per 1,000. The death rate is equally erroneous, only 18.06 per 1000 being
registered from the two Cantonments. The people are supposed voluntarily to
report at the various chowkies whenever a birth or death takes place in their
families, but there is no penalty enforced for their not doing so. I will not
prolong the report by giving the various statistics of births and deaths that are
in my office as they refer to the combined Cantonments; but one point I may
call especial attention to, namely, that for last year out of the 514 deaths which
were reported, 207, equal to 40.27 per cent. took place in children under 12 years
of age, in 1871 the rate of children mortality was 44.81 per cent. and since that
time it has never been below 35 per cent. of total deaths. This unmistakably,
if any further evidence were needed, points to the insanitary condition of the
Scudder Bazar.
36. The drinking water is principally derived from the Kurruckwasla
canal which passes through the Sholápur bazar part of which was removed for
its formation. The canal itself is to a certain extent protected by a strip of
ground having been left on either side of its banks, but I saw dust, leaves and
other impurities being blown into it. I shall revert to this point again in
another section of the report, as I consider the passage of the canal close to
such abominable nuisances as are met with on its way from Parbuttee down-
wards ought to lead to action being taken to improve existing matters. The
Executive Engineer for Irrigation is unable from press of work to supply me
with a tracing I asked for to illustrate the course of this portion of the canal.
A service reservoir has been formed in the middle of the Sholápur bazar from
which the unfiltered canal water is brought into the bazar through iron pipes
laid at first along the commencement of the bed of the Manick nullah as far as
the side of the tank at the south end of East street under which it passes into
the bazar where the pipes, protected by stones, are laid over the bank of the
nuhlah but by what I consider is an objectionable arrangement water is let out
of the canal on the east side of the Sholápur bazar, and a stream flows under the
canal down the ullah along side the tank above referred to, where arrangements
have been made so as occasionally to pond it up to a sufficient height to fill the
tank but usually it escapes down the nullah in a small stream, along which the
people walk knee deep and wash their dirty vessels and dirty feet and hands
and rinse out their mouths and spit on to the walls of the adjacent tank, the
ground round which is further defiled by puckal bullocks who stir up the mud
as the bheesties stand on the wall to draw the water, in which process a con-
siderable quantity is spilt whilst other persons get over the wall and dip their
dirty hands, vessels and ropes into the tank which ought not, in my opinion, to
be used as a source of drinking water supply (as this should always be drawn
from covered reservoirs,) but whilst it is so used the parapet wall should be
heightened and wheels fitted with iron chains, buckets, and windlasses should
be placed all round it, whilst the ground below should be paved to prevent
soakage into it and a proper drain should be made to carry away the wastage
water. There are altogether at the present time 7 Kurruckwasla water stand
pipes in use in the bazar though 7 more have been erected which are not how-
ever as yet open to the public.
37. Another source of drinking water in a very objectionable state is
found in the Sir Jamsetjee Jejeëbhoy Fountain which is now supplied with
Kurruckwasla water, and around which are four small detached houds for the
use of bheesties, Mahars, Mangs and Native Christains into all of which dipping
places grass, leaves, flowers and all kinds of impurity were observed floating and
undergoing putrefaction. The floor of the fountain should be raised, the top
covered, brass cocks let into the sides, and the surface outside should be fitted
with rests for water vessels to stand on and be paved on a slope to carry
away the wastage water. The same remarks apply to the houds at the Malcolm
tank and in the garden near the bazar office.