1 SALT REVENUE DEPARTMENT FOR THE OFFICIAL YEAR 1902- 1903.
2 rain, which has affected manufacture, has now extended over
3 a series of years commencing from 1895-g6. The normal
4 annual rainfall of Sambhar is 20°74 inches, and the average
5 annual fall of tHe five years ending with 1894-95 was 23°94
6 inches. The average of the next five years was only 13°17
7 inches, the fall decreasing year by year from 15°63 inches in
8 1895-96 to 9°13 inches in 1899-1900, The fall of 1g00-ot,
9 23°88 inches, was sufficient, and the Lake was fairly well filled;
10 but during the past two years the average fall has amounted
11 to only 11°95 inches. <
12 25. The filling of the Kyars with the brine which collect-
13 ed during July was commenced as soon as it appeared that
14 the break in August was likely to continue, and the work was
15 continued until October, when no more brine was available for
16 the purpose.’ Extraction of salt from the Kyars near the town of
17 Sambhar began on the 27th October and was completed onthe
18 28th February, Extraction from the Kyar at Nawa, which was
19 filled with brine later in the season than the works at Sambhar,
20 did not commence until the 6th February and was not finished
21 till after the close of the year, the 7th April 1903. Maunds
22 28,89,086 of salt were obtained from the Kyars near the town
23 of Sambhar and maunds 8,72,310 from the Kyar at Nawa,
24 the total outturn from these works amounting to maunds
25 37,61,390. The quality of the salt was equal to that obtained
26 during the recent years of deficient rainfall, but it was inferior
27 to the description that is produced under favourable manu-
28 ‘facturing conditions.
29 26. Maunds 9,82,838 of salt were manufactured in solar
30 evaporation pans on the edge of the Lake, maunds 4,76,449
31 during the first three months of the year and maunds 5,06,389
32 during the period between the cessation of the monsoon and
33 the end of March. Manufacture was still proceeding when the
34 year closed. The whole of this salt was manufactured from
35 primary brine obtained from wells sunk in the bed of the Lake, -
36 diluted by an occasional cold-weather shower. It was small in
37 grain and inferior in quality; but was saleable and had to be
38 accepted, as better could not be obtained. Well brine is not
39 utilised during years of favourable rainfall, as the best pan salt
40 is produced from the secondary brine or surface water of the
41 Lake. The rairffall was not sufficient to fill the Lake, and the
42 small quantity of brine that was available could not be used for
43 the mianufacture of pan salt, as it was too far from the shore
44 and evaporated rapidly.
45 27. No spontaneous salt was collected from the Lake
46 bed during the year. The small quantity of brine in the Lake
47 disappeared by evaporation without depositing salt in appre-
48 ciable quantity. It has not been possible to obtain spontaneous
49 salt for the past four years in consequence apparently of the
50 deficiency in the rainfall.
51 28, The incidence of the cost of manufacturing maunds
52 37,61,396 of Kyar salt during the year was 6°48 pies a
53 maund compared with 5°60 pies on an outturn of maunds
54 41,72,404 in 1901-02. The items included in cost comprise
55 Rs. 79,764 for extraction and storage, Rs. 14,794 for
56 maintenance and repairs of the Kyars and Rs. 29,401 on ac-
57 count of interest on the capital invested in the works, the
58 total amounting to Rs. 1,26,959. Expenditure on the up-keep
59 of the works was less than in the previous year, but the
60 character. of the seuson necessitated the payment to la-
61 bourers of higher raizs of extraction and storage. There was
62 no brine in the Lake available for use after the Kyars had
63 ( I: )
64 SAMBHAR.
65 Kyar salt,
66 2
67 Pan salt.
68 Lake salt,
69 Cost of manufacture
70 during the year.