1 SAMBHAR:.
2 Enquiry into the ree
3 sources of the Lake,
4 . in the Lake bed, recommended by Dr.
5 Dr. Noetling’s view of
6 the watecsupply of
7 the Lake.
8 €
9 REPORT ON THE ADMINISTRATION OF THE NORTHERN INDIA
10 ¢
11 been filled, and consequently the formation of salt in the pans
12 could not be controlled by keeping the pans at varying densities.
13 by the admission of weak Lake brine. In these circumstances
14 salt formed almost simultaneously in all of the pans at Sambhar,
15 and higher rates had to be given to attract a sufficiency of
16 labour to effect extraction before inferior salts precipitated.
17 The pitching with stone of the sides of the pans of the Kyars
18 at Sambhar was continued during the year, and Rs, 8,830
19 were expended on the work. Only 62 pans in Kyars Nos. 9
20 and 10 now remain to be pitched.
21 The cost of manufacture and storage of pan salt during
22 the year was 5°61 pies a maund against 4°72 pies in 1901-02,
23 The account in connection with this salt is complicated by
24 the ternporary advances which are given to manufacturers for
25 the construction of their works. In good years these ade
26 vances are rapidly recovered from the earnings of manufac-
27 turers; but during the past two years conditions of manu-
28 facture have been so unfavourable that in many cases
29 advances given in one year have remained unadjusted until
30 the next. Eliminating the factor of these advances, the cost
31 of pan salt has been 5'48 and 5°66 pies a maynd during the
32 past two years.
33 _ 29. In his report on the resources of the Sambhar Lake:
34 alluded to in’ paragraph 19 of the Report of 1901-02, Dr.
35 Noetling recommended that the Lake should be surveyed
36 and levelled. This work was undertaken by the Survey
37 Department, and Lieutenant Rich, R.E., was deputed to carry
38 it out during the latter half of the year. The work to be done:
39 comprised—
40 (1) A topographical survey of the Lake area, of a
41 strip of land 1 mile beyond the high water
42 level of the Lake, and of about 15 square-miles.
43 of country at its south-western corner,
44 - (2) The laying down of about 22 permanent bench
45 marks just above the high water line; their
46 heights to be determiied by levelling round the
47 Lake; and the fixing of an ample number of
48 trigonometrical and clinometric heights in the
49 area outside the Lake bed. ;
50 (3) The spirit levelling of nine or ten sections across
51 the Lake bed and the erection of poles in the
52 Lake to mark the sections. From these sec-
53 tions contours in the Lake bed will be shown,
54 by means of which the quantity of water in the
55 Lake can be ascertained at any level. .
56 Colonel Hobday, Deputy Surveyot-General, and Dr-
57 Noetling visited the Lake at the end of November 1902 and
58 agreed upon the particulars described after consultation. The
59 survey has, I understand, been completed and the map is now
60 under preparation.
61 Arrangements for putting down the borings and test wells
62 Noetling, are being
63 made by the Public Works Department.
64 30. The view taken of Dr. Noetling’s report in para-
65 graph 19 of the Annual Report for 1go1-o2 is perhaps un-
66 duly optimistic, Even if it be assumed that Dr. Noetling’s
67 ingenious and plausible theory is correct and that the origin
68 of the salt in the Lake is derived from springs of brine rising
69 through, a fault in the strata of the Aravallis, the future of
70 Sambhar can only be described as assured if it can be proved—
71 ( 12 )