5
Krishnagar, Midnapore and Suri, and sketch projects were prepared
for six other localities, including Rajbari, where it is intended to execute a
water-supply scheme, for which a grant of Rs. 10,000 has been sanctioned by
Government. The riparian water works scheme for the supply of water to a
number of municipalities on the east bank of the Hooghly above Calcutta was
referred to the local authorities concerned during the year. It is regretted
that financial stringency has prevented further progress with schemes of
water-supply in urban areas, for, as pointed out by the Sanitary Commis-
sioner, the introduction of filtered water-supply is always followed by a
marked reduction in the mortality from cholera and dysentery and diarrhœa.
Three drainage schemes were completed during the year, viz., at Tangail,
Garden Reach and Bhatpara, the second part of the Bhadreswar drainage
scheme was almost completed, and a few small works were carried out at
Howrah. Detailed schemes were prepared for the towns of Dacca, Munshi-
ganj, Krishnagar, Serampore and Kurseong and sketch projects for a small
drainage scheme in Khulna and for a joint water-supply and drainage scheme
in Comilla.
There were about 115 septic tanks at the end of the year 1916 in the
districts of the 24-Parganas, Howrah and Hooghly, mostly attached to jute
mills on the banks of the Hooghly ; eight more were installed during the year
under report, and further construction was in progress at its close.
14. Sanitary Board.—During the year the Provincial Malarial Committee
was amalgamated with the Sanitary Board, as it was found that the work of
the two bodies overlapped, there being few schemes of sanitation which do not
have a direct bearing on the question of the prevention and mitigation
of malaria, and it was considered that an enlarged Sanitary Board would be a
stronger and more useful body.
15. Mines Board of Health.—The Governor in Council is pleased to
observe the excellent work being done by the Mines Board of Health in check-
ing and controlling outbreaks of small-pox, cholera and malaria, in the mining
settlement in the Asansol subdivision of the Burdwan district. It is reported
that the precautions taken by the Board proved effective in arresting the
spread of epidemics of small-pox and cholera in this area, the decrease in the
number of cases compared with the previous year amounting roughly to 1,000
and 600 per cent., respectively. The organized distribution of quinine also
appears to have been largely instrumental in preventing a recrudescence of
the epidemic of malaria which in 1916 spread panic among the labour force
of the collieries. The Mines Board of Health has the advantage not only of
dealing with a comparatively small area and with a population largely under
the control of the collieries, but also of being able to exercise special powers
under the Bengal Mining Settlement Act and the Epidemic Diseases Act ; but
even so the diminution of disease in the mining settlement shows, as the
Sanitary Commissioner remarks, '' the remarkable effect of organized control
and should serve as an object-lesson to all District Boards."
16. Development of the Sanitary Department.—The year under review
witnessed a continued development in the activities of the Sanitary Depart-
ment, due to the growth of interest in questions of public health, and the
closer attention paid to the sanitary organization of local bodies, as well as
to the special enquiries and experiments which were in progress. There
was also a further increase of work in the bacteriological laboratory of the
Department owing to the more frequent analysis of samples of water and
food. It is anticipated that there will be a further expansion of this branch
of the Sanitary Department if a Bill for the prevention of food adulteration
which Government propose to introduce becomes law.
The sanitary organization of municipalities under the Bengal Municipal
Sanitary Officers Act of 1914 is now practically complete, but the position
is very different in rural areas. The Sanitary Commissioner has repeatedly
drawn attention in his report to the absence of any effective public health
organization outside the towns and to the necessity for a full-time
District Health Officer and subordinate staff for systematic work in the
prevention and mitigation of outbreaks of malaria, cholera and small-pox.
No real advance in regard to vaccination or any other public health