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‘BOMBAY – 1924-25. A Review of the Administration of the Presidency’ [‎628r] (187/316)

The record is made up of 1 item (156 folios). It was created in 1926. It was written in English. The original is part of the British Library: India Office The department of the British Government to which the Government of India reported between 1858 and 1947. The successor to the Court of Directors. Records and Private Papers Documents collected in a private capacity. .

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139
IRRIGATION
viz., the Nira Right Bank Canal and the Pravara River Works system,
which have been under construction since 1912 and 1911 respectively, are
nearing completion. These projects will irrigate certain tracts most liable
to famine.
SIND
The inundation of 1924 was an excellent one in that a very high level
of water in the Indus was maintained for an unusually long period though
this caused floods which breached some of the river bunds. The river
reached ‘ the fair irrigating level ’ of 13 feet on the Bukkur gauge on the
19th July and remained at that level for 50 days. On the Kotri gauge the
" fair irrigating level ’ of 17 feet was first recorded on the 4th July and
this level was maintained for 86 days.
Indus Right Bank Circle.—The Desert canal worked most satis
factorily, kharif crops matured very well and an exceptionally large rabi
area was sown. The supply in the Unharwah was more than sufficient
throughout the abkalani ; the balancing tanks at the head gave valuable
supply to rabi crops. The Begari canal was opened on 25th May and
ceased to flow on 13th December; owing to abnormally high abkalani,
rotations were started in October. The supply in the Choi branch was
exceptionally good, all crops matured and a large area was watered for
rabi. Considerable advantage was obtained from the new mouth to the
dhand which feeds the Mahiwah. Floods discharged into the Masuwah
gave an ample supply to kharif and rabi cultivation. The Sind and Sukkur
canals worked satisfactorily. A rabi regulator to secure command of high
lands in the upper reaches of the recently completed Garkino canal is
under construction. The Ghar canal worked excellently.
Indus Left Bank Circle.—Of the two groups of canals in this Circle,
the first, viz., the Eastern Nara system includes the Jamrao, Mithrao,
Khipro, Thar and Hirai canals, all of which except the Khipro, which
flows during the inundation only, are semi-perennial, and are fed by the
Nara supply channel. Besides the construction of extensive groynes,
bunds across the old channel have been renewed. The area cultivated
on the Jamrao was about 222,700 acres of which nearly 128,200 acres were
under cotton. There was an increase in the kharif area cultivated but in
consequence of an unsatisfactory water-supply which practically failed
after December 1924, there was a fall in the rabi area. The Mithrao
canal irrigated about 108,900 acres. The Hirai and Thar Canals irrigated
about 12,600 and 55,000 acres, respectively.
The second group consists of canals taking off direct from the Indus
and includes the Nasrat, Dad, Fuleli, Hassanali and a large number of
small canals. The Nasrat irrigated about 94,900 acres. The Dad worked
satisfactorily during the abkalani though there was as usual deficiency
at the tail of the Mubarak. Supply in the Naulakhi canal was excellent.
The Fuleli worked quite satisfactorily as did the Hassanali and other canals

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Annual administration report of the Bombay 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. , providing a summary record of the main events and developments in each department of the Government of Bombay From c. 1668-1858, the East India Company’s administration in the city of Bombay [Mumbai] and western India. From 1858-1947, a subdivision of the British Raj. It was responsible for British relations with the Gulf and Red Sea regions. during the financial year 1924-25. The report was printed at the Government Central Press, Bombay [Mumbai], in 1926.

The report is divided into two parts. Part I (ff 541-554) comprises a report ‘GENERAL SUMMARY’, consisting of: [Political]; Finance; Trade and Commerce; Agriculture; Department of Agriculture; Instruction; Law and Justice; Police and Crime; Bombay City Police; Public Health; Salt; Excise; Forests; Co-operative Movement; Public Works; Bombay Development Department.

