1 SALT REVENUE DEPARTMENT FOR THE OFFICIAL YEAR 1899-1900.
2 The falling off in the revenue was large, as only maunds
3 32,01,233 of salt were disposed of, compared with maunds
4 41,26,743 during 1898-99, a decrease of maunds 9,25,510.
5 The item of miscellaneous revenue is practically almost en-
6 tirely composed of sums received for the clearance of salt under
7 the through traffic system ;andas the quantity of salt sold
8 under the system decreased in connection with the general
9 depression of the trade of the Lake, there was a falling off in the
10 receipts. The increase in the cost of establishment was due to
11 payments of arrears of exchange compensation allowances to
12 ofticers admitted to such allowances under the newrules. Under
13 contingencies, the large decrease which occurred was the result
14 of reduced expenditure in coanection with the manufacture of
15 salt, only 16,38,910 maunds having been produced during, the
16 year, as compared with 53,177,712 maunds during 1898-99,
17 a decrease of 36,78,802 maunds.
18 11, For the manufacture of salt, which is entirely depend-
19 ent upon the monsoon rainfall, the year under report was
20 perhaps the most unsatisfactory on record at the Sambhar
21 Lake. The three previous years were periods of drought, the
22 annual rainfall amounting to 15°18-inches in 1896-97, 14°96
23 inches in 1897-98, and 10°95 inches only in 1898-99. The
24 brine which accumulated in the Lake during the monsoon
25 rains of those years was therefore so small in’quantity that
26 it rapidly evaporated; and, owing to the fall in the level of
27 the subterranean brine, there was but little visible salt left
28 on the Lake bed by the close of 1898-99. The conditions of
29 the year under report were worse than those of any of the
30 three preceding years. The entire rainfall amounted to 9:13
31 inches, and rain occurred on only 28 days during the year.
32 The first shower of the monsoon fell on the 15th June 1899;
33 3°82 inches were registered during that month, 4°34 inches in
34 July, and only 53 cents during August and September. The
35 brine which accumulated in the Lake outside of the large
36 walled enclosures at Sdmbhar was only from 15 to 16 inches
37 in depth when banked up by a strong west wind ; and its qual-
38 ity was most inferior, as it was greatly contaminated by ve-
39 getable matter, and, asexperience later in the year proved, it
40 was deficient in chloride of sodium. Under such unfavourable
41 manufacturing conditions the salt produced was both bad in
42 quality and short id quantity, as the following figures show :—
43 1898-99. gee Pita Difference,
44 Més, Ss. ds.
45 Produce of walled enclosures sas 48,98,925 14,665,991 —29,32,9384
46 Manufactured in pans on the Lake ... 7,438,666 1,72,919 —5,70,747
47 edge.
48 Spontaneous salt obtained from ... 1,75,121 one —1,75,121
49 the bed of the Lake.
50 —e
51 Total eee 68,17, 712 16,38,910 —36,78,802
52 The entire outturn was less than one-third of the quantity
53 obtained in 1898-99, which was in itself a bad year for manu-
54 facture.
55 Kyars, or walled enclosures.—These works (eleven in
56 number with an evaporating surface of 735°79 acres) are
57 capable of producing a large quantity of salt, and can be
58 filled with brine both by gravitation and with the aid of steam
59 centrifugal pumps. On the 19th July 1899, when a failure
60 of the monsoon was anticipated, brine was admitted into the
61 enclosures, and by the end of August the evaporation pans
62 had been filled sufficiently to yield a large quantity of salt
63 if the brine had been of good quality. But as evaporation and
64 (7)
65 SAMBHAR LAKE.
66 Fluctuations in revenue
67 and expenditure ex-
68 plained.
69 Manufacture of salt.
70 Quantities of salt pro-
71 duced.
72 Kyars, or walled enclo-
73 sures,