Saranda forest is a dense forest in the hilly region of West Singhbhum district in the Indian state of Jharkhand. This area used to be the private hunting reserve of the Singh Deo family. The forest covers an area of 820 km². Saranda literally means water is from rock Thalkobad is a scenic village at a height of in the heart of the forest. Thalkobad is about from Chakradharpur, from Manoharpur, and about from Jamshedpur. Ho people inhabit the area, which is dotted with iron ore mining towns including Gua, Chiria, Kiriburu and Noamundi Sal is the most important tree in the area and it seems to have a preference for the rocky soil of the area. Although sal is a deciduous tree and sheds its leaves in early summer, the forest undergrowth is generally evergreen, which has such trees as mangoes, jamun, jackfruit, and piar. Other important trees are mahua, kusum, tilai, harin hara, gular, and asan. The reserved forests are the haunt of many animals. Wild elephants are common in Saranada and Porahat forests. It is an important overlapping habitat of the elephants from adjacent Kedunjhar district of Orissa. Herds of sambar and chital roam about the forests. Bison is still found. Tigers were never numerous but they are there. Leopards are more common. 1100 hectares of virgin forests of >40% canopy cover is under iron ore mining leases. Several new aspirants for mining lease are in the waiting. The perennial rivers, Karo and Koina, pass through these forested areas supporting a diverse floral and faunal resource. However 70-80% of the forests were destroyed, trees harvested. The site is facing an ecological crisis. The area was previously disturbed by Maoist and Naxal influences, but problems have subsided in recent years, and it has turned out to be a major tourist hub. There are many tourist places in the Manoharpur region. The peak season between October and March is now brimming with tourists.
The Saranda development plan is a means of developing the Maoist stricken villages in the Saranda forest. Many training camps of Maoists are located there. There are around 7000 tribal households with a population of 36,500 in 56 villages. The main elements of the SDP are as follows:
Appointment of 56 Rozgar Mitras from local tribal youth for MGNREGA works for which over 6,000 job cards have already been issued and something like Rs.60 lakh in wages have been disbursed.
11 roads and one bridge to be constructed under the PMGSY for improving connectivity to all habitations, of which two roads are nearing completion.
Implementation of the Forest Rights Act, 2006 under which 2,122 claims have been received and 176 titles have already been distributed.
Distribution of 7,000 solar lanterns, 7,000 transistors and 7,000 bicycles paid for by SAIL which is to be completed by end-July 2012.
Launch of five mobile health units, again as part of SAIL's corporate social responsibility programme, of which three are in operation and two more will start by end-July 2012.
Start of six watershed development projects covering an area of around, which were sanctioned in February 2012.
Improving access to drinking water supply for which 128 hand pumps have already been installed.
