12
would infallably block up the drain at the lower levels where they must neces-
sarily be closed, as the depth below the surface would otherwise render them
dangerous.
48. Whatever course is decided upon, I am of opinion that no sewage
should be allowed to enter the drain opposite the Convent school down to its
junction with the Sucha Peer ditch or to be discharged into the Sucha Peer
ditch itself but all, if possible, should be conducted down a main sewer which
should be built under the roadway from the Cantonment Magistrate's office
straight down Sucha Peer street and the drainage and sewage of all north of
this street (if open sewer channels are decided upon) should be led into it. If the
levels will not admit of the contents of the drain opposite the Convent Church
being taken into the above main sewer it should be diverted and, if possible, a pipe
should be carried straight down to and alongside the bank of the Manick nullah.
I do not recommend that the sewer should discharge its contents into the Manick
nullah direct, though it may be necessary that this course should be adopted
during heavy freshets in the monsoon if it has to carry both rainfall and sewage.
49. I say that this alternative scheme which has been suggested is not one-
tenth part as good as the pipe sewerage scheme, and I respectfully but strongly
advise Government not to sanction it until at least estimates have been made to
see what is the comparative cost of the two schemes. If, however, the open
drains are determined upon, then in my opinion, they should be commenced from
near the habitations so as to prevent the subsoil being made wet, but the Sucha
Peer street sewer must be made at the same time, for the condition of the present
ditch is most dangerous to the health of the residents in its neighbourhood.
50. I have given prominence to sewerage as the most urgent sanitary work
to be executed in the Sudder Bazar, because the present state of affairs is as bad
as it possibly can be, and in my opinion the filthy cesspools and the putrefying
nightsoil in the bazar are the cause of the typhoid fever which has appeared
among the European troops stationed at Poona ; but the entire re-organization of
the conservancy system and the necessary establishment is equally important,
and the immediate erection of public necessaries and urinals for the use of the
poor people who have now nowhere to go to, as well as the assumption of the
of duty collecting all the nightsoil in the bazar by means of servants paid out of
the funds of the Cantonment Committee are measures which ought, in my
opinion, to be carried out without any loss of time.
51. The Cantonment Committee has, I would very earnestly wish to point
out, not acted in this respect up to the orders of the Legislature as expressed in
Section 18 of the Cantonment Act which says, the Cantonment Committee shall
cause a sufficient number of public latrines and urinals to be constructed for the
use, &c. No bunghies should be allowed to be private servants, all must be as
in Bombay declared to be public servants, but radical reform is wanted through-
out the whole establishment.
52. It is entirely and utterly out of the question that a Cantonment
Magistrate however zealous, however devoted, can in such a large bazar as
Poona do work which appertains to the office and duty of a Health Officer. He
is engaged in Court at the very time when he ought to be out in the bazar on
inspection duty, and it is utterly wrong in my opinion that the same man should
be both accuser and judge. I can speak with thankfulness from an experience
of some years that I was in Bombay obliged to make my complaint regarding
infringements of the Municipal Act before a Magistrate who heard the evidence
and dealt with the case according to law.
53. Mr. Norman has, I believe, made a proposal which meets with my
warmest approbation namely, that the Sudder Bazar and all the Civil Lines