2
stretching down to the bed of the river. On the south, also, is arable land,
extending as far as the Poona road and the bridge across the confluence of the
Nepti and Sina rivers, and to the open country beyond. The municipality
possesses a few acres of land on the south and south-west of the town, but it for
the most part belongs to private owners.
6. Outside the city are 318 houses occupied by Mahars and Mhangs, but
the area within the walls is stated to be 368 acres; and in some parts the houses
are much overcrowded. It is divided for municipal purposes into four divisions,
the north and south-eastern, the north and south-western. There are several
minor sub-divisions, which are locally known by native names; but, unfortunately,
neither as regards the larger or smaller sections is it possible to state exactly the
area or population of each, as these have not been calculated.
7. At the census of 1872 the population consisted of 32,841 persons, of
whom 16,619 were males and 16,222 were females; and it was composed of the
following castes:—
359 Christians, who formed 1.09 per cent. of the population.
23,431 Hindus of caste „ 71.34
„ „
2,026
„
low caste „ 6.17
„ „
752 Jains „ 2.29
„ „
6,135 Mussulmans „ 18.69
„ „
65 Parsis „0.20 „ „
73 Others „ 0.22
„ „
8. The number of houses amounted in 1872 to 5,792, about one thousand
of which are upper-storied; and to each property a numbered metal plate is
affixed. In 1865 there were ascertained to be 5,398 houses, so that since that
year an increase has taken place. It will be seen that there are, on the average,
5.7 persons to a house. Information as to the number of houses of the better and
inferior classes is not obtainable. There are, therefore,
Houses to
an Acre.
Acres to a
Person.
Persons to
an Acre.
Persons to a
Square Mile.
15.74
. 0 1 1
89.24
57.114
so that each person had only 54 square yards of superficial area. In reality the
density of population is greater than above stated, as in the city there are
many open enclosures, such as the municipal and other gardens, the Mission
Compound, Soonery Musjid, &c.
9. The streets run generally either from north to south or from east
to west, but they are so interrupted and tortuous in their course that they
do not form ventilating avenues. The principal streets are fairly broad,
but many of the lanes are, on the contrary, extremely narrow; and as these are
generally private property, buildings have been erected in many places so as
to obstruct the free passage of foot-passengers. There are supposed to be
about 23 miles of thoroughfares, but there are only about 10 miles of metalled
road through the town; the remaining streets are unmade, and consist of earth,
which in the fair season is hard enough for walking upon, but which, after heavy
rain, must often be nearly impassable. The principal streets have gutters or
unpaved earthen trenches along each side, which form a passage for the
rain-water, and sometimes for the sullage from the houses, which consequently
soaks into the ground in the immediate vicinity; and encroachments over these
gutters have, in past years, been permitted, the owners of houses facing the streets
having built oatas, and frequently the walls of their houses up to the line of
street, the consequence being, that much filth remains unseen in the gutter
below, where it rots, until the smell arising from it becomes unbearable, when it
is removed by the municipality.
10. The houses between the streets have not been built upon any regular
plan, the consequence being that much irregularity in their frontages exists,
and in many parts they form, as it were, a labyrinth, through which it is difficult