Jaldapara
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| Jaldapara | |
|---|---|
| Jaldapara National Park, Madarihat | |
| Hierarchy | |
| Gene Pool | South Asian Gene Pool |
| Regional Complex | Eastern Plains |
| Growing Region | The Dooars |
| Geography | |
| Country | India |
| Province/State | West Bengal |
| District | Alipurduar |
| Coordinates | 26.635834, 89.299560 |
| Landscape | |
| Elevation | 50–100 m |
| Area | 214 km² |
| Terrain | Riverine floodplain, alluvial grassland, sal forest |
| Climate | |
| Climate Type | Subtropical monsoon |
| Seasons | Planting Spring, Harvest October-November |
| Documentation | |
| Appellations | 0 |
| Accessions | 18 |
| Conservation | |
| Status | Vulnerable |
Jaldapara is a landrace cannabis growing area in Alipurduar district, West Bengal, India, spanning Jaldapara National Park and the surrounding floodplain settlements of Madarihat and Hasimara in the central Dooars. Documented populations include both feral stands within the park and adjacent forest fringes and domesticate cultivation in the gateway villages. Plantings are made in spring with harvest in October-November.
Field documentation in the area was conducted by Iza and Éloïse for the Zomia Collective in June 2025.
Geography
The Jaldapara growing area sits on the alluvial floodplain of the upper Brahmaputra system in the central Dooars, between the Torsa river to the east and the Holong river to the west. The area extends from the Bhutanese foothills in the north southward across the Madarihat block, encompassing the protected core of Jaldapara National Park and the cultivation-active floodplain villages on its southern and western margins. Elevations are uniformly low (~50-100 m) with terrain transitioning from sal forest and tall alluvial grassland inside the park to mixed cropland and tea-plantation interfaces at the edges.
Cultivation
Population types
Documented populations span feral stands within and adjacent to the protected forest, hand-selected feral collections from riverine corridors, and domesticate landraces cultivated in the floodplain villages. Refer to the accession table below for per-locality breakdown.
Accessions
| Accession ID | Name | Locality | Classification | Selection | Priority | Collected |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ZOM-IND-WEB-0620250074 | Bhandani General Population 2024 | Bhandani | Landrace | High | 28 June 2025 | |
| ZOM-IND-WEB-0620250075 | Suripara Feral Selection 2025 | Suripara | Feral | Multiple plants | Medium | 28 June 2025 |
| ZOM-IND-WEB-0620250071 | Jaldapara 'Kauchandpara' General Population #2 2024 | Kauchandpara | Landrace | High | 28 June 2025 | |
| ZOM-IND-WEB-0620250073 | Salkumar 'Mondalpara' Feral Selection 2025 | Mondalpara | Feral | Medium | 28 June 2025 | |
| ZOM-IND-WEB-0620250072 | Jaldapara 'Hollong' General Population 2024 | Hollong | Landrace | High | 28 June 2025 | |
| ZOM-IND-WEB-0620250063 | Jaldapara 'Badaitari' Selection #2 2025 | Badaitari | Landrace | High | 26 June 2025 | |
| ZOM-IND-WEB-0620250060 | Khairbari 'Umacharanpur' General Population #1 2024 | Umacharanpur | Landrace | High | 26 June 2025 | |
| ZOM-IND-WEB-0620250064 | Jaldapara 'Kauchandpara' General Population 2024 | Kauchandpara | Landrace | High | 26 June 2025 | |
| ZOM-IND-WEB-0620250061 | Khairbari 'Umacharanpur' General Population #2 2024 | Umacharanpur | Landrace | High | 26 June 2025 | |
| ZOM-IND-WEB-0620250069 | Jaldapara 'Purba Madarihat' #2 Selection 2025 | Purba Madarihat | Landrace | High | 26 June 2025 | |
| ZOM-IND-WEB-0620250070 | Khairbari 'Umacharanpur' General Population #3 2024 | Umacharanpur | Landrace | High | 26 June 2025 | |
| ZOM-IND-WEB-0620250062 | Jaldapara 'Badaitari' Selection #1 2025 | Badaitari | Landrace | High | 26 June 2025 | |
| ZOM-IND-WEB-0620250042 | Jaldapara 'Madarihat' Feral Selection #2 2025 | Madarihat | Feral | Medium | 21 June 2025 | |
| ZOM-IND-WEB-0620250043 | Jaldapara 'Purba Madarihat' Feral Selection 2025 | Purba Madarihat | Feral | Medium | 21 June 2025 | |
| ZOM-IND-WEB-0620250039 | Jaldapara 'Uttar Barajhar Forest' Feral Selection #1 2025 | Feral | Medium | 21 June 2025 | ||
| ZOM-IND-WEB-0620250059 | Jaldapara 'Madarihat' Feral Selection #3 2025 | Madarihat | Feral | Medium | 21 June 2025 | |
| ZOM-IND-WEB-0620250040 | Jaldapara 'Uttar Barajhar Forest' Feral Selection #2 2025 | Feral | Medium | 21 June 2025 | ||
| ZOM-IND-WEB-0620250041 | Jaldapara 'Madarihat' Feral Selection #1 2025 | Madarihat | Feral | Medium | 21 June 2025 |
Conservation Status
Conservation status: Vulnerable — Significant feral and cultivated populations documented in 2025, located within and adjacent to a protected national park, no active eradication documented at the area level but subject to broader West Bengal enforcement context.
Recent News
| Article | Date | Category |
|---|---|---|
| News:2026-01-15/Enforcement/alipurduar-district-police-destroy-illegally-cultivated-cannabis-plants-in-purba-narathali-kumargram | 15 January 2026 | Enforcement |