1851.] 



Statistics of the Sircar Yelgunthul. 



Kumbumpully is the only place where such has been done and there 

 the land irrigated, only amounts to a few beegahs. 



^ . , m „ The total number of tanks in the Sircar, is 3,120, 

 Tanks and Wells. ' 



and of these 665 are large, and 2,455 small ; of the 



former 215 are out of repair, and of the latter 1,834, leaving 1,071 in 



good order. In speaking of a tank the zemindars are guided in 



their estimate of its size by the quantity of land it will irrigate in 



one year when full, so that a 300 beegah tank does not mean the 



superficial measurement of the tank itself, but that it will contain 



water sufficient for bringing 300 beegahs under cultivation ; of the 



whole number of tanks only 9 are filled by channels opened to 



rivers or nullahs, of these there are in Racherla 3, Yellareddy- 



pett 1, Avonoorl, Yamulcoortee 3, Yamulwadah 1, the remainder 



are dependant upon the rain which falls into them, or carried to 



them, by small channels cut from the surrounding lands. 



The tanks of Yellareddypett (in the Jaghire of Hurry Dass) and 

 Saniagarum are the largest in the Sircar, the former, it is computed, 

 will hold water for 3,000 beegahs, the latter for 5, but the former is de- 

 prived of much of its usefulness from the circumstance of the chan- 

 nel which was cut from the river to fill it, passing through the lands 

 of another zemindar, who supplies the wants of his own ryots first, 

 and allows little to find its way to its proper destination. 



There are . 13,086 wells in this Sircar, 5,949 in repair, 7,137 out 

 of order, that is the former are built up with stone from the rock 

 in which they are sunk, in the latter this is only partial or neglected 

 altogether. They are chiefly for supplying water for the use of the 

 inhabitants. In addition to these there are 5,493 moats, from 

 which water is drawn to irrigate gardens and rice lands. The means 

 of irrigation then, are first by channels cut from rivers to supply 

 land directly, secondly by tanks, thirdly by moats ; the first system 

 is most common along the banks of the Munnar, and can only be 

 carried on during the wet season. 



The tank water is never used until after the rains, unless a neces- 

 sity arise for so doing, the supply is reserved for the tabee or late 

 crop, the abee or early one, being raised by what falls upon the 



