9
cleaning out the silt by hand-labour would be found prohibitive ; but it seems to
me that the rush of water from the neighbouring hill might be utilized in clean-
ing away this deposit, by diverting the present channel into a trench cut into the
silt down to the original level, when the water would surely force its way through ;
and at a very little cost or labour the whole of this silt might, it is thought, in
this way be removed during the course of a few monsoons, when the original
saturating tanks could at a very small expense be restored by re-building the
band, the materials for which are at hand. Major Manson, R.E., Executive
Engineer, was good enough to accompany us to the spot ; but he informs me that
he has a project for at once increasing the supply by restoring an old reservoir in
a nullah, called. the Bundara Nullah, which is situated further north, and between
the Shahpur and Bhingar Nullahs, which he considers could be led into the Shah
-pur Aqueduct, and which would materially increase the water-supply. I hope
this excellent suggestion will meet the prompt attention it deserves.
30. The Shahpur joins the Bhingar Aqueduct, which starts from a well dug
in a field near the Bhingar Nullah, not far from its source, but below the origin of
the Kapurwadi and Nagabae Aqueducts. Major Manson has done excellent service
to this as well as to the Shahpur Aqueduct in covering over the air-shafts, and
especially in covering with solid masonry the Shahpur Aqueduct as it passes
through the open well in the immediate vicinity of its source, which, as it is
situated on the side of the road, was exposed to all the dirt and other impurities
blown or thrown into it.
31. It will be thus seen that the source of the drinking-water supplied to
the European troops at Ahmednagar is all that can be desired ; but I must
strongly protest against its mode of distribution. I believe engineering skill
could soon provide a means of making it raise itself to reservoirs built to the
necessary height, from which it could be distributed all over the camp, and be
laid on to each building. Such a course would be desirable in a sanitary point of
view, and would do away with the objectionable water- mussucles and bhistie .
32. Before leaving this subject of the European barracks I may mention
here, I visited the plunge-bath of both the Artillery and the 2nd Queen's. That
of the Artillery seemed to me to require cleaning ; and a pipe-drain is required
from the horse-watering trough which is in its close vicinity. The plunge-bath
of " The Queen's " is situated in a garden, and the water is properly applied to the
land. It was very clean.
33. As the Sudder Bazaar is situated on the north, and in the close vicinity
of the barracks of the European troops stationed at Ahmednagar, it will be
convenient to speak of its sanitary condition in this place. It occupies an area
of about 11 acres, and forms the north-east boundary of the Cantonment, and is
partly coterminous with the village of Bhingar, which formerly was such a fruit-
ful source of danger to the station, but which, since the energetic rule of the pre-
sent Cantonment Magistrate—Major Moore, has ceased to be so, as the conser-
vancy arrangements in it are properly and efficiently looked after.
34. The Sudder Bazaar contains altogether 614 houses, of which 170 are of
the better sort, in which 680 persons, or an average of 4 persons to a house, reside ;
and 162 houses are of an inferior description, with a population of 648, or a similar
ratio of inhabitants ; whilst 282 houses were merely mud hovels, in which 1,307
persons, or a percentage of 4.63 persons to a house, reside ; so that the houses, even
of the worst description, cannot be considered to be over-crowded. It will be also
seen that each person has a mean area of 34 square yards, and that the density
of the population only equals 240 persons to the acre. 581 of the houses have
tiled roofs, and the remaining 109 have flat mud roofs. There are altogether 77
private privies in the Sudder Bazaar, of which 30 are inside houses. Major Moore
has done excellent serice in introducing a system where, by an arrangement
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