54 HUGHES : WARDHA VALLEY COAL-FIELD. 



The thickness of the seam, starting with an average of 20 feet, in- 

 creases from north to south. The dips for the 

 Thickness of seam. 



most part are easy, and the coal may be won by 



shallow shafts. 



The coal appears to be continuous over larger areas on the Wun than 



on the Chanda side of the Wardha. It is possible 

 Coal continuous over 

 larger areas in Wun dis- that it may extend from the western boundary to 



within a short distance of the river, the discovery of 



it in the Wun hole being a very favorable sign. The greatest covering of 



overlying rocks probably occurs within the circuit of Mandar, Besa, Neoli, 



Punwat and Malagarh, where 700 or 800 feet would be the minimum 



depth at which coal would be found. 



Nizam's Dominions. 



The Barakars that cross the Pern Ganga into the Nizam's dominions 

 were not tested for coal ; the discovery of an exposed seam at Sasti, 

 opposite Ballarpur, having given prominence to that portion of the field 

 and caused the efforts of the engineers of His Highness the Nizam's 

 public works to be centered on the object of proving the extension of 

 the seam in the vicinity of Sasti, rather than in exploring distant areas. 



The Sasti coal is frequently spoken of as the Ballarpur coal, but, as 



pointed out when describing the borings of the 

 Sasti. Outcrop of coal. . . . _, . . 



Chanda district, such a designation is wrong. The 



coal crops out on the right bank of the Wardha, and not on the left. 



It can only be seen in the hottest and driest weather, when the water in 



the river is at its lowest, and then only a few feet are exposed. The 



seam rests upon sandstone nearly similar to that at Telwasa, but it is 



excessively false bedded, and no distinct dip can be seen. There appears, 



however, to be an east-south-east tendency at an angle of about 5°. 



Inland near Sasti the rocks are almost horizontal, but near Doptara 

 the dip is south and a little west. 



The first boring was commenced 15th July 1871, and the last closed 

 ( 54 ) 



