OEDINARY GENERAL MEETINTG* 



Colonel George Ma^ckinlay, late R.A., m the Chair. 



The Minutes of the last Meeting were read and confirmed. 



The following elections were announced : — 

 Members : — Rev. J. Marchant ; Ebenezer J. Sewell, Esq. 

 Associates : — F. D. Hopkins, Esq. ; James Heaton, Esq. 



The following paper was then read by the author : — 



OBSERVATIONS ON IRRIGATION WORKS IN INDIA, 

 By C. W. Odling, Esq., M.Tnst.C.E, C.S.I. 



IT is possible that some of those, whom I have the honour of 

 addressing this evening, have lived in India for a longer 

 or shorter period. In that case a portion of my remarks may 

 be superfluous, but I think it will be wise for me to assume 

 that the acquaintance of my audience with India is limited to 

 what they may have read in books or newspapers or heard from 

 friends. To begin with, I may say that the overwhelming 

 importance of irrigation in India is due to the liability of that 

 country to famines. The famine of 1897 and 1898 attracted 

 much attention in England, and large sums were raised by 

 private generosity for the relief of our fellow-subjects in India. 

 This famine, which commenced in the winter of 1897, has only 

 lately come to an end, relief works in the Central Provinces 

 having ceased in 1903. In that famine, food was always 

 procurable at a somewhat high price, but the people who had 

 lost their crops were unable to purchase it, as they liad not the 

 wherewithal to do so. At the time, I was residing in what are 

 now called the United Provinces of Agra and Oudli, and I do 

 not think that, in those Provinces, any deaths occurred owing 

 to relief not being procurable. Severe privation was widespread 

 and unavoidable, and unfortunately many persons did not seek 



* Monday, 22nd February, 1904. 



