapahar, Barajamda, Kharsawan, Gua and...
.
Sal (Shorea robusta) is the most important tree in the area and it seems to have a preference for the rocky soil of the area. Although sal is a deciduous tree and sheds its leaves in early summer, the forest undergrowth is generally evergreen, which has such trees as mango
Mango
The mango is a fleshy stone fruit belonging to the genus Mangifera, consisting of numerous tropical fruiting trees in the flowering plant family Anacardiaceae. The mango is native to India from where it spread all over the world. It is also the most cultivated fruit of the tropical world. While...
es, jamun
Jambul
Jambul is an evergreen tropical tree in the flowering plant family Myrtaceae. Jambul is native to Bangladesh, India, Nepal, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, and Indonesia...
, jackfruit
Jackfruit
The jackfruit is a species of tree in the Artocarpus genus of the mulberry family . It is native to parts of Southern and Southeast Asia. It is the national fruit of Bangladesh, . The jackfruit tree is believed to be indigenous to the southwestern rain forests of India...
, and piar
Guava
Guavas are plants in the myrtle family genus Psidium , which contains about 100 species of tropical shrubs and small trees. They are native to Mexico, Central America, and northern South America...
. Other important trees are mahua
Madhuca longifolia
Madhuca longifolia, commonly known as mahwa or mahua, is an Indian tropical tree found largely in the central and north Indian plains and forests. It is a fast-growing tree that grows to approximately 20 meters in height, possesses evergreen or semi-evergreen foliage, and belongs to the family...
, kusum, tilai
Wendlandia
Wendlandia is a genus of plant in family Rubiaceae. It contains the following species :* Wendlandia andamanica, Cowan* Wendlandia angustifolia, Wight* Wendlandia arabica, DC....
, harin hara (Armossa rohitulea), gular (Fiscus glomerata), asan
Terminalia elliptica
Terminalia elliptica is a species of Terminalia native to southern and southeast Asia in India, Bangladesh, Myanmar, Thailand, Laos, Cambodia, and Vietnam...
.
The reserved forests are the haunt of many animals. Wild elephant
Elephant
Elephants are large land mammals in two extant genera of the family Elephantidae: Elephas and Loxodonta, with the third genus Mammuthus extinct...
s are common in Saranada and Porahat
Porahat
Porahat is a town in West Singhbhum District of Jharkhand state in eastern India. Before Indian independence in 1947, it was the capital of a princely state of British India. The town also gives its name to the Porahat Forest Division....
forests. Herds of sambar
Sambar Deer
The Sambar ' is a large deer native to southern and southeast Asia. Although it primarily refers to R. unicolor, the name "Sambar" is also sometimes used to refer to the Philippine Deer and the Rusa Deer...
and chital
Chital
The chital or cheetal , also known as chital deer, spotted deer or axis deer is a deer which commonly inhabits wooded regions of Sri Lanka, Nepal, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, and in small numbers in Pakistan...
roam about the forests. Bison
Bison
Members of the genus Bison are large, even-toed ungulates within the subfamily Bovinae. Two extant and four extinct species are recognized...
is still found. Tiger
Tiger
The tiger is the largest cat species, reaching a total body length of up to and weighing up to . Their most recognizable feature is a pattern of dark vertical stripes on reddish-orange fur with lighter underparts...
s were never numerous but they are there. Leopard
Leopard
The leopard , Panthera pardus, is a member of the Felidae family and the smallest of the four "big cats" in the genus Panthera, the other three being the tiger, lion, and jaguar. The leopard was once distributed across eastern and southern Asia and Africa, from Siberia to South Africa, but its...
s are more common.
1100 hectares of virgin forests of >40 per cent canopy cover is presently under iron ore mining leases. Several new aspirants for mining lease are in the waiting. The forest of Saranda is the home range for several elephants and also a very important overlapping habitat of the elephants from adjacent Keonjhar district of Orissa. The perennial rivers, Karo
South Karo River
South Karo River flows through Sundergarh and Keonjhar districts and West Singhbhum in the Indian states of Orissa and Jharkhand respectively.The river flows through industrial and iron ore mining areas and Saranda forest before joining the South Koel River in Goilkera block of West Singhbhum...
and Koina
Koina River
The Koina River flows through West Singhbhum in the Indian state of Jharkhand.The Koina originates near Bhangaon in Orissa, and flows for before it joins the South Koel River. It flows through Saranda forest....
, pass through these forested areas supporting a diverse floral and faunal resource.
Since 2000 the area is under influence of Communist Party of India (Maoist)
Communist Party of India (Maoist)
The Communist Party of India is a Maoist political party in India which aims to overthrow the government of India through violent means. It was founded on 21 September 2004, through the merger of the People's War, and the Maoist Communist Centre . The merger was announced to the public on October...
group and hence is an unsafe place for tourist.