CHAPTER I PHYSICAL COWSIDERATIOW OF KARWALA TOPOGRAPHY Fort Kamala and 73®7M is situated on one of the many western spurs of Western Ghats. As the crow flies it is barely 20 km from Bombay and could be seen in clear weather from Fort area of the Sassoon Dock, Bombay, Howsrer by all weather Bombay-Goa road Kamala is dO km from Bombay. The area under study includes about 20 sq«km of forest and cultivated land of the hilly terrain. {Pl« No. 1)• Village Shirdhon forms the southern boundary of Kamala reserve forests while lowlylng hills of Ransal forms the western limits* Towards eastp National^Laboratory Complex (Rasayml), river Patalganga and the village Apts are situat< Kharpada and the tall end of the Dharamtar ereek form tho northern most boundary of the area. Actually the area aroun the fort Karnala is formed by an isolated hill range roughly stretching north<-east to south-west. From village Shirdhon, ^ j the ground rises Initially very gradually u{jto Bhise Khlnd and after the counter of 150 m the rise Is very steep» Fort Kamala la at an altitude of 475 n above mean sea level* Adjoining hill stretching towards the north-east is a narrow plateau of about 1 km in length. PLATE I |- •x.v . .4 since Kumala fort premises 1b an Isolated hill radial drainage la preralent. The stream originating above the eastern or south­ eastern escarpsiant of the Kamala area runs mainly toifiards south-east to Join the river Patalganga which later on forms a Taat mud flat In the coastal region to meet Dharamtar creek* The Kamala hill has upper and lower fort. In the centre of upper fort there Is the Funnel rock« (Pl» No* 2] The height of this Inaccessible basalt pillar varies from 30.5 to 45*7 metres. % The scrap that forms the outer fort Is created by a masonry wall with a gate In the north-wsst comer. Throug this 9 a path leads across the plateau of the lower fort tc the scrap that forms the Inner or upper fort which under scrap Is reinforced by strong masonry wall. Two gateways, one at the foot and the other at the top of the flight of rock cut steps, leads to a double gateway with a chamber i between• • There are some ruined buildings between these gates and the Funnel Rock. At the base of this *Funnel* there i a series of excsTations - some were store-houses and the others for storing water. The 'Funnel* is locally known i I T^wer*! hcrs is nothing in excavation that PLATE 2 d suggests 8 religious origin. The 'Fxmnel* is full of wild bee colonies. QKOLOQY The geologicsl structure of the Kamala hill exhibits the rugged terrain of the Deccan trappean hills. About a dosen flows of trap can be observed here separated by thin bands of red bole and green earth. The two top-most flows are very hard and compact and form a lofty cliff of about 50 ffl in height and which could be ascended only with the help of a movmtaineering kit* The basalts are composed of abundmt plagiodase feld* spar, pyroxene, augite and interstitial glass. Magnetite is the most common accessory mineral though, at times, a fair amount of olivine is also present* Next to this common variety of trap is found the comparatively softer, amygdular and scoriaeeous traps, purple to greenish in colour, usually showing a rounded and elongated or tubular cavities and geodes with infillings of secondary minerals like calcite, seolite and a variety of quarts like agate, jasper, chalcedony, etc* These genera! occupy the lower portion of the ridges and their slopes, valleya and plains. The only notable economic mineral that could be exploite profitably is 6a\ixite,* so far. Also, the traps are considered as one of the best material for use of building stoneroad ffletaX and ballast, and there is no dearth of the seme in the district. CLIMATE Tbs climate of Kamala is similar to t ^ t p f localities situated near the coastal area in Western India. RAIWFALL Detailed information regarding rainfall is not available from the forest area of Kamala. Shirdhon situated near the base of the fort receives about 250 cm of rainfall per year, ninety per cent of which is precipitated during the four monthsy June to September and only 30 per c«it In