'REPORT ON THE ADMINISTRATION OF THE BOMBAY PRESIDENCY, FOR THE YEAR 1914-1915' [‎219v] (108/150)

Chapter IV.
PRODUCTION
AND
DISTRIBUTION.
Character of
inundation.
Rainfall.
Desert Canal.
Unharvvah.
Begari Canal.
7 2
BOMBAY ADMINISTRATION REPORT.
D.—Review of Irrigation.
The area of irrigation in Sind is over 33J million acres, equal to about a
BQR-lgij,
culturable area oftheTovince, and the gross revenue is 86 lakhs One lakh is equal to one hundred thousand rupees of rupees Indian silver coin also widely used in the Persian Gulf. , whileTe'lS
expenditure up to date on .mgation works has been Rs. 321 lakhs One lakh is equal to one hundred thousand rupees . ca P«
In the Deccan and Gujarat the total area of irrigation is 300,000 acres onlv r,„t ,
27 i million acres classed as culturable and the revenue from all sources is Rs. 23144. 1 °
these works the capital cost up to date has been Rs. 550 lakhs One lakh is equal to one hundred thousand rupees . The gross return p er ™
s therefore, much greater here than in Sind, but the return on capital expenditure in Sind i
nearly 27 per cent, compared with less than 5 per cent, in the Presidency The name given to each of the three divisions of the territory of the East India Company, and later the British Raj, on the Indian subcontinent. proper.
The construction of new protective irrigation works in the Deccan is hein s , ashf ,
forward as quickly as possible. These are not supposed to yield an immediate profit*
return on capital expenditure, but, as shown by the existing Nira Left Bank Canal, thev are
real asset to the country in ordinary times, while in years of drought there is never any
a £f
sigu of famine in the regions which they protect.
The protective schemes now in hand
are
Canals (nearly finished), the
Canal extension project has
the Godavari
Pravara'"Canals and the Nira Right Bank Canal. The Gokak
been sanctioned, but it cannot yet be begun.
The high inundation of the Indus has been peculiarly favourable for irrigation in Sind
generally, but it caused some disastrous floods in the West Nara and the Karachi Canals
Districts.
In Gujarat too an excellent year of irrigation was experienced, as the rain and river sup-
plies were mostly good ; in the Deccan, however, the seasonable and plentiful rainfall resulted
in a diminution in Tie area of irrigation ; but on the whole the country had a prosperous year
with excellent crops.
II. —Sind.
A.—-Nature of Inundation and Rainfall.
The inundation of 1914 was an exceptionally good one. It may be regarded as a record
year as regards height and duration of supply, though actually the highest gauge reading
recorded during this year at Bukkur has been exceeded on two previous occasions, viz, in
1882 and 1897^ A record of the daily water levels has been maintained since the year 1848.
The Indus river commenced to rise about the middle of April and continuing with some
fluctuations it reached the “ fair irrigating leveD’ of 13 feet on the Bukkur gauge on the 2nd
July. This level, and more, was maintained for 45 days in July and August compared with
16 days in the previous year, 31 days in the year before, and 39 days, the average of the
previous 10 years.
On the Kotri gauge, 260 miles down stream of Bukkur, the “ fair irrigating level’ of
17 feet was first registered on 12th June, and this level and more was maintained from then,
with only an interval of 14 days in June, till 2nd October, i. e., for a total period of 100 days
against 66 days in the previous year, 59*days in the year before, and 68 clays, the average of
the previous 10 years.
The highest gauge readings for the year were 17-4 feet on the 3rd August at Bukkur
against a recorded maximum of i7 - 9 feet, and 23 > 8 feet on the nth August at Kotri, w ic
is o - 9 feet higher than the previous maximum.
The rainfall, which is not a matter of prime importance in Sind, was below the average,
A few showers in the months of June, July and September, however, materia y iepe e
kharif cultivation in certain areas. It amounted to 5 , 32 // as compared with 14 4 m
previous year and an average of 6’2o" in the previous 10 years.
B.—Indus Right Bank Division.
(i) Works for which Capital and Revenue Accounts are kept.
the Desert Canal,
Commencing from the northern boundary of Sind the first work is
which for many years has operated successfully. It irrigates lands m ^Wpdthe
Frontier District and Baluchistan. Consequent on heavy rainfall in the trac irl jJ°^ gjj
demand for water was not great this year. The intense rainfall in the region ^ ^
and in the district also occasioned considerable damage by breaching the cana ^ cana j
river erosion of last year continued and another 1,000 feet length at the. ea canal
was washed away, but this has not affected the efficiency of the remain er, a
received a satisfactory supply of water. ^
This is another successful canal, the efficiency of which is being threatened^) exce |i en t
A new head regulator has had to be built at mile 7/2 and is now m use. ^4
supply was maintained, a full flow being possible for 70 days. Though ieaA J n j.^ crops
place at intervals from June to October, no other serious damage occurre an
were in good condition. ^ irr i ga te o»e-
This is one of the largest and most important canals in S’i.' il j .'.“Ate,'" Alter a
300,000 acres of land (nearly 500 square miles) including an area in K e a ^ ^ s0 utli <
few years of bad failure in supply, causing much distress in the countn y es