316 



A short Account of the 



[Oct. 



The total extent of irrigated lands in the Delta is about 100,000 

 vaylies, or 500,000 cawnies, of which about 16,000 vaylies, or 80,000 

 cawnies, are maniem, or tax free lands. The remainder may be estimat- 

 ed to yield a revenue to Government of thirty-six lacs of rupees per an- 

 num, but it of course varies in some degree with the supply of water* 

 The total population of the Delta may be roughly stated at one million ; 

 the total revenue at fifty lacs of rupees, and the surface at 2,500 square 

 miles ; thus there are about 400 inhabitants to the square mile, and 

 they pay to Government about 5 Rupees a head per annum. The 

 average produce of a vaylie may be stated at 160 cullums, each con* 

 taining 24 seers, and valued at half a rupee, making the total quan- 

 tity of paddy grown about 170 lacs of cullums, and the value of the 

 gross produce 85 lacs of rupees. The revenue paid from this, that is, 

 from the irrigated lands only, is about 35 lacs. 



It is evident that the production of this quantity of grain, and conse- 

 quently the revenue and the comfort of the people, are mainly dependent 

 upon the supply of water, and hence the great importace of the irrigation 

 works being carefully attended to. The total quantity of water required 

 for the irrigated lands, at that season when they require the largest sup- 

 ply, that is for some time after the main crop is transplanted, is about 

 2,200,000 cubic yards per hour ; but, towards the latter part of the sea- 

 son, when the ground is well shaded by the crop, the land thoroughly 

 saturated with water, and the weather cool, one fourth of a full supply 

 is probably sufficient, and for the last month before cutting, no new 

 water is required. The extreme time occupied in cultivating the irri- 

 gated crops is from the 15th May to the 15th March, or about 300 

 days, but of this time there is only a small quantity of water required 

 for 60 days, leaving 240 days on which a considerable supply of water 

 is wanted ; and, of this time, only about 150 days is occupied in the 

 cultivation of the main crop. During the other 90 days the early or 

 ear crop is cultivated ; this crop is cultivated in about 30,000 vaylies; 

 about 15,000 vaylies bear two crops. The greatest quantity of water 

 required on any day may thus be estimated at 50 million cubic yards, 

 and the average quantity for 250 days, at 26 millions per day, or 6,500 

 millions for the whole season. The average quantity that entered the 

 Delta the last 20 years, in a moderately good year, rejecting what was 

 superabundant on each day, was about 6,500 millions, or the total quantity 

 required; but then this supply is irregular, and, though the total quanti- 

 ty should be nearly sufficient, yet if it happens, as it does almost 

 every year, that for some part of the season the supply is very defi- 

 cient, and if, as is usually the case, the distribution is far from per- 

 fect, a great extent of crop will be injured ; thus the actual amount of 

 produce, is always much below what it might be, even on the lands now 

 irrigated, and there is much land fit for paddy, for which there has not 



