1 SALT REVENUE DEPARTMENT FOR THE OFFICIAL: YEAR 1898-99.
2 An inerease occurred in the revenue of the year under
3 report under, the heads of excise duty and price, 41,26,743
4 maunds having been disposed of, as compared with 41,03,440
5 maunds during 1897-98—an increase of 23,303 maunds. The
6 falling off in miscellaneous revenue was due to a diminution in
7 the quantity of salt indented for under the through traffic
8 system, which caused a decrease in the collections of the addi-
9 tional charge of three pies a maund levied on such salt. The
10 charges of the year were heavier than those of 1897-98. The
11 cost of the establishment was greater, owing partly to officers
12 of higher grades having been posted to the Division during
13 the year, and partly to a stronger temporary staff having been
14 employed for guarding the Lake during a season of drought.
15 The increase in contingent expenditure was due to some
16 extent to an increase of expenditure on the construction and
17 repairs of buildings, but principally to the manufacture of a
18 larger quantity of salt, 53,17,712 maunds having been made,
19 as compared with 18,31,629 maunds during 1897-98.
20 10. The manufacture of salt at the Sambhar Lake is
21 dependent upon the monsoon rainfall. During the past three
22 years of drought the accumulation of brine in the Lake during
23 the monsoon of each year has been so small, and has evapo-
24 rated so rapidly in the dry atmosphere of Réjputana, that the
25 manufacture of salt has been carried on under very unfavour-
26 able conditions. The rainfall of 1897-98 amounted to 14°96
27 inches, and as the brine which collected was contaminated with
28 vegetable matter, the quantity of salt manufactured during that
29 year was comparatively small. The fall of 1893-99 was still
30 more unfavourable, only 10°95 inches having been registered ;
31 but the brine, though less in quantity, was purer and of better
32 quality. As soon as it became apparent that the monsoon rain-
33 fall during the year was likely to be deficient, every effort was
34 made: to secure as much brine as possible in the Lake works.
35 On the 11th August 1898 the filling of brine into the walled
36 enclosures at Sambhar and Ndwa was commenced, and was
37 continued as long as brine was available in the Lake. And
38 as soon as the monsoon season was over sections of the Lake
39 bed were enclosed for the production of spontaneous salt, and,
40 arrangements were made for the manufacture of salt by means
41 of shallow solar evaporation pans along sections of the Lake
42 shore where manufacturing conditions were favourable. The
43 following figures show the results of the efforts made as
44 compared with the outturn of 1897-98 :—
45 1897-98. 1898-99, Difference.
46 Quantity of salt manufactured.
47 Mds. Mas. Mads.
48 Outturn from walled enclosures... 16,00,126 43,98,925 + 27,98,799
49 Produce of pans on the Lake edge.... «+ 1,84,009 7,43,666 +5,59,657
50 Spontaneous salt obtained from the 47,494 1,75,121 +1,27,627
51 Lake bed.
52 Total ies 18,31,629 53,17,712 +-34,86,083 —
53 en ees
54 Walled enclosures——There are 11 of these works at the
55 Lake, 10 at the Sambhar or eastern end of the Lake, and one
56 at Nawa in the west, covering an area of 735'79 acres of eva-
57 porating surface, and containing pans varying in size from 421
58 feet by 152 feet to 670 feet by 200 feet. The worksat Sambhar
59 were completely filled before the brine in the Lake disappear-
60 ed by evaporation. Owing to the low level of the Lake there
61 was but little brine at the western end, and it was only possible
62 to partially fill 32 of the 60 large evaporation pans in the
63 walled enclosure at Ndwa. The general result of the
64 (7)
65 SAMBHAR LAKE.
66 Fluctuations in revenue
67 and expenditure ex-
68 plained.
69 Manufacture of salt.
70 Quantities of salt produced,
71 Walled enclosures.