4
state of things to a little garden, where it is absorbed, but in other instances it
Stagnate, whilst in all the enclosures there are to be seen one or two large stones
on which the people stand and pour water over their bodies, all of which soaks
into the ground. In some of the pets outside the Fort, especially those to the
west, the level of the inside of the houses is below the road-way, which is most
objectionable. The Municipality has lately provided five public privies, each con-
taining 12 seats, for the accommodation of the people, in addition to three public
latrines of an old and inferior construction.
10. A stranger on first visiting Kolhápur is much struck with the evidence
of the careful attention that has been paid to the roads—not only to those passing
through the Cantonment, but in every part of the town. Altogether there are
about 25 miles of roads kept up by the Municipality, and they have been well
Made, and are carefully kept, as also are the road-side gutters, which were gener-
ally found to be clean and free from obstruction, and no accumulation of dirt is
permitted to collect under the stone slabs which are placed from the road-way
across the gutters to form entrances into the houses.
11. Many of the lanes in the town are paved with stone, which keeps them
dry, and even after the heaviest rain no dirt or mud was seen on their surface. But
was sorry to observe that no arrangements are madefor removing, or for insisting
on the removal, of cutchra from private enclosures, the consequence being that
there are heaps of this refuse slowly undergoing putrefactive decomposition close
to the habitations of the people. There are also a large number of houses in a
ruinous condition, and these places were found to afford convenient sites for
committing nuisance. A large quantity of night-soil was also observed lying
within private enclosures; but the surface of the public roads was not found defiled
in this way as much as is generally seen in a Native town in the Mofussil.
12. The conservancy establishment works under the orders of the Municipal
Secretary and an inspector of nuisances. The establishment for the removal of
cutchra consists of only 14 road-sweepers, who are employed under a mukadum.
The road sweepings are removed by six scavenging-carts, each of which is said to
contain 24 cubic feet. Each scavenging-cart is said to make five trips per day, so
that the whole quantity would amount to 720 cubic feet. The greater portion of
the town-sweepings is deposited in the moat, although some is taken out to the
place where the night soil is deposited.
13. The night-soil establishment consists of one mukadum and nine halal-
kores, who are employed in cleaning the eight public latrines, and in driving
four night-soil carts which have been procured from Bombay. The private sweep-
ers employed in the town bring their collections to the public latrines outside the
Fort, and deposit the filth in the cart stationed there. Each cart holds 30.68 cubic
feet, and only makes one trip per day. The filth is taken to a field about a mile
away on the south of the town, where it is deposited on sloping ground into an
excavation which has been made for a depth of 2 feet, and which is 200 feet long
by 160 feet broad. It is then covered over with the ashes of burnt town-
sweepings and. allowed to consolidate, and at the end of a year it is sold to cultiva-
tors. A pool. of fœtid water had oozed out from this accumulated filth, and bad
collected at the lowest part of the place at the time of my visit.
14. The town is fairly well lighted, 150 kerosine oil lamps having been
provided at an annual cost of Rs. 1,860 ; and it is most gratifying to observe
that improvements are springing up on every side, showing that the wants of the
people are intelligently understood and are being gradually provided. On first
entering the town from the north-east the road formerly passed by a filthy
cluster of huts occupied by Mahars. These have now been removed, and on the
site so obtained a very handsome town hall has been built, which is surrounded
by beautiful public gardens which have been laid out with great taste, and in
which is a glass house containing a show of Calladiums and other flowers, such as