Himalayan Times (1959)

Deoetnber 20, 1159

en

which about 80032 milli-
on 6.ft. ( 98 per cent )
are oi non-ooniferous and
5664 million 'c ft. (7 per
cent) are coniferous.

Forest Products
The total value of
the annual outturn of
wood is estimated at R».

343 million! out of which
Ka. 34 millions and Ks.
109 millions are attribu-
table to coniferous and
nen-coniferona woods res-
pectively, the value of
the total annual outturn
of .the minor forest pro-
ducts is estimated at Ks.
121 millions of which
bamboos and canes, fibres
and flosses, gums and
resin, account for Us. 35
millions i e 29 per cent.
I he gross annual revenue
from the forests in the
country is Ks. 46 4 crores
and the expenditure on
their maintenance ac-
counts fur Ra. 19.4 crores,
leaving a net surplus of
Ks. 27 orores The finan-
cial return per acre of
forest thus works out at
Rs 2.60 per aere.

Forest Industries

The forest products
of India sustain a large
number of industries.
There are as many as
275') saw mills function-
ing in the country with
an installed oapaciiy of
80 million o ft annually,
which employ about 30,
000 men; 138 match fac-
tories consuming 6 million

c ft of sofi woods an-
nually an I employing
about 2.ri (10'J persons; 66
plywood factories with a
total installed capacity of
240. million eq> ft. and
employing nesrly 8000
persons; 21 paper and
pulp units functioning
with an installed capaoity
of 320 thousand tons of
production annually; and
17 large poncil factories
with a production capa-
city of 4 ft lakh grosH
pencils. In addition,
there are also numerous
industries consuming mi-
nor forest products, such
as resin, hatha, gum fibre,
canes, ere

Our forests are also
an important source of
supply of fodder for the
cattle. They sustain nearly
32 million cattle buffa-
loes and other animals
and thus play a vital
role in the agricultural
eoonomy of the country.

Wild life of India is
renowned all the world
over for its beauty and
variety. There are over
f*00 different species of
m-iosls apart from a
galaxy of birds, reptiles
and other creatures. The
elephant, the lion, the
the tiger and tho leopard,
the bison, the wild buffalo,
the sambhur. the chin-
Uara. the blue bull, the
ohretal, the must deer,
the black buck, etc. ara
the more popular of wild
animals which interest

both the sportfman and
the naturalist. Among
the popular birds aie the.
pea-fowl, the jungle fowl,
the munal pheasant, the
gnat Indibn bustard par-
tridges, sard grouse and
a vast variety of gei sa
and other birds. The
mahaaeer, the trout, the
bachhua are some of the
many fishes found in ti e
Indian waters.

For the preservation
and conservation of game
there are five National
Parks and 78 Sanctuaries
besides 22 Zoological
Parks and Gardens both
for the recreation and
education of the public.
The "Trinity"

It would not be cor-
reot to psuge the value
of out forests in terms
of their besuty and eco-
nomic worth alone. The
indirect benefits that
forests yield as agencies
for the maintenance of
the soil structure, and
fertility and the regula-
tion of water regime are
by far of greater im-
portance for the weal
and welfare of the coun-
try. If we allow cur
mountains to be defores-
ted and permit their des-
truction, the waters which
should really find their
way down into the earth
to come up again in wells,
ponds and springs, will
rush down in gushing

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