PART II (ff 555-683) comprises the following headings, which are further divided into sub-headings:

  • CHAPTER I ‘INDIAN STATES.’ (ff 555-560), consisting of: I. North Gujarat; II. South Gujarat; III. North Konkan; IV. South Konkan; V. The Deccan; VI. Kolhapur and Southern Maratha Country States; VII. Sind [Sindh]; VIII. Aden; Condition of the people
  • CHAPTER II ‘ADMINISTRATION OF THE LAND.’ (ff 560-565), consisting of: Land Records; Revenue Surveys; the Record of Rights; Remissions of Revenue; System of Land Tenure; Gujarat Talukdars’ Act; Sind Incumbered Estates Act; the Court of Wards Act; Department of Land Records; Routine Measurement Work; Revenue Surveys; City Surveys; Revision Settlements
  • CHAPTER III ‘LAW AND JUSTICE.’ (ff 565-572), consisting of: the Budget; Resolutions and Questions; Course of Legislation; Administration of Justice; Civil Justice; Criminal Justice; Registration; Joint Stock Companies
  • CHAPTER IV ‘POLICE AND CRIME’ (ff 573-580), consisting of: Mofussil and Sind Police; Bombay City Police; Village Police; Aden Police; Government Male and Female Workhouses; Bombay Jails; Criminal Tribes
  • CHAPTER V ‘AGRICULTURE, WEATHER AND CROPS’ (ff 582-602), consisting of: Nature of the Crops; Outturn of the Crops; Agricultural Stock; Condition of the Agricultural Population; Department of Agriculture; Note on the Weather; Prices; Labour and Wages; Forests; Co-operative Movement; Horticulture
  • CHAPTER VI ‘TRADE AND COMMERCE’ (ff 603-624), consisting of: Industries; Department of Industries; the Factories Act; Sea-borne Trade; Foreign Trade; Foreign Merchandise; Indian Produce and Manufactures; Trade According to Countries; Shipping; Coasting Trade; Subordinate Ports of 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. ; the Trade of Sind; Shipping Offices; Labour Office
  • CHAPTER VII ‘PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENT’ (ff 624-634), consisting of: Irrigation; Sind; Deccan and Gujarat; Railways
  • CHAPTER VIII ‘VITAL STATISTICS AND MEDICAL RELIEF’ (ff 634-649), consisting of: [Births and Deaths]; Epidemic Diseases; Hospitals and Dispensaries; Sanitation; Vaccination; the Haffkine Institute; Veterinary; Chemical Analysers; Wild Animals and Venomous Snakes; Mental [psychiatric] Hospitals; Acworth Leper Asylum [hospital for people affected by leprosy or Hansen’s Disease], Matunga
  • CHAPTER IX ‘LOCAL SELF-GOVERNMENT’ (ff 650-656), consisting of: District Municipalities; Bombay Municipality; Local Board Administration; Village Panchayats; Bombay Improvement Trust; Bombay Port Trust; Karachi Port Trust; Aden Port Trust; Working of the Rent Acts
  • CHAPTER X ‘COLLECTION OF REVENUE AND FINANCIAL REVIEW’ (ff 656-670), consisting of: the Budget for 1924-25; Loan Accounts; No Revenue from Income Tax; Land Revenue; Public Works Revenue; Customs Administration; Salt Department; Excise; Cotton Duties Act; Stamps; Taxes on Income
  • CHAPTER XI ‘INSTRUCTION’ (ff 671-676), consisting of: Education; Yeravda [Yerwada or Yerawada] Reformatory; Books and Publications; Newspapers; Royal Asiatic Society, Bombay; Victoria and Albert Museum, Bombay; Prince of Wales Museum of Western India, Bombay; Natural History Section; Victoria Museum, Karachi
  • CHAPTER XII ‘ARCHAEOLOGY’ (ff 677-678), consisting of: [Archaeological Survey of India, Western Circle]
  • CHAPTER XIII ‘MISCELLANEOUS’ (ff 679-683), consisting of: Ecclesiastical Jurisdiction; the Established Church of England; the Established Church of Scotland; Stationary; Printing; Bombay Development Department; Back Bay Reclamation; Industrial Housing in Bombay; Suburban Industrial Schemes; Suburban Development; Water Supply in Salsette; Railway Schemes; Advisory Committee; Organization of the Directorate; Military (Indian Auxiliary and Territorial Forces); Prevention of Cruelty to Animals; Advances to Cultivators.

