Sanitation of Mofussil BazaarsDisney, G. W. (George William)
Science
Sanitation of Mofussil Bazaars
Disney, G. W. (George William)
Sanitation
The sites for trenching grounds should be carefully selected; light
sandy soil unshaded by trees and well open to the south and west will
give the best results. They should be well above flood level, at least 5
feet above the highest known flood, situated on the down stream side of
the bazaar, connected by good _pucca_ roads with it to allow of quick
carriage, as time is the most important factor in the disposal of
night-soil, and should not be in the direction of the prevailing winds
with the town. A fringe or belt of bamboos between the town and
trenching grounds will be found of the greatest use in keeping off flies
which might be blown into inhabited neighbourhoods, and which are a most
dangerous factor in disseminating disease.
[Sidenote: Burdwan Trenching Ground.]
At Burdwan in Bengal there is a successful example of what can be done
with trenching grounds from a financial point of view. There the
night-soil of the Northern Section of the Municipality, where the
latrine system is in force, and which has a population of about 23,000,
is mainly disposed of in a permanent trenching ground of 18 bighas in
area. This is collected from private latrines in covered buckets and
deposited in the conservancy carts at the public latrines, whence it is
removed to the trenching grounds, where trenchers are told off for each
latrine group, who excavate the trenches and are in charge of them;
these trenches are 3 feet wide, 1½ feet wide, 12 to 15 feet in length
and 1 foot apart. The carts empty the night-soil in from one end until a
height of 9 inches of liquid is attained, the excavated earth being then
replaced. During the rainy season Indian corn is grown, and in the cold
weather cabbage, cauliflower, Bengal pumpkin, and other kitchen
vegetables, for which there is a ready sale in the local bazaar.
The trenching ground during the current year 1913–14 has been leased out
for Rs. 600.
[Sidenote: Cultivation of Jute.]
In the damp climate of Bengal jute has been found to grow very
luxuriantly on newly-trenched ground and yields an abundant crop; it
exhausts the soil so much that after the crop has been cut the field can
be re-trenched, an important point when the subsoil water is practically
12 or 18 inches from the surface while the jute is growing. Another
advantage in growing jute is that in certain localities there is a
difficulty in finding a market for vegetables grown on a trenching
ground.
[Sidenote: Muzaffarpur Jail.]
In Muzaffarpur Jail the trenches were made 1 foot deep, 1 foot wide, and
1 foot apart, and varying in length according to requirements; 3 inches
of night-soil are filled in and covered over with the excavated earth;
20 trenches are always kept ready, being excavated the day before. Corn
is found to grow luxuriantly after the trench has been filled in for a
month, and other kinds of vegetables, excepting potatoes, after two
months. Urine and sullage water are buried in different fields and at a
considerably greater depth.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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