3
am told, a body of intelligent and influential gentlemen, among whom I may
mention the State Kárbhári, Mr. Madhaorao Wasudew Barvé, who is Vice-Presi-
dent and, who accompanied me on one of my visits and evinced the greatest
possible interest in all matters affecting the welfare of the town. For municipal
purposes it is divided into six wards, two of which are in the more densely
populated Fort, whilst the extra-mural wards are suburban and rural. It
overs an area of 1,132 acres 29 guntas.
7. The population of Kolhápur, according to the census taken in 1872, is
said to have amounted to 37,662 persons, of whom 19,564 were males, and 18,098
females, being in the proportion of 92 . 49 females to 100 males.
It consisted of
Hindus ... 33,339, who formed 88 . 52 per cent of the population.
Mussulmans. 3,094
"
8.22
"
, B u d d h i s t s . . . 1 , 2 0 5
3 . 2 0
Christi ans... 1 2
0 . 0 3
"
Others
...
12
0.03
"
8. There were altogether 7,888 houses in the town, of which 1,292 were of
the better class, the remainder being of an inferior description ; so that although
I am unable to state the average number of persons living in each class of houses, as
this information has not been kept, yet from the above it will be seen that on the
general average there were only 4.77 persons to each house. In Poona there
are on the average 12 . 19 persons living in each of the better class of houses, and
7 . 30 persons in each of those of an inferior description. In Bombay there are
on the average 20 . 49 persons to a house. In Ahmedabad the rate is even lower
t han i n Kol hápur , f or t her e, on t he aver age, t her e ar e 3. 3 5 p e r s o n s t o e a c h o f t h e
better class of houses, and 3 . 01 residents in each house of inferior description.
This information should always be available in the greatest possible detail, as it is
extremely useful for an engineer to know the probable number of people residing
in each house or cluster of houses, for whose wants he would have to provide
with reference to supply of water, or sewerage, &c. In the same way, as informa-
tion regarding the area of, and the number of upper and lower storied houses
in each pet is not forthcoming, I am unable to remark upon the density of the
people living in each area. It is hoped that these remarks will be borne in
mind at the next occasion of taking a census. The better kind of houses are
built with stone plinths, quarried from the trap, and with brick ; but those of the
. inferior class are made of sun-dried mud walls. All the houses in the town
are tiled and numbered, though the streets are not named.
9. There are 885 privies in the Fort, and about 200 in the other pets, and
these are at present supposed to be cleaned by private sweepers. The privies
in the Fort are, for the most part, built inside the houses, and are cleaned through
a trap door opening on to the street. They were all at the time of my inspection
found to be in a very dirty state, and they can never be properly cleaned because they
are of entirely faulty construction. The privy is generally situated in the corner of
the building adjoining the door, which is boarded off to ensure privacy. Inside
are the objectionable chunamed foot-rests and channel for urine. The night-soil
falls into a bamboo basket, which is not water-tight, but in which are placed leaves,
sewn together, which have been used by Hindus as dinner plates. But this does
not retain the urine and the ablution water ; and as it is rightly not allowed by
municipal rules to flow out into the road-side gutters, it remains below the seat
to stagnate until it is removed by the sweeper. On the other side of the doorway
is frequently found the " nanee, " where the residents in the house wash themselves.
Outside the Fort, inhouses where there are no privies, or where the people are too
lazy to go to the public privies provided for them, the compound is defiled, or if
there is a privy, the urine and ablution water is led by those who wish for a better