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Retired workers such as Shri Madan Bahadur Pradhan,
Shri Fagua Dhanwar, Shri Bhaktabir Lama and Smti
Gourimaya Subba, who are all in their eighties now,
remember earlier times when elephants were a part of the
‘transport fleet’ to ferry not only rations, fuel and
medicines, but also the executives and visitors. Now, the
‘Motorized Elephant’ ( JCB) is pressed into service for
manoeuvring the rivers during emergencies.
It is a matter of pride to Shri Pradhan that his son is a
senior staff member who has completed 25 years on the
estate.
Shri B.N.Bardhan, Factory Supervisor, has been working
in the factory for the last 39 years. His elder brother was
also associated with the Company as Head Factory Clerk
for 42 years while, earlier, their doctor father was posted
at Bhatpara, Jainti and Chuapara estates for 44 years.
It is believed that Robert Simpson
Hamilton, Superintendent of the
erstwhile East India Company,
established many gardens in the
Dooars region of West Bengal,
among them being Central
Dooars T.E. He was also believed
to have functioned as the revenue
collector for Ugyen Wangchuck,
the first hereditary Druk Gyalpo (Dragon King) of
Bhutan in the early 1900s.
It is well known that the king and his entourage used
Col Hamilton’s Bungalow (the present Manager’s
Bungalow) for night halts while travelling to Thimpu by
way of Pana Tala - quite a tedious journey at the time and
fraught with danger, as the estate, being isolated and on
the border, was a safe haven for criminals and other
undesirable elements.
The Manager’s Bungalow has a swimming pool and tennis
court which, over the years, have been put to good use
when the rivers are impossible to cross.
Col Hamilton was a
farsighted man; a
water source tapped by
him in the early 1900s,
called the ‘Lamond
Houda’, still collects
the seepage water
from the Bhutan hills.
The water collected then gets filtered through brass
strainers and gravitational force ensures that it flows into
the overhead tank in the factory.
The estate still has a unique water supply system. Seepage
water from the Bhutan hills is collected in a well at
Singhijhora Water Pumping Station from where the
water is pumped to the filtration plant and then to a
reservoir situated one kilometre away, on a higher ridge
in Rangamati Division.The water is then supplied to the
workers’ Lines and factory reservoir through the natural
pull of gravity.
Apart from his innovations on the estate, Col Hamilton
also started a weekly market about 15 km away. The
market area has since grown into a small township named
‘Hamiltonganj’ in his honour. The place, known for its
wholesale markets and considered a business hub in the
region, also has its own railway station.
A few years ago, the inhabitants of Hamiltonganj unveiled
a statue of Gorkha martyr Durga Malla,
a major in the Azad Hind Fauj, in
recognition of the sacrifices made by
him and other Gorkha freedom fighters
in the struggle for Independence and in
protecting the territorial integrity of
India.
Col Hamilton decided to
start a small tea garden of
his own where he lived
after his retirement. There,
he built a concrete grave in
what is presently Section 9
of the estate, and gave
directions that on his death he be laid to rest there in his
Aston Martin car!
Central Dooars T.E. suffered a severe setback in July 2013
when the Basra River breached its banks and entered
Basra Division.More than two hectares of tea were under
water for several days and finally got buried under
boulders and silt. The estate has since undertaken a
massive ‘river protection drive’ and already constructed
seven huge boulder spurs at strategic places. These are
working quite well at keeping the river waters at bay.
For the last three years, the Basra River waters have been
channeled into the tea areas and utilized for flood
irrigation during dry months. This is one way of using
natural resources without disturbing the environment.
In 2013,M/s Furaat, water management
experts from Ahmedabad, explored the
possibility of water harvesting and rain
water conservation on the estate through
recharging ground water. Following their
recommendations, water bodies have
been created in Hatimara and Basra
divisions.
Minimum tillage and mulching are carried out on steep
slopes, and citronella grass has been planted on slopes and
the edges of drains to stop erosion of valuable top soil.
For the last seven years, emissions and effluent from forty-
four factories in neighbouring Pasakha, Bhutan, have
affected the ecological balance in and around the estate.
12 JANUARY 2015
The ‘Transport Fleet’
Pana Tala – The Ancient Gateway
Lamond Houda
Boulder Spur
Flooded Section
The Border Marker
Flood Irrigation