Steeped In Nature

Nestled in the forests near the Rangeet river, the Glenburn Tea Estate is an idyllic spot for nature lovers and tea enthusiasts alike. During efforts to initiate mahseer conservation in the river, Dr Johnsingh takes a closer look at the scenic splendour and the inhabitants around the estate.

- Dr A.J.T. Johnsingh

Thunder accompanied by lightning rumbled in the sky and the Rangeet River surged onwards with a roar. Yet, over these deafening sounds I could hear the persistent call of a barking deer coming from the 6 sq.km. mountainous Kitam Bird Sanctuary, which lies to the northeast of the Rangeet River and between the Melli and Jorethang towns in Sikkim. I was spending the night of of 22 May 2019 in Glenburn Fishing Lodge and Campsite on the west (right) bank of the Rangeet River. A bright camp fire was lit till I went to bed and thereafter only the good old hurricane lanterns were my companions.

My visit to the Glenburn Tea Estate, where the Fishing Lodge is situated, in the company of Ratindra Puri, an avid mahseer conservationist from Delhi, was at the invitation of Sudhir Prakash, Chairman and Owner of the Estate and the boutique hotel. We were there to initiate efforts to bring back the golden mahseer in the Rangeet River. The river flows along the eastern border of the Estate at an altitude of c. 300 m. before it joins the Teesta river at Triveni, about 11 km. from the Estate. Rangeet is considered to be a male river meeting his beloved Teesta at Triveni, hence the name ‘Lover’s Point’. The Estate, situated in the Badamtam Range of the Darjeeling Territorial Forest Division, has an average altitude of 1,200 m. and is overlooked by the mighty Kanchenjunga mountain range.

GLENBURN LANDSCAPE AND ITS BIODIVERSITY