Chilapata
More actions
| Chilapata | |
|---|---|
| Chilapata Forest, Mendabari | |
| 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 | 26.588961, 89.383339 |
| Landscape | |
| Elevation | 50–150 m |
| Area | ~156 km² km² |
| Terrain | Reserved forest, sal-dominated mixed deciduous, alluvial floodplain fringes |
| Climate | |
| Climate Type | Subtropical monsoon |
| Seasons | Planting Spring, Harvest October-November |
| Documentation | |
| Appellations | 0 |
| Accessions | 4 |
| Conservation | |
| Status | Vulnerable |
"~" is not declared as a valid unit of measurement for this property.
Chilapata is a landrace cannabis growing area in Alipurduar district, West Bengal, India, comprising the Chilapata Reserved Forest and the surrounding floodplain villages from Mendabari and Kodalbasti south to the Kalchini-Hamiltonganj corridor. The forest itself functions as the principal elephant corridor between Jaldapara and Buxa Tiger Reserve, and supports both feral cannabis populations within its sal-dominated interior and domesticate cultivation in the gateway settlements.
Field documentation in the area was conducted by Iza and Éloïse for the Zomia Collective in June 2025.
Geography
The Chilapata growing area sits between the Torsa river to the west and the Buxa foothills to the east, on the alluvial floodplain of the central Dooars. The forest reserve occupies the northern third of the polygon at slightly higher elevations (~100-150 m), with the surrounding agricultural floodplain at ~50-90 m. The southern margin extends into the Kalchini-Hamiltonganj village belt, where domesticate cultivation predominates over the feral populations characteristic of the forest fringe.
Cultivation
Population types
The growing area spans the full feral-domesticate gradient typical of the Dooars: feral stands within and along the forest fringe, hand-selected feral collections from cultivated edges and disturbed corridors, and village domesticate landraces in the surrounding floodplain settlements. Refer to the accession table below for per-locality breakdown.
Accessions
| Accession ID | Name | Locality | Classification | Selection | Priority | Collected |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ZOM-IND-WEB-0620250048 | Simlabari General Population #1 2024 | Purba Simlabari | Landrace | High | 22 July 2025 | |
| ZOM-IND-WEB-0620250046 | Simlabari General Population #3 2024 | Paschim Simlabari | Landrace | High | 22 July 2025 | |
| ZOM-IND-WEB-0620250047 | Simlabari General Population #2 2024 | Uttar Simlabari | Landrace | High | 22 July 2025 | |
| ZOM-IND-WEB-0620250049 | Patlakhawa General Population 2024 | Patlakhawa | Landrace | High | 22 July 2025 |
Conservation Status
Conservation status: Vulnerable — Significant feral and cultivated populations documented in 2025, situated within and adjacent to a reserved forest and elephant corridor, 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 |