1 SALT REVENUE DEPARTMENT FOR THE OFFICIAL YEAR 1900-1901. *
2 rose to maunds 36,34,189 against maunds 32,01,233 in 1899-
3 1goo. The quantity of salt issued was, however, less than the
4 quantity issued in the previous year by maunds 80,772, as the
5 traders were in no hurry to clear the old or the new salt they
6 had purchased at the end of the year until they had had an
7 opportunity of disposing of the stocks of inferior salt which
8 they had previously accumulated.
9 13. The quantity of Sambhar salt issued to the Punjab
10 fell from maunds 2,54,185 in 1899-1900 to maunds 1,87,200
11 during the year, the annual average of the quinquennial period
12 ending on the 31st March 1899 having been maunds 2,57,624.
13 The. quantity issued to the North-Western Provinces and
14 Oudh, maunds 22,42,863, was somewhat higher than in the
15 ‘preceding year, but was much below the annual average
16 ‘(maunds 28,24,097) of the quinquennial period ending on the
17 3ist March 1899. The partial displacement of Sambhar by
18 Punjab rock salt in the markets of the Punjab and of the
19 North-Western Provinces and Oudh is not a matter of regret,
20 as it is possible that the resources of Sambhar have in the
21 ast been overtaxed, and it is undesirable that too largea
22 portion of the country should be dependent for its salt upon a
23 source at which a flood ora drought may in any year cause
24 an almost absolute failure of the supply. The quantity of
25 Sambhar salt issued to the Central Provinces, (maunds 40,000),
26 though inconsiderable, was more than double the quantity
27 issued in 1899-1900 or the annual average of the preceding
28 quinquennial period ; and the quantity issued to Central India
29 {maunds 3,58,285), though less than the quantity issued in
30 1899-1900 (maunds 4,01,310), was much above the annual
31 average. (maunds 1.99,927) of the preceding quinquennial
32 pericd. The quantity issued to Rajputana was nearly the
33 same as in the previous vear, but the issues in both years
34 were considerably below the annual average of the preceding
35 five years.
36 14. The figures in Appendix V show the quantity of
37 salt manufactured from the 1st April 1900 to the 31st March
38 tgot. From April to June 1,900, maunds. 4,64,178 of salt were
39 manufactured at Sambhar at a costof 4‘92 pies per maund,
40 Most of the salt manufactured during the season of rg00 1901
41 was made and extracted after the rst April 1901, but.an account
42 of the character and result of the season’s work may conveniently
43 be given in this year’s Report. The character of the manu-
44 facturing season, which closed in June 1goo, has already been
45 described in the annual Report for 1899-1900.
46 The first shower of the monsoon rains fell on the gth
47 June 1900, but the total rainfall during that month amounted
48 to 33 cents only. In July the rainfall amounted to 4°13, in
49 August to 8°25 and in September to 5°55 inches. The total
50 rainfall, 18°26 inches, considerably exceeded the fall in any of
51 the preceding four years. The lake was fairly well filled, the
52 depth registered outside the kyars at Sambhar having been
53 2 feet on the 22nd August and outside the kyar at Nawa 2
54 feet 2 inches on the 23rd and 24th September; and expecta-
55 tions were entertained of a favourable season. The fill-
56 ing of pans in the kyars was commenced before the end
57 of September and was nearly completed by the middle
58 of October, by which time the average density of the brine in
59 most of the 1o kyars at Sambhar and in the kyar at Nawa
60 was 17° to 22° Beaume. 73 cents of rain fell, however, in
61 December, when the salt in the kyars was nearly ready for
62 extraction, and 2°35 cents of rain fellin January and 13 cents
63 C'S: 2
64 SAMBHAR:
65 Territorial distribution
66 of the salt issued.
67 Appendix VI,
68 >
69 Manofacture of salt and
70 character of the sea-
71 son.
72 Appendix V,
73 Kyar salt.