1 REPORT ON THE ADMINISTRATION OF THE NORTHERN INDIA
2 PACHBADRA. The Jodhpur Darbar purchased only maunds 61,400 of
3 salt free of duty during the year as compared with maunds
4 1,56,200 in 1g01-o2. The reason for the decline in purchases
5 has been explained in paragraph 15. Issues ‘of salt on which
6 duty was levied amounted to maunds 6,18,373 compared with
7 maunds 1J,11,215 in the previous year, the decrease being
8 maunds 4,92,84z. Withasmaller trade the Jodhpur-Bikaner
9 Railway was able to remove salt as it was indented for. The
10 year opened with an uncleared balance of maunds 45,400 and
11 closed with an uncleared balance of maunds 36,895 only. The
12 quantity of duty free salt issued amounted to maunds 1,00,365
13 compared with maunds 1,06,975 in 1901-02, and a balance of
14 maunds 15,780 remained uncleared at the end of the year.
15 Territorial distribution 38. The total quantity: of salt issued: for consumption
16 of trade. * :
17 Appendix VI. during the year was maunds 7,28,738 compared with maunds
18 12,29,190 in Igol-o2, the decrease amounting to maunds
19 5,00,452. Trade with Rajputana and Central India was fairly
20 well maintained, the quantity declared for those areas having
21 ‘been maunds 3,16,129 compared with maunds 3,31,530 in the
22 previous year. Exports to the United Provinces declined
23 by maunds 4,46,800 and to the Central Provinces by maunds
24 37,701. No salt was consigned to ‘the Punjab, while
25 maunds 400 were sent into that Province in 1901-02.
26 There were no transactions with Sind during the year.
27 Maunds 150 were sent into that Province in 190!-o2 over
28 the Shadipali branch of the Jodhpur-Bikaner Railway, but the
29 trade thus commenced has not been maintained. It is
30 said that traders are required to keep accurate accounts
31 showing how salt imported into Sind:has been disposed of
32 and that the supervision over the trade is found to be irksome.
33 Manufacture and stock 39. The rainfall at Pachbadra was again deficient, only
34 Appendix V. 3°43 inches having been recorded during the entire year.
35 The fall of thé monsoon period was 5°05: .34 cents fell in
36 June, 19 cents in July, 3°57 inches in August and 95 cents
37 during September. With the exception of one fall of 2°42
38 inches on the 29th of August, the rain of the year was received
39 in light showers, and these were insufficient to replenish the brine
40 springs. In my Report of 1898-99 | said that the production
41 of salt at this source was only indirectly affected by the annual
42 rainfall, and that good salt could be obtained in almost any
43 season, ‘This was the experience of the Department at the
44 time. It has, however, been found that a deficiency in the
45 rainfall extending over a series of years has a prejudicial
46 effect upon the brine springs and upon the outturn and
47 quality of the salt which forms in the pits. Such a period
48 commenced in 1899-1900 when only 95 cents of rain fell, and
49 . the annual average fall of the four years ending with the year
50 under report has amounted to 4'20 inches only. The average
51 of the four years ending with 1898-99 was 1at1r inches and
52 that of the 18 years ending with 1898-99 was 14inches. The,
53 source has therefore received only about a third of its normal
54 rainfal] during the past four years, and the prolonged drought
55 _has caused a fall in the level of the brine springs, with the
56 result that with a less depth of brine the outturn of the pits
57 has diminished .in quantity. .The brine has also been of
58 greater specific gravity, and with rapid evaporation in the
59 ! arid climate of the country, salt has been precipitated in small
60 crystals and inferior salts have been forced out to some extent
61 in admixture with it.
62 Pits opened for the _ 40. The salt pits vary in size, but the average outturn of
63 extraction of salt. a pit at the source has hitherto been about 10,000 maunds.
64 ( 16 )