‘Persia – especially Seistan’ [‎142v] (283/949)

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40 . Normal conditions as regards water obtained throughout the countiy,
■ rr. . except in the Hamun area, on the arrival
of this Mission m Seistan at the beginning
of February 1903 . A high river, in the spring of 1903 , refilled the Hamun area
which had completely dried up in 1902 , a thing hitherto unknown in Seistan,
and brought it to its normal height.
41 . The Band-i-Seistan was reconstructed as usual, in the autumn of
1903 , but no necessity was found for reconstructing the Shaligul Band, as the
Nad Ali channel was drawing a sufficient volume of water. No water disputes
occurred during 1903 . The Afghans completed the Nahr-bSultani, and so far
developed it as to irrigate, by it, the whole cultivated tract on the right bank
of the river between the Band-i-Seistan and the Shela-i-Charkh.
42 . I strongly advised the Persians to close the Naobar-i-Puza Jang Jah
as likely to divert the whole Helmand into it, to their own injury. It was,
therefore, closed by substantial bands.
43 . In 1904 , the Helmand was not so high as the preceding year. The
Afghans reconstructed, in July, the Shahgul Band, and made a band, also,
across the Helmand at the mouth of the Nahr-i-Sultani.
41 . No disputes worth mentioning regarding water arose during the year
between Persians and Afghans, but alarming reports were brought through
Russian agency An office of the East India Company and, later, of the British Raj, headed by an agent. to the notice of the Persian Government regarding the band at
the Nahr-i-Sultani. The Persian Commissioner was instructed to present to me
a formal protest. In doing so, he said the Afghans had no right to make any
bands above the Band-i-Kohak. I was able to point out that the Nahr-i-Sultani,
even with its band, was only then drawing one-hundredth part of the Helmand,
and that the band, therefore, was not in contradiction to the terms of the
Goldsmid award.
45 . Unless a British officer had been on the spot in this case to give a
definite opinion as to the actual facts, I have no doubt that a great deal of fus&
would have been made, leading to much correspondence and misunderstanding.
If any proof is necessary to show that the Nahr-i-Sultani Band was not depriv
ing Persian Seistan of her requisite supply of water, I may here note that, at
the time of their protest, the Persians had not begun their annual reconstruction
of the Band-i-Kohak. This was not begun until 1st September, an unusually
late date.
46 , I come now to the results of the observations and measurements made
Results of observations and enquiries by this Mission in the matter of Seistan
of the Sexstan Mission. water and land. The measurements of the
volume of the Helmand, and its branches, made during 1903 and 1904 , show that
the relative volumes are fairly constant, the effect of the Band-i-Seistan being
to secure for the Rud-i-Seistan very nearly half the water of the Helmand at
the band during the earlier and more important part of the sowing time of
spring crops, when the river is slowly rsing from its minimum. When the
winter floods carry away the band, the Rud-i-Seistan and the Nad Ali channel
draw much the same proportion of the supply, varying from one-tenth to one-
fifth of the whole volume, the balance going down the main, or Pariun, stream.
In very high flood, the Nad Ali channel draws more than the Rud-i-Seistan.
47 . During the flood season, there is generally too much water every
where, and questions of water division do not arise. It will suffice, therefore, for
the purpose of this enquiry, to deal only with the river during the critical time
of the year, when the river is low, and when water is wanted for the sowing of
the spring crops. In Seistan this period extends from the 21 st September to
the 21 st March —vide paragraph 58 below.
Any division of water arrived at on the basis of spring crop cultivation
would apply equally to autumn crop cultivation in abnormal summers, when
a low river may make the correct distribution of water a matter of importance.
48 . It has been ascertained from observations made that, in normal years,
throughout that season of the year (during sowing of the spring crops), the
average volume of the Helmand at Bandar-i-Kamal Khan is 4,200 cusecs^