The report includes the following photographs:

  • ‘Gateway of India, Apollo Bandar, Bombay.’ (f 540)
  • ‘Large Hand Sizing Machine (suitable for a hand-loom factory An East India Company trading post. )’ (f 606)
  • ‘Group of castings made at the P. W. D. Workshops, Dapuri, Poona [Pune]. The large roller rim weighs over a ton.’ (f 625)
  • ‘Dragline Excavators for the three Right Bank Canals ex Indus at Sukkur. Ruston and Hornby’s Model No. 300, crossing the North-Western Railway line at Bagerji [Bagarji].’ (f 627)
  • ‘Dragline Excavators crossing Sukkur Canal on a bank 16 feet high, pierced with 6 ‘armco’ pipes 36” in diameter to carry the canal discharge.’ (f 629)
  • ‘Four machines ready to start on their journey to the site of work.’ (f 631)
  • ‘Lake Arthur Hill, Bhandardara Dam. Downsteam full view from south Bank.’ (f 633)
  • ‘Lloyd Barrage Circle. View of the Barrage Township at Sukkur.’ (f 635)
  • ‘Another view of the Barrage Township.’ (f 637)
  • ‘Alandi Fair–Pilgrims taking baths in the ‘Chakratirtha’’ (f 644)
  • ‘Alandi Fair–View of the pilgrims encamped on the river side from the bridge over the Indrayani River.’ (f 646)
  • ‘Alandi Fair–Lady Volunteers from the Seva Sadan, Poona, assisting the pilgrims in securing a darshan.’ (f 648)
  • ‘Salt Department. West wall of wharf at Dabhol. S. S. “Jayanti” alongside wharf, south side.’ (f 664)
  • ‘East end of wharf at Dabhol, showing landing steps and Indian Company’s office at far side.’ (f 666)
  • ‘Mohenjo-Daro (District Larkana, Sind). Well and paved baths.’ (f 676)
  • ‘Mohenjo-Daro (District Larkana, Sind). Seals with pictographic writings.’ (f 678).

There are also diagrams showing the following: ‘WAGES AND COST OF LIVING’ (f 597); ‘Chart I DEATHS IN 1924 AND PREVIOUS YEARS.’ (f 639); ‘DEATH-RATE AT AGE-PERIOD’ (f 640); ‘CHART VI - ANNUAL INCIDENCE OF DEATHS FROM EPIDEMIC DISEASES.’ (f 641); ‘CHART VII MONTHLY INCIDENCE OF DEATHS FROM EPIDEMIC DISEASES’ (f 642); ‘DISTRIBUTION OF PRINCIPAL HEADS OF REVENUE FOR THE YEAR 1924-25.’ (f 657); ‘DISTRIBUTION OF PRINCIPAL HEADS OF EXPENDITURE MET FROM REVENUE FOR THE YEAR 1924-25.’ (f 659); ‘TOTAL EXPENDITURE CHARGED TO REVENUE [1913-14 to 1924-25]’ (f 661).

There are appendices on folios 684-686, and an index on folios 687-689. There is a map of the Bombay 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. on folio 690.

A table of contents listing the headings and sub-headings of the report is on folios 538-539. In a small number of instances, there are discrepancies in the phrasing or inclusion of sub-headings between the table of contents and the body of the report. In these cases, the sub-heading as it appears in the body of the report is included above.

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‘BOMBAY – 1924-25. A Review of the Administration of the Presidency’ [‎628r] (187/316), British Library: India Office Records and Private Papers, IOR/V/10/317/4, in Qatar Digital Library <https://www.qdl.qa/archive/81055/vdc_100152998491.0x000043> [accessed 10 August 2026]

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