Kalimpong,22nd Oct

Kalimpong Krishak Kalyan Sangathan a farmers body working for the upliftment of farmers  in all the Darjeeling hills has sent a letter to Union Cabinet Minister in charge of Commerce and Industry and Textiles Anand Sharma and The State Chief Minister Mamta Banerjee demanding to include Darjeeling Cinchona Plantation under UNESCO World Heritage Site.The Darjeeling Cinchona Plantation was started in the year 1864 at Mungpoo and now its has spread to 22000 hectare of land feeding more than 5000 workers.The KKS has laid forward tow points first That the Darjeeling Cinchona Plantation is an outstanding example of the influence of an innovative sustainable model on the socio economic development of a multicultural region,which can be serve as a model for similar development in many parts of the world. Secondly the Development of Darjeeling cinchona plantation in the 19th century has a profound influence on history of mankind especially eradication of dreaded disease malaria at that time and still serving the mankind. KKS Sec Bishnu Chettri today told that the history of Cinchona is older the Darjeeling toy train which is already listed in UNESCO World Heritage Site now the Plantation if facing a hard time so we have requested both the Center and State to take necessary action for the inclusion of Darjeeling Cinchona Plantation under UNESCO World Heritage Site and declare the plantation area a protected area for protection of Environment and conservation of bio diversity in the region.

The Cinchona cultivation in Bengal Presidency begun under the direction of Dr.Thomas Anderson, the then Superintendent of the Royal Botanical Garden, Calcutta. The first Cinchona seeds received by Dr.Anderson were sent by Sir W.J.Hooker to the Botanical Garden. Calcutta in 1861. These were multiplied at Calcutta Botanical Garden. In the same year Dr. Anderson was sent to Java by the then Supreme Government of India with the double objective of familiarizing himself with the Dutch mode of Cultivation and of convening to India the plants which the Governor of that Colony had generously offered to the Govt. of India. Dr. Anderson brought 50 plants of C. calisaya, 284 of C.pahudiana and only 4 of C. lancifolia and handed over the same to Mr. A.G.Mc. Ivor at Ootakamund wherefrom he took 193 plants of C. succirubra to cultivate in Bengal. Dr. Anderson started his experimental trial for cultivation of Cinchona in Darjeeling hills of Bengal and ultimately selected Mungpoo Hills in 1862 for commercial cultivation. Subsequently to the death of Dr. Anderson, the plantation had been under the charge of Dr. Anderson’s successor like Mr. D.B.Clarke during 1870 and 1871 and Dr. George King later. The successful establishment of Cinchona plantation at Mangpoo was made by Dr. Anderson in 1864. Subsequently Munsong plantation started in 1901, Rongo in 1938, Latpanchor in 1943 and Ambotia in 1977.