'REPORT ON THE ADMINISTRATION OF THE BOMBAY PRESIDENCY, FOR THE YEAR 1914-1915' [‎220v] (110/150)

BOMBAY ADMINISTRATION REPORT.
Chapter IV.
PRODUCTION
AND
distribution.
Unfinished works.
74
unfortunately a disastrous year for the greater part of the Baghar tract. Many sma n h „ .
occurred in its embankments and were successfully closed, but a large breach on thfu
bank in Baphi-Gharko and a breach in the Thah.mam loop of the Baghar-Uchi 0 \' 1
destroyed the greater part of the cultivation on the Baghar and its branches. [„ 'j?,." 1 * 1
the destruction of crops very extensive damage was done to the branches of the?
Canal and the repairs will cost a large sum of money. Experience has now .nrovr,?'.
regulation is necessary and a project for the construction of a head regulator i s ?
preparation.
The following are the principal original works under this head, i. e , works for km
only revenue accounts are kept, which were eithei commenced during the previous vea * C
during the year under report, and were in progress y ar 0r
Openings under the
railway.
Karia heads.
Nara Supply
Channel.
The Nara.
Jamrao Canal.
(1) Improvements to Dhamrao Canal ex Western Nara
(2) Converting a road bridge across Baghdadwah into a head regulator
(3) Constructing a head regulator over the Sadabahar Canal at its head
( 4 )
Constructing an escape sluice in the right bank of Sadabahar Canal opposite the
Phusni sluice
Expenditure
dur mg 1914 . 1 ^
Rs.
8,671
••• h 3 S 8
1,882
2,565
1,461
(5) Providing an escape sluice in the Baghar Right Bank to. drain Kalankot Dhand
In the Shikarpur Canals District the bridge under the North-Western Railway, througfi
which the Garkanowah used to flow, was closed about the year 1906-1907 by the railway,and
zamindars dependent on it suffered much from deficiency of water-supply. A new cut’ has
therefore been constructed this year to feed the Garkanowah. The railway have made a new
culvert in their bank and have also constructed a diversion bund in which the head regulator
for the canal was built by the Public Works Department.
The policy of doing away with unnecessary karia heads and getting permanent sluices of
correct size built wherever possible was steadily and systematically pursued on all canals
throughout the vear.
o J
C.—Indus Left Bank Divisions.
(i) Works for which Capital and Revenue Accounts are kept.
While all the canals in the Right Bank Division take off directly from the Indus river,
those in the Left Bank Division fall under two heads, viz.—
[a) The canals taking off from the Eastern Nara.
[b] The canals taking off directly from the Indus.
Under [a) are the Nara River, the Jamrao, Mithrao, Khipro, Thar and Hiral Canals, of
which the Khipro flows during the inundation only, the rest being perennial. The Thar,
though classed as perennial, is closed on or about the 1st December each year to save the
country round about from being water-logged.
Under [b) are the Dad, Nasrat, Fuleli, Hasanah and a large number of smaller canals,
all being classed as inundation canals though the Fuleli receives a fair rabi supply.
(«) Ca?ials taking off from the Eastern Ndra.
This is an artificial channel, 12 miles in length, taking off the river on the left bank above
Rohri, and forming the mouth or feeder to the Nara river, an ancient course of the Indus,
It possesses a head regulator at 4,000 feet distance from the river, which is used to close oft
the river supply in times of heavy floods and to prevent silting. This is especially necessary
when the floods from Ghotki in the north spread over the country and flow into the Ma
beyond the 12th mile.
The Ghotki floods occur only when the set of the Indus is strongly on the left bank in
that part of its course.
The head regulator was closed from 3rd to 15th August as floods from Ghotki computed
at 65,000 cusecs entered the Nara. The project for excluding these floods by means 0
protective bund has been sanctioned by the Government of India, and work will becommenc^
in the coming cold weather. Heavy silting occurred at the mouth of the channe, w e1 ^ ^
regulator was closed and trees, etc., were swept in as far as the regulator from al ^. e ^ 0S ^ Ter a
the river bank 6 miles up stream. After continuous day and night work exten ifif,
month and a half this obstruction was cleared away. Subsequently a ^ av0ura ° e
the river current scoured away all the silt above the head regulator, so the rabi supp)
canals dependent on the Nara was not interfered with. ^
The Nara river is a natural channel running for 96 miles to the Jamrao head wo ^
100 miles on to the Thar weir. There is a training bund near the J a I iara0 Kf '' eir ' omm anfts
there onwards, so as to confine the floods more or less to the channel. I he ara ,
over 500,000 acres of culturable land, but only about 37,000 acres are usua
Hy cultivated.
The com-
This is the first and most important canal taking off from the Nara river-^ ^j^gd
mand is roughly 800,000 acres, and an area of 300,000 acres could certain y .^
annually, if an unfailing perennial supply of water could be assured. The ra 1 ^ ma y
already explained, dependent upon the condition of the N&ra supply c anne,