1 SALT REVENUE DEPARTMENT FOR THE OFFICIAL YEAR 1892-94,
2 4 ‘
3 “Maunds 7,02,429} of salt ‘were extracted during the REV/BW BY SECTIONS.
4 year. Adding to this quantity maunds 18,365 of old salt which PACHA Ee
5 had been struck off stock in previous years, but owing to the
6 great scarcity of salt from Qectober to December were, by
7 special request of traders, again brought on our books and
8 sold, and excesses discovered on heaps cleared, the quantity
9 shown as manufactured during the year is made up. At the
10 beginning of the year there was a balance of old stocks amount-
11 ing to 3,84,852 maunds. I considéred it necessary to have
12 some fresh salt for the Bunjarah trade, and therefore, before
13 the rains set in, had extracted and stored 1,57,3244 maunds
14 of the best salt in the pits, which was quickly taken by the.
15 Bunjarahs and other traders, as it was, though not large
16 crystalled salt, good, clean and mature. During the monsoons
17 the sale price of Sambhar was raised to 54 annas, and later
18 to8annas per maund. This caused a rush for salt on Pachbadra,
19 and by the end of October indents for much more salt than
20 was in stock were received and had to be provided for. At
21 that time the balance of stocks on the ground was fast dis-
22 appearing, and the season was the worst possible for replen-
23 ishing stocks by extracting fresh salt, as owing to the deluge
24 of rain which had fallen in the tract, the pits were filled with
25 practically fresh water, and owing to the saturated condition
26 of the soil and partly submerged state of the tract, percolation
27 into the pits of water which was almost fresh was so considerable,
28 that at one time it seemed hopeless to try to extract any salt,
29 as it appeared so certain that most of the salt in the pits, if
30 . disturbed, would be dissolved and lost. Most of the pits, and
31 all the best ones, contained from 5 to 7 feet of practically
32 fresh water. Even now as I write,in May, only a small pro-
33 portion of the unemptied pits contain mature or saturated
34 brine; and nearly the whole of the pits in Chota Sambra are
35 filled with weak brine. Chota Sambra is the section of the
36 tract which produces the salt best liked by the Bunjarahs, and
37 the state of the brine in the pits.in it holds out but slight
38 hope of any salt being obtained in that section unless the rains
39 are late and light this season. Of the 18 pits emptied before
40 the rains set in, and the 73 emptied since, not 10 per cent.
41 are ina fit state to be set with morali, as the brine in them
42 is still under saturation-point, and they therefore cannot be
43 set with thorns which would rot in weak brine. Foreseeing
44 in September that unless stocks were replenished there would
45 before long be an enormous balance of unsatisfied indents and
46 no salt to issue, everything that was possible was done to
47 induce the Kharwals to draw off the excess of water in the
48 pits and extract salt. The majority of the Kharwals, though
49 rich in promises, did nothing; but some of them loyally res-
50 ponded, and their names are worthy of record: Mulla and Maya
51 Ram of Dana; Birdhi of Maya Ram; Himmat of Sarup; Karna
52 of Bala, and ISishna of Kapur. These men, who own a large
53 number of pits, lost no time in doing all they possibly could
54 to meet the wants of the Department. They spent time
55 and money in drawing off: the excess of water in their
56 pits, in collecting labour, and in finding and providing the
57 implements used in extracting salt at Pachbadra. A start
58 was made at last under enormous difficulties, but the
59 rospect was full of anxiety and almost hopeless until
60 ecember, in which month, in consideration of the exceptional
61 circumstances of the ‘year, the Commissioner sanctioned the
62 payment by the Department of the cost of drawing off the
63 excess water in pits, and as an encouragement ‘to ‘vigorous
64 ( #9 )