7
25. If financially possible, a system of pipe drainage to carry away the
house sullage, not the storm water, should be devised. The storm water should
be allowed to find its way into the existing drains, which should be deepened in
places, and in others filled in so as to obtain a proper gradient, whereby the
water could flow off into the creek. The sullage should, as I have said, be re
- m o v e d b y g l a z e d e a r t h e n o r s t o n e w a r e p i p e s , a n d . s h o u l d , i f p o s s i b l e , b e a p p l i e d
to the fields in the neighbourhood of the town.
26. If such a course is impracticable, the next best plan to adopt would be
to make use of the existing roadside gutters; but they should be lined through
-out with cut stone, either V-shaped or preferably U-shaped, and their gradients
should be laid with extreme care so as to prevent the sullage lodging in them
and forming cesspools, as at present. The outlets of these drains ought to be
more numerous, and they should terminate. in regularly built sewers, which
should be continued on to low-water mark.
27. Such action would, I fear, be expensive, but it is really imperative in
the interests of public health. The pipe drainage ought not to be exorbitantly
expensive, as the main pipes need not be of large diameter; but this is a question
which would, perpaps, be better left to be decided by an Engineer.
28. The water-supply ought to be at once improved, as far as is possible,
by cleaning out, as I have advised Mr. Robertson to have done, the wells before
the monsoon sets in. I have not seen any analysis of the water in the surface
wells or the tank, but it is so manifestly impure that it cannot fail to be delete
- r i o u s t o h e a l t h ; t h e u s e o f t h e t a n k w a t e r o u g h t t o b e r e s t r i c t e d a s m u c h a s
possible; and when the wells are fuller it ought to be solely used for watering
the streets, flushing drains, &c.
29. Tanna is in the close vicinity of hills, and there have been, I was in
- f o r m e d , s e v e r a l p r o p o s i t i o n s p u t f o r w a r d t o i m p o u n d w a t e r a m o n g t h e m , a n d
to bring it in under pressure for the use of the town. The scheme which Mr.
Robertson, I believe, considers to be best, is that a- dam should be built across a
valley in the Persik Hills, opposite the station, and on the east side of the railway.
I was informed that, roughly speaking, such a quantity of water would be im
- p o u n d e d a s w o u l d y i e l d 1 0 g a l l o n s p e r h e a d o f p o p u l a t i o n . I n e e d n o t s a y t h a t
this would be an inestimable boon to the people of Tanna, and perhaps if prison
labour were employed the cost of the scheme would be materially reduced.
30. The excuse made by the municipal authorities to Dr. Hojel, that they
could not get men to perform the duty of scavengers, is unworthy of them,
because there is always an unlimited supply of men obtainable in Bombay.
31. In bringing this report to a conclusion, I would desire respectfully to
hope that the thanks of Government may be accorded to Dr. Hojel and Mr..
Cumine, for I am certain it is solely due to the energetic action taken by the
former under adverse circumstances, that the disease has been arrested before
attaining formidable proportions. Had it once gained a strong footing, there
would have been a large loss of human life as the result of the apathy and past
neglect of the municipal authorities.
I have the honour to be,
Sir,
Your most obedient Servant,
T. G. HEWLETT,
Acting Sanitary Commissioner.