76 VREDENBURG : RECENT ARTESIAN EXPERIMENTS IN INDIA, 



(5j The Gondwanas. 

 The Gondwana rocks, consisting as they do of alternating strata 

 Structure and composi- of sandstone and shale, appear well suited to the 

 formation of artesian reservoirs. The topogra- 

 phy is not always sufficiently varied to allow the expectation of a 

 sufficient head to cause an overflow, though this might occur in 

 some of the hilly tracts occupied by the upper Gondwanas, for 

 instance, the Satpura range, of which there exists a geological sec=> 

 tion published by Mr. Medlicott, 1 showing great masses of various 

 rocks dipping at low angles over large areas, the form of structure 

 best suited for the collection of water in water-tight underground 

 Experiments in the reservoirs. Nevertheless, as mentioned by 

 Satpura Coal-Basin. Mr _ Medlicott in his Report on Artesian 

 borings, no overflow has been observed from any of the deep experi- 

 mental borings put down in the Satpura coal-field during coal explo- 

 rations at some of the places where the conditions for artesian water 

 appear most favourable, although water under pressure has issued 

 in sufficient amount to necessitate piping down to a considerable 

 depth. The fact that no great difficulties have been met with from 

 the inrush of underground water during mining operations in the 

 lower Gondwanas shows that the strata traversed do not yield 

 water in abundance. It is true that none of these mines are very 

 deep, and it is possible that at greater depths strata might occur 

 forming reservoirs with a larger intake area and an abundant supply 

 of water under pressure. 



A scheme was proposed in 1882 for supplying the town of 

 Water-supply of Rani- Raniganj with water from the coal measures. 

 ganj " But the proposed well was not to have been 



artesian : water was to be collected from a permeable bed of inferior 

 coal by means of galleries driven into it, giving a considerable per- 

 colating area. 



1 " Notes on the Satpura Coal-Basin." Mem. Geol. Surv. Ind-, Vol. X, pp. 133-188. 

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