74
MEDICAL AND SANITARY REPORT OF THE NATIVE ARMY OF MADRAS.
Water-
supply.
Seasonable.
phenomena.
drains are swept daily and existing covered drains are cleared, opened and repaired under the
orders of the Magistrate and Assistant Quartermaster-General, Hyderabad Subsidiary Force.
There are patches of wet cultivation and several small tanks in the cantonment, and they
become marshes as they dry up ; proposals have been submitted for improving the general
conditions of the water-shed in which they occur, and there are no great engineering difficulties in
the way.
The drainage of the town of Secunderabad is a much more extensive undertaking, as a great
part of the drainage runs into the Hussain Saugar Tank. It would be very difficult and costly
to divert this drainage, so that it may be taken round the tank and provided with an outfall
below the tank bund, as the town is built on either side of a nullah which runs into the tanks,
and most of the town drainage naturally flows into this nullah. To give some idea of the levels
of the ground which would have to be dealt with in diverting the drainage, it may be mentioned
that the level of the waste weir of the tank is the same as that of the bed of the nullah (or town
drain) at a point several hundred yards within the town on the side next the tank, i.e., now that
the tank is as full as it can hold, the water of the tank extends some distance up the town drain
within the town.
A large number of public latrines are erected in various parts of the town and cantonment,
and they are effectually cleansed by a suitable staff of scavengers, and it is reported there are
3,500 houses with private latrines which are carefully attended to by the conservancy department
under municipal rules.
The conservancy of the station generally is very fairly executed, and the streets and roads
rarely present any defects to indicate neglect. In consequence of the very heavy fall of rain
many of the compounds of unoccupied houses became much overgrown with rank vegetation, and
some more active supervision regarding them would have been advantageous.
Water-supply.—During the year there has been no deficiency of water, and the deepening of
wells and extension of tanks, which became easily practicable last year from the limited rainfall,
caused less difficulty in the hot season in procuring a good supply.
The quality of the thinking water is pronounced indifferent under analysis.
All wells used by the sepoys and their families for drinking purposes are most carefully
conserved, and the instincts of the people generally lead them to procure their water from the
most suitable sources, as may be noticed by the distances they carry it to their own houses should
no good water be procurable close at hand.
It will be referred to in another paragraph that although this has been a cholera year in
Secunderabad and the district, the families of the Native troops have escaped in a remarkable
manner any extensive visitation of this disease, which would hardy have been the case according
to the views held by many had the source of the water-supply been defective.
Seasonable phenomena.— The weather during the year has, with the exception of a rainfall
much beyond the average, presented no striking characteristics, and the rain was not distributed
over so many months as usual, hence greater severity during the period in which it fell. The
quantity of rain amounted to 46 inches 13 cents., the average for 10 preceding years being
26 inches ; contrasted with the two former years it is as follows :—
State of civil
population.
Number of
rainy days.
Amount of rain.
INCHES. CENTS.
1876
. .
. .
. .
. .
. .
..57
15
14
18 77
1877
. . . .
. .
..
..
..
85
30
90
1878
. .
..
. .
. .
..
..
94
46
13
In other respects there is nothing of note to record. The following are the results of
barometrical and thermometrical observations taken at the Observatory at this station.
Barometer.
Years.
Mean Height.
Highest.
Lowest.
Range.
1876 ..
..
28.154
28.306
28.011
.295
1877 ..
..
28.212
28.342
28.029
.299
1878 ..
..
28.175
28.313
27.986
.327
Thermometer.
-
Highest.
Temperature.
Lowest. Mean Daily
Range.
1876
..
..
97.8
62.2
24.9
1877
. .
..
98.7
63.4
23.2
1878
. .
..
97.6 I 63 . 1
23.6
State of civil popnlation.— The health of the civil population has been below the average.
Cholera existed in the station each month until December. Malarious fevers have been unusually