1 Character of the
2 reception of His Royal
3 Highness by the
4 Princes and people
5 of this country.
6 Dera Ghazi Khan
7 protective works.
8 The Jammu Railway.
9 New canal projects,
10 620 HISTORY OF THE PANJAB,
11 The popular manifestation and out-burst of joy on the arrival in this
12 country of the Heir-Presumptive to the crown of England and India, the
13 wide-spread interest felt in his visit in all parts of the province, and the
14 spontaneous demonstration of loyal feelings made everywhere, are undoubted
15 proof how deep is the hold Her Majesty the Queen-Eimpress has on the
16 affections of her Indian subjects, and how sincere and hearty is their loyal
17 devotion to her person and throne.
18 The cordial union and good will which animated all sections of the com-
19 munity on this happy occasion, and the display of loyalty and devotion to
20 the throne which it evoked, were not confined to the great centres of civili-
21 sation, but manifested themselves in all parts of the Empire, from the
22 Khaibar’ to the Jamna, from the distant south to the furthest north. The
23 people of this outlying province will ever gratefully remember that the
24 Royal Prince, having travelled many thousand miles, came to see them as
25 they are, and did them the honour of visiting them in the country of their
26 birth, while it is hoped the knowledge gained by His Royal Highness from
27 his visit will be of special use to him when, in his turn, he ascends the
28 throne of this great Empire and wields its sceptre.
29 The river Indus having made encroachments in the direction of the
30 town of Dera Ghazi Khan, and cut away the foreshore to within less than
31 3,000 feet of the town, and almost as far as the banks ofthe Kasturi Canal,
32 which serve as a sort of defence against floods, the Government resolved to
33 construct a protective embankment aloug the line of road encircling the
34 city. The embankment was formed of rough stone brought from the
35 Warcha quarries in the Salt Range and from Sakhar in Sindh, This was
36 piled against the embankment, so that on the land being cut away by the
37 erosive action of the stream, it gradually fell into the river, till a natural
38 bank revetted with stone was formed. Similar arrangements proved suc-
39 cessful in connection .with the new Chindb Bridge protective works at
40 Sher Shah, and it is a matter for congratulation that the scheme worked
41 out had the result of saving an important town of the Panjab from destruc-
42 tion. The estimated cost exceeded seven lakhs of rupees, provided equally
43 by the Government of India, the Panj&b Government, and a Municipal
44 loan.
45 The Jammu Railway was completed in the beginning of the year 1890 ;
46 the first locomotive was run into Jammu in January of that year, and the
47 line was opened for traffic soon afterwards. ;
48 Besides the perennial canals already mentioned, the inundation canals
49 in operation in the Panjab, which contribute materially to the develop-
50 ment of the wealth of the country, are the Lower Sohdag and Para
51 Canal, the Sidhnai Canal, the Upper Sutlej series, the Lower Sutlej and
52 Chindb series, the Indus series, the Imperial canals in the Shahpur District
53 and the Mozaffargarh series. The sanction of the Secretary of State has
54 been received for a project for the Sirsé Branch of the Western Jamna
55 Canal, and the work is to be proceeded with at once. Projects are also
56 before the Government for the construction of subsidiary canals from the
57 Ravi, above the Sidhnai weir, while surveys are in progress for the following
58 canals, viz. :— :
59 (a) A canal taking its supply from the left bank of the Indus near
60 Dera Ismail Khan, to irrigate the lower half of the Sindh-
61 Sagar Dodb.
62 (b) Inundation canals from the Chindb river, to irrigate the Khadar
63 | "lands in the Shahpur District, and_in Gujrat j aude?
64 Sri Satguru Jagit Singh aeiktaice abpur A amahatieliraty@ gral. conte’ ee