14
Kasur Tahsil.—During 1894, 1895, and 1896 outbreaks of Surra are recorded in three villages of
this tahsil, causing only a slight loss.
Sharakpur Tahsil.—In 1896 ten villages are reported to have suffered from Surra, sustaining a
loss of 18 horses and 53 asses, out of 45 and 115 animals respectively. During February 1897 one village
suffered a loss of four out of fifteen asses.
Gurdaspur District.
This embraces an area of 1,822 square miles, with a population of 943,922 souls, and comprises
the submontane and upper plain portions of the Bári Doáb lying between the Biás and Ravi, and
extending across the latter river embraces the eastern submontane of the Rachna Doáb between the
Ravi and Chenab. It is divided into four tahsils, Palhánkot, Shakárgarh, Gurdáspur and Batála. The
principal places in the district vary from 900 to 1,100 feet above sea level, excluding Dalhousie in the
Himalayas at an elevation of 6,740 feet.
The district may be broadly divided into three zones, the hills, the submontane tract, and the plains,
the last including the bangar or central plateau and the lowlands of the Biás and Ravi valleys.
The chief rivers are the Biás, Ravi, Ujh, Boin and Basantar with numerous smaller drainage lines
of the Bangar.
The Ujh valley is about 4 miles wide with a soil of stiff red clay, in which the water is close to the
surface and wells can easily be worked.
The Bet or Khádir tract along the banks of the Biás is much exposed to inundation from the river
and intimately connected with the latter is the Káhnúwán Chambh or swamp which runs almost the
whole length of the Gurdáspur Tahsil.
The Ravi river is also liable to floods in the rains, which spread erratically over the country.
The canals are the Badshahi Nahr, Bári Doáb and Hasli.
The following are approximate statistics of the area irrigated by percolation and by overflow of the
river (Ravi), and by canals taking from it :—
Pathánkot Tahsil ...
Gurdáspur
„ ...
Shakargarh
„ ...
Bhatála „ ...
...
...
...
...
Total
Acres.
.... 30,960
... 31,701
... 25 858
... 16,491
... 105,010
There are several other large and important chambhs or swampy lakes in this district, besides the
Káhámvan Chambh previously mentioned, which is largely due to percolation from the Biás.
The average rainfall of the district excluding Dalhousie is 37.6 inches, Balála being 30",
Shakargarh 39.3", and Pathánkot 48.9 inches.
With its heavy rainfall, and a large proportion of its soil saturated with canal irrigation, the climate
of the tahsil is naturally moist and unhealthy.
Spleen diseases and goitre are very prevalent, and fever rages during the autumn months. Ex-
cessive irrigation and defective drainage and polluted water-supply from filthy village tanks are believed
to be the cause of most of the sickness in the district.
Large numbers of cattle, sheep and goats are kept, but comparatively few horses and donkeys, and
hardly any camels.
Pathánkot Tahsil.—Between the months of October and December 1895 five villages of this
tahsil* are reported to have suffered from Surra and the position of the affected villages is described as
low-lying and subject to flooding.
During 1896-97 Surra appeared in this tahsil, but the losses recorded were very small.
Shakargarh Tahsil.—During 1896-97 Surra is reported from this tahsil recording very small losses.
Vernacular names.—" Khusk Zaharbad" and " Sokra ".
Gujranwala District.
The Gujranwala District, comprising an area of 2,906 square miles and a population of 690,169
souls, is divided into four tahsils—Gujranwala lying to the north-east, Wazirabad to the north-
west, Hafizabad to the south-west and Khángah-Dogran to the south-east of the district. With
the exception of the Chenáb lowlands, along the north-west boundary sloping towards the river
and the Deg valley on the south-east, the rest of the district consists of an alluvial plain slightly
elevated (800 feet), and of almost unbroken evenness, declining imperceptibly towards the south-
west. The country passes through the various gradations by which the soil of the favoured sub-
* (With seven other villages of the district.)