1 REPORT ON THE ADMINISTRATION OF THE NORTHERN INDIA
2 REVIEW BY SECTIONS. 33. The statement below shows the quantities of the
3 SAMBHAR. different descriptions of salt which were manufactured at the
4 Detail of varieties of salt Sambhar Lake during the past and three preceding years :—
5 manufactured,
6 Method of manufacture. 1893-94. 1894-95. 1895-96, 1896-97,
7 Mds. Mds. Mds. Mads,
8 In pans on the Lake edge ve» | 19,083,156 22,15,918 9,26,514 4,00,256.
9 Lake bed extraction rer aoe 1,047 6,60,623 6,20,247 48,156
10 Walled enclosures des see | 25,46,951 41,58,475 35,82,543 26,46,434
11 Total veo | 44,51,154 70,35,016 51,29,804 30,89,846
12 The outturn of the year under report was the lowest of the
13 four yearly periods ; it falls below the production of 1895-96
14 by maunds 20,39,458 ; of 1894-95 by maunds 39,45,170, and of
15 1893-94 by maunds 13,61,308.
16 The light rainfall of 1895-96 resulted in the Lake being
17 quite dry during the first three months of the past year, and
18 there was no manufacture of salt in consequence for the first.
19 five months of the year, from April to August. The rain-
20 fall of the monsoon of 1896 was not only light, but unfavour-
21 able in the manner of its occurrence, and towards the end
22 of August it became apparent that there was practically no-
23 hope of further rainfall, and the brine in the Lake began
24 to evaporate rapidly under the influence of the dry heat
25 which prevailed. On this, manufacturing operations were
26 at once commenced and pushed forward vigorously. Endeavour
27 _ was made to fill the pans of the walled enclosures as quickly
28 as possible, pans were constructed along the Lake edge, and
29 arrangements were made to obtain salt from the bed of the
30 Lake itself by damming up the brine wherever this was
31 practicable. Extraction of salt commenced in September 1896,
32 and by the close of March 1897, mauads. 30,89,846 of salt had
33 been safely stored. Considering the difficulties which had to.
34 be overcome in order to accumulate within our works
35 ° a quantity of brine sufficient to produce over thirty lakhs of
36 , maunds of saltatatime when the supply was scanty and
37 evaporation was going on with the greatest rapidity, I think
38 the result is satisfactory. The salt obtained was not all of
39 very good quality, but still it is saleable, and the quantity
40 obtained has enabled us to tide overa year of exceptional
41 drought and difficulty.
42 The statement shows that the outturn of salt from pans on.
43 the Lake edge during the past year amounted to maunds.
44 4,00,256 only compared with maunds 9,26,514 in 1895-96 ;
45 maunds 22,15,918 in 1894-95, and maunds 19,03,156 in 1893-94, ©
46 The smallness of the quantity of this kind of salt produced
47 illustrates the unfavourable character of the past year. The
48 construction of pahs was commenced as soon as it became clear
49 that there was no hope of further rainfall, but the small supply
50 of brine evaporated so rapidly and receded so quickly towards.
51 the centre of the Lake, that only one crop of salt could be
52 obtained from 2,736 pans which were worked.
53 The outturn of salt from the bed of the Lake, obtained by
54 damming up the receding brine, amounted to maunds 43,156
55 only compared with maunds 6,20,247 during 1895-96, The
56 ( 28 )