7
Ambala District.
The Ambala District comprises two detached blocks of country lying between the Jumna and the
Sutlej, and is divided into six tahsils, of which four (Ambala, Naraingarh, Jagadhri, and Pipli)
are included in the larger block, covering the southern and eastern portions of the district, the re-
maining two (Kharar and Rupar) running up to the Sutlej in the extreme north-west. It includes an
area of 2,412 square miles and has a population of 1,033,427 souls.
The height above sea-level ranges from 800' to 1,000' and the district is usually described as sub-
montane, which is correct as regards the Rupar, Kharar, Naraingarh and Jagadhri tahsils ; but in the
southern portion of the district, including the greater part of the Pipli Tahsil, and a large part of
Ambala, the hills are low, bleak and generally devoid of vegetation other than rough scrub. The soil
is chiefly stiff clay, and the face of the country is broken with huge tracts of dhak jungle, and the
depth of water below the surface varies from 9' to 24 feet, in the Khadir 9', Bet Markanda 18', and
Bangar 24'. Irrigation is carried out in Pipli from the Western Jumna Canal, wells, and kacha tanks,
but as a whole the district is essentially dependent on the rain for its crops, the normal amount for the
Pipli Tahsil being 24 inches. The rainfall is, however, very irregular, the crops in the southern dis-
trict, especially, being frequently liable to excessive moisture and floods.
The Márkanda is the second largest stream in the district, and enters the Pipli Tahsil near Sháha¬
bad, passing through in a south-westerly direction. In the rainy season it is extremely liable to floods,
the water spreading over the face of the country far and wide and depositing silt and sand in all
directions.
The Jumna on the east and the Sutlej on the north-west also flood a large extent of country
near their course, and some damage is done by the water-logging of the soil through the low banks of
the Western Jumna Canal.
The climate of Ambala is fairly good, but the changes of temperature are severe. During the
rains the country becomes saturated, and fever is common everywhere, the mortality from this cause
in years of excessive floods being very high indeed. The cold weather comes on suddenly in November
or December before the people have recovered their strength after an epidemic of fever, and the result
is much further loss of life from pneumonia. The southern half of the Pipli Tahsil is a specially
unhealthy tract, as much land there remains under water for a long time in years of excessive rainfall,
owing to the formation of the country and the way in which it is traversed by petty channels which
cannot carry off the drainage poured into them.
Pipli Tahsil.—During the rains of 1894 Surra made its appearance, and at the village of Looki
four horses and eight asses died. During the wet season of 1895 the returns made included 15
villages, in one of which, Bhoosthala, all the solipeds succumbed to the above disease. As far as could
be ascertained, the tahsils Kharar and Naráingarh are freer from Surra than the southern part
of Pipli, which is swampy and subject to flooding during the monsoon.
This portion of the district, which is swampy and subject to inundation during the rainy season
is a well known centre of Surra. Surra broke out in the village of 'Radour' in November 1895, but the
losses were not heavy. Again in 1896 ' Chibha' suffered somewhat from the same disease.
In 1895 Surra occurred in 21 villages in this district, which lie, for the most part, between the
Western Jumna Canal and the Jumna River. The tract is seriously water-logged and swampy ' Khadir '
owing to percolation from the canal. Gogpur and Salpani Kalan are on the banks of the Márkanda,
and are subject to inundation in the rains. Omree is on the grand trunk road and is subject to
inundation from a small branch of the Ghittang river. The losses have been serious in all, but some
of the villages have been practically cleared out of soliped animals.
Jagadhari Tahsil.—Surra made its appearance in October 1894 in the low-lying village of
Aurangabad, and out of 17 asses, 13 or 76 per cent. were lost. Although some horses were owned by the
villagers, none succumbed to the disease. In the following year the animals in the village of ' Galni,'
also subject to inundation, were attacked: 80 per cent. of the horses, cent. per cent. of the asses and
mules died from this malady.
Umballa Tahsil.—In the ' Dhin' gaon, said to be free from inundation, the disease broke out in the
months of November and December 1895, and carried off 20 per cent. of the asses owned.
Umballa, 1896.—By order of the Deputy Commissioner two camels belonging to the Police, and
suffering from Surra, were destroyed.
Vernacular name of disease ' Phenta', 'Phera.'
Remarks of Veterinary-Captain Pease in his Annual Report for 1895-96.
" As might be expected from the fact that the lower part of the Umballa District resembles the
Nali of Karnal very closely in some parts and the Khadir in others, we find Surra is very common and
fatal in the villages which are situated in these parts. The whole of the lower part of the district is
dangerous, especially the strip of country which runs across from Thanesar to the Jumna. I should
think that the northern limit of the very dangerous tract is about a line drawn from Thaska to Lokhi.