Military Department.
Bombay Castle,
No. 3110.
18th July 1877.
Letter from the Sanitary Commissioner, No. A.-151, dated 15th January 1877.
Submits report on the Sudder Bazar of the Cantonment of Poona.
RESOLUTION.—In forwarding a copy of these papers to the Quarter Master
General for the information of His Excellency the Commander-in-Chief, a report
should be called for—
(1.) As to the temporary establishment required for obtaining an
accurate census of the population of the Sudder Bazar, and the cost of the
same.
(2.) And as to the probable cost of carrying out the drainage system
recommended by the Sanitary Commissioner.
2. If, as is alleged, the carrying out of a thorough drainage system accord-
ing to the principle advocated by Dr. Hewlett will involve a very large outlay
far beyond the resources of the Cantonment Fund, the drainage scheme might
be introduced gradually, i.e., only a certain portion of the area proposed to be
drained might be dealt with, so as to let the work extend over a few years. Accord--
ngly the Quarter Master General should be requested to report (3) into how many
sections His Excellency the Commander-in-Chief would recommend the process
of drainage to be divided, and what particular section he would advise being first
dealt with.
When Government are in possession of the information called for, they will
be able to decide to what extent the Sanitary Commissioner's suggestions, in
respect to drainage, can be immediately adopted.
3. It is believed that the objectionable condition of Ghaseeram's tank men-
tioned in para. 8 of the Sanitary Commissioner's report now no longer exists, the
tank having been recently filled with a supply of Kharakwásla water.
4. The statistical information referred to in para. 9 appears to be next to
useless. When the report called for above as to the establishment needed for
obtaining an accurate census is received, it may be possible to devise some means
for organizing a sufficient establishment for recording regularly occurrences affect
ing the increase or decrease of the population..
5. In para. 11 the Sanitary Commissioner notices the great irregularity
that exists in the height and depth of the houses. He says—"there is not unfre-
quently found one perhaps two or three stories in height which may extend
back for some 70 or 80 feet, and from the upper windows of which much of the
household refuse finds its way on to the roofs of the adjoining houses." Although,
as remarked by the Cantonment Committee, a Building Act would be needed
to ensure that uniformity required by the Sanitary Commissioner being strictly
carried out, still the objectionable practice of throwing the filth or refuse of one
house on the roof of an adjoining one might, it is thought, be checked by the
police.
6. It is also thought that by making the grant of a building site
condi-tional upon the ground floor being raised a certain height above the street, what
is justly remarked upon in para. 12 as objectionable, would be checked so far as
any houses to be hereafter built are concerned. It should be stated whether
a fee for permission to erect a latrine attached to a dwelling house could not be
levied as in the case of the Mhow cantonment, and whether any very great diffi
-culty exists sufficient to deter the authorities in insisting upon an improved
description of latrines being used in private houses or yards.
B 221—1 H