1 SALT REVENUE DEPARTMENT FOR THE OFFICIAL YEAR 1900-IQgOI,
2 from availing himself of leave which had been sanctioned
3 until all manufacturing operations had been finally con-
4 cluded.
5 17. A full report on the subject of the water-supply of
6 Sambhar was submitted to the Government of India on the
7 toth April 1900. I recommended in this Report (1) that, in
8 addition to affirming generally the principle that the lake
9 supply must not be further interrupted or impeded, the Gov-
10 ernment should take action to free the Rupnagar stream,
11 (which in years of short rainfall is the most important feeder
12 of the lake), from some of its existing obstructions in the
13 Ajmer district and Kishangarh State, and (2) that the Depart-
14 ment should in future be consulted before any of the tanks
15 existing on or near the feeders of the lake are strengthened or
16 enlarged. Orders in the sense of proposal (2) have been
17 issued by the Government of India to the Honourable the
18 Agent Governor General in Rajputana, and proposal (1) has
19 been referred to the Agent Governor General for consideration.
20 Arrangements have been made to measure the flow of the
21 feeder streams again during the present monsoon, and with
22 last year’s experience, as a guide, | hope it may be possible
23 to secure a record of observations, which will show beyond
24 question where the water which enters the lake actually comes
25 from.
26 18. Mr. Lyon, the Assistant Commissioner of Sambhar,
27 writes: “ The kyar salt exttacted this year has been very
28 little per acre, though a full quantity of brine was let into the
29 pans. The reason cannot be explained except that for some
30 years past the lake has not filled properly. Pan contractors
31 have noticed that they are unable to get a full crop under the
32 same eircumstances as they used to.” The question raised
33 by these remarks, v¢z., whether there has been any real de-
34 crease in the productiveness of the lake is of the first
35 Importance, and cannot unfortunately be satisfactorily
36 answered. Among the existing officers of the Depart-
37 ment, who have the most intimate knowledge of the lake, there
38 isa divergence of opinion; but it may be noted that Rai
39 Bahadur Nanak Chand, who was for years manufacture officer
40 at Sambhar and has now retired, is of opinion that the lake
41 brine undoubtedly produces less salt than it used to in the
42 earlier days of ous management. As far back as 1889, Dr.
43 Warth observed that unless the lake ‘ be inexhaustible, the
44 removal of 2 million tons of salt must produce a change in
45 the composition of the soluble residue” of the brine; and
46 suggested that the Jake would in time be worked out, as it
47 appeared from analyses made in 1869 and in 188g that the
48 percentage of chloride of sodium in the soluble residue was
49 decreasing. The analysis of 1869 was, however, admittedly
50 made with somewhat primitive appliances. Unfortunately
51 analyses of the salt and brine have not been made with suffi-
52 cient regularity to enable us to compare the manufacture results
53 in the earlier years of our management with those recently
54 obtained. For several years the rainfall has been deficient
55 and the seasons have been unfavourable, and the causes of
56 the low outturn and poor quality of the salt produced may
57 ‘be temporary only.
58 19. The closing balance of stock at the end of the year,
59 viz., maunds 5,53,742, was unsatisfactorily low, but enough salt
60 has since been made to meet the trade demand for the current
61 year ; and if the ensuing season is favourable, we shall tide
62 successfully over our immediate difficulties.
63 ( 7 )
64 SAMBHAR,
65 Water-supply of the
66 Sambar Lake.
67 Suggested deteriora-
68 tion of the lake brine
69 discussed,
70 Stocks and results of
71 clearance of heaps.
72 Appendix V.