File 1552/1904 Pt 1 'Mohammerah: Karun Irrigation Scheme.' [‎272v] (550/839)

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65. The gross area of the 24 years’ scheme, block of land is 133 square
miles nearly and measures I2'6 canal miles
Further preliminary expenditure. in one direction and i r8 canal miles in
the other.
The minimum amount of levelling required for this is, with lines one mile
apart, 14 X 1 r8 X say 25 miles for the baselines, check lines and connecting
lines = 190 canal miles.
If done in the cold weather this could be completed in 3 months at a cost
of about Rs. 2,000 allowing for an overseer and the usual establishment of
khalassies in camp.
66. Land is often an expensive item in irrigation projects and in the case
of Mr. Van Roggen’s scheme the area
Land * of the land required for his channels is
very large.
The area required is shown in statement E, and it appears that 25,000
acres will be required for channels and banks, within the area of the whole 24
years block of land and 400 acres for the channel X Y outside this area. A
total area of land of 25,400 acres will thus be required.
67. The question arises as to who owns this land and will compensation for
its being taken up be required, and if so
what will the compensation amount to.
Question of ownership.
All land is ori dually the property of the State and in certain cases the State
retains its hold on lands. In regard to the land here it seems that the State
has given up this right. The Shaikh of Ahwaz says he is the owner of a strip
of land, 4 miles broad from the river, running from a point some 6 miles above to
a point 7 miles below Ahwaz.
Some of the land near the town of Ahwaz is variously claimed by the
Shaikh of Mohammerah and a large merchant of standing, the Muin ut-
Tujjar, and a dispute as to a ownership, in regard to a plot of land, on which
it is proposed to build a Vice-Consulate, has been going on between them for
some time past.
The Sheikh of Bandar Nassiri, Sheikh Henzaeal, cultivates much land near
Bander Nassiri.
No doubt if the matter were clcsely gone into it would be found that some
one or more of the important men of the place possesses a clear title to part,
if not all of the land, which will be required for Mr. Van Roggen’s scheme.
The matter is one which should be settled as soon as possible, as, judging
by the claims and counter-claims set up over the small plot abovementioned, it
is a question which will require lengthy settlement. It can only be dealt with
by a reference to Tehran.
68. If the land in question is not the absolute property of the State, com
pensation will have to be paid. Compen-
Probable compensation required. in cash) or by the gfant 0 f land
elsewhere, was given on the Jhelum Canal for much land in which villagers had
a claim to ownership, and much the same case seems to arise here. When it
comes to awarding compensation, if this has to be done, a difficulty will arise m
that there is no official here corresponding to the Deputy Commissioner (or Colo
nisation Officer) of the Punjab and further any measure of land such as an acre
or bigha is unknown.
Compensation if it has to be awarded cannot well be estimated at much
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