October. Following table gives average rainfall data of three locali­ ties which are topographically not far away from Kamala forests. t Table 1 : Average annual rainfall in Kolaba District. (50 years of data) (12 km east of (9 km west of west of Kar- Kamala) Kamala) nala) Alibag Panvel Pen (a) (b) (a) (b) (a) (b) January 2.5 0.3 1.3 0 .2 1.5 0.2 February O.d 0.1 1.3 0 .1 1.0 0.1 contd 10 Table 1 j (contd.) (About 25 km west (12 km east of (9 km west of Kftmala) Karnaln) of Karnala) --wAlikeg PanTel Pen (a) (b) (a) (b) " ‘ ( b r March 0.5 0.1 o.d 0.1 o.d 0.1 April l.d 0.2 i.d 0 .1 1.5 0.1 May i^.d 0.9 17.0 0.9 14*2 0.9 June 55S.5 15.9 4^4.6 15.7 567.7 16.5 July 699.5 24.0 1073.9 27.3 1052.d 27.d August 394.7 21.2 676.1 25.4 703.6 25.2 September 312.2 14.5 369.6 16.0 39d.d 16.3 October 69.6 3 .2 93.7 4.4 101.9 4.7 Norember 20.1 0.9 Id.O 1.0 21.1 1.2 December i.d 0.3 3.1 0.2 1.5 0.2 Arerage annual rainfall (mm) 21^0,.B 2741.2 2^66.4 a) Normal rainfall in mm. b) Average number of rainy days (days with rain of 2*5 mm or more)• TEMPERATURE The dally and aeaaonal Tariationa in temperat\ire are not large. Hay ia the hotteat month. During December to February the weather is cool. Maximum temperature in the da; is highest ^jirthe month of October (3 4 « ^ ) while the minimum in month of January (14 . 3®c). f Table 2 i Teaperatur* chart of Kamala Maximum Nlnimun January 32.1 U . 3 February 33.1 U . 9 March 34.7 17.9 April 34.5 21.4 May 33.7 V 23.9 June 33.1 22.a July 30.7 23.2 Auguat 30.3 23.3 September 31.0 22. d October 34. d 20.7 , November 34.6 1 7 .S December 33.3 15 .« Not* I (1) The temperature ia denoted in the centrigrade 8oale« (2 ) The data is eonplled froa the ^'National Parka and Wild Life Sanetuariea in Maharaahtra State”* HUMIDITY The air ia humid throughout the year* Relatire humid ia on an average over dO per cent during the aouth-weat Boneoon aeaaon. In the re at of the year the relative humidity ia between 65 P^z* cent and 75 P^r e ^ t . 12 CLOUDINESS During the monsoon the sky is hearlly clouded. In May and October the clouding is moderate. A clear sky or <57V€. very lightly clouded^are common in the rest of the year. WINDS Typical coastal sultry weather is experienced at the base of the Fort» while on the top» one feels fresh by the oceanic cool breezes. ^Cyclonic storms in the Arabian sea in the post*monsoon months and In May, there are very strong winds. Thunder-storms occur in April and May and just befor« the onset of the monsoon and in the late September to the middle of IfoTember. BIOLOGICAL COWSIDERATIOW OF KARWALA IWSECT LIFE Insect life is abundant and seen very active in the forest of Kam als. There are about a dozen species of ants ranging from the smallest species of 2 mm of length to a large sised species of 15 Bun length. Nest building ants of these area are also very peculiar. Some get^ burried undez soil surface and construct nud-fortifieation with intricat« passages. In top view it looks like Cata comb (P I. No. 3i F ig .l ). Just before the onset of the monsoon heaps of aeec kernels of grasses could be seen out of the colony. There g PLATE 3 ^ 1 * ■ ■ j s m L 13 are yarletiea of grasa graina atored in the underground warehouae of the ant Kingdom. From the aize and ahape of the grain these appear to hareyt^collected from Panicum ap*i PawpaH^ri^um ap«, and Echinochloa ap* of the graaaea* It iB aald that during famine period, aborigine tribea dig these underground neats and procure aeeds for preparing fo< White ants build huge conical ant hilla (P I, N©. 3, Fig. 2} and cause a lot of damage to the age-^ld trees and fallen timber. Ante building leafy neata (PI* No, 3» Fig. 3) are always dangerous to paasers by as occasionally from hanging tree branches these ferocious insects shower water like dropa and their bite causes severe Irritation to the akin* AntS| building mud neats are the largest in size. It is said that their bites are more severe than viy other ant^ of this area. There are numerous butterflies seen fluttering in the moist forests of Kamala. It ia a matter of excitement to witness a great exodus of butterflies during their mating * peiriod.