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3 SALT REVENUE DEPARTMENT FOR THE OFFICIAL YEAR 1902-3903.
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5 (1) that there is no reasonable prospect of the springs,
6 failing or being choked, and (2) that the salt obtainable under
7 normal conditions from one year’s supply of primary brine,
8 or, in other wordsy one year’s discharge of the springs, is equal
9 to supply not only the existing but also an increasing demand
10 for Sambhar salt. As the population of the area supplied
11 with this salt increases, the strain on the Lake must increase
12 in proportion, unless Sambhar is ousted by competition of
13 other salts from part at any rate of this area. The popularity
14 of the salt is great, and without artificial restrictions this
15 result is not likely to occur. As regards (1) also, it is
16 important to remember that in 1867-68 Mr. Hume reported
17 that the Khazanah or deepest portion of the Lake, (which it
18 is interesting to note ‘is,at the place where the fault in the
19 Aravallis occurs), never dried up. ‘It dries up now regularly, and
20 though we have had several dry years, there were droughts before
21 1867 also, With reference to Dr. Noetling’s remarks in section
22 3 0f his report as to the adequacy of a normal annual rainfall
23 (20% inches) to fill the Lake without assistance from the
24 rivers which enter it, it may be noted that in the current season
25 after a fall in July of 10°30 inches at Sambhar and 7°62
26 inches at Nawa, the depth of water registered at our gauges
27 in the Lake at the end of the month averaged 6 inches only.
28 Considerable assistance also was received from the feeder
29 streams which flowed on several occasions during the month.
30 The loss of water by absorption and evaporation when the
31 bed of the Lake is dry and heated is very great.
32 SAMBHAR.
33 31. On Dr. Noetling’s recommendation, the arrangements Water supply of the
34 made by the Public Works Department in Rajputana for
35 observing and recording the discharge of the Rupnagar stream
36 were extended in June.1go2 under the orders of the Govern-
37 ment of India to the three other streams that enter the Lake—
38 the Mendha, Kharian and Khandel. The observations taken
39 cost Rs, 1,234 during the year, but from areport of the
40 Executive Engineer of the Ajmer Provincial Division, which
41 has been communicated to me, it appears that no result of
42 any value has been attained. Owing to the smallness of
43 the pay offered, a suitable class of men could not be obtained
44 as obsetyvers. The men also lived in the nearest villages at
45 a distance of 1 tg 2 miles from the streams, and only one
46 man was provided at each gauge. Their observations were
47 therefore untrustworthy and were rejected by the Executive
48 Engineer. A Stb-Overseer of the Public Works Department
49 visited the Lake in September when the rivers were in flood,
50 measured the actual velocity of some of the discharges and
51 recorded the highest flood marks, and from his measurements-
52 calculations were mfade of the discharges of the streams.
53 These show (as was well known to the Department) that the
54 Mendha when it comes down in flood discharges the largest
55 quantity of water, but’ throw -practically no light on the
56 question whether we can spare any of the water of the
57 Rupnagar.
58 ‘The Government of India on my recommendation have
59 directed the discontinuance of the observations on the other
60 streams, and in thecurrent season the discharge of the Rupnagar
61 only will be observed and recorded. The subject will be further
62 reported on when the result of the observations made this year
63 is known. The observations are both costly and troublesome ;
64 and unless the Public Works officers are prepared to maintain
65 their contention that water intercepted in the higher branches
66 of the Rupnagar would neither reach the Lake nor assis
67 (13)
68 aKes