The country is naturally not highly cultivated, still a considerable amount of wheat is grown in the cold weather; and in one valley, where there happened to be several villages inhabited by Brahmins, I saw the finest wheat I think I have ever seen in India. The cold weather crops are nearly always irrigated by small canals from the streams. The Bhils are decidedly skillful in laying out and making small irrigation channels.
I saw one or two fields of opium, but the results were very bad; the soil is evidently unsuitable. Turmeric, ginger, chilly, and yam are grown in several places. During the rains, Indian-corn and bajra are extensively cultivated and form the principal food of the country. Hill sides are cleared of jungle with immense labor during the cold weather; the trees are allowed to dry where they fall, and the whole is then fired and the seed is dropped among the ashes.
General Report on the Operations of the Survey of India, Office of the Superintendent of Government Printing, Calcutta, 1882, Appendix 'Extracts from The Narrative Reports of the Executive Officers', p 12 . Link.
2. Industry
Zenith Steel Pipes submitted an application to set up a cement plant in Kotra in 1980.
India. Parliament. Rajya Sabha., . (1952). Parliamentary debates: official report. New Delhi: Council of States Secretariat, Appendix CXVI, p 163. Available at https://catalog.hathitrust.org/Record/000053704
3. Roads
Status of Roads from 1880-81 survey
It may be said that roads do not exist; the best is that from Kherwara through Kotra to Rohera (Rohida in present day Sirohi district) but even this road is so small and ill-defined that a guide is necessary, or a stranger will infallibly lose his way. In such a country, carts do not exist' bullocks and donkeys are the only beasts of burden even met, although I have more than once seen large herds of breeding camels belonging to the Mayarana of Oodeypore (Udaipur) grazing in large valleys.
General Report on the Operations of the Survey of India, Office of the Superintendent of Government Printing, Calcutta, 1882, Appendix 'Extracts from The Narrative Reports of the Executive Officers', p 11 . Link.
Kotra-Rohera Road mentioned from 1881-82
Construction of road between Kotra and Rohera began in 1881-82. The road will pass for 18 or 20 miles through Jura, the remaining 16 or 17 miles in Sirohi territory. The road will terminate on the top of Kappa Pass, and it is hoped that the Sirohee Darbar will construct the remaining 3-4 miles.
___, Report of The Political Administration of The Rajputana States for 1881-1882, date unknown, p.110. Link.
Kotra-Kherwara Road Mentioned in 1906
A list of roads in erstwhile Udaipur State from 1906 states that an unmetalled road, 48 miles long, exists between Kotra and Kherwara. The current distance between Kotra and Kherwara, as per Google Maps, is 88 kilometres (54 miles). Thus, it is possible that the same unmetalled road of 1906 was since improved upon.
Erskine, Keith David, 1863-1914, and C. C. (Charles Cuningham) Watson. Rajputana Gazetteers. Ajmer: Scottish Mission Industries, 19041909, p 18. Available at https://catalog.hathitrust.org/Record/012155477/Home.
4. Post office
A post office was reported in Kotra as early as 1906.
Erskine, Keith David, 1863-1914, and C. C. (Charles Cuningham) Watson. Rajputana Gazetteers. Ajmer: Scottish Mission Industries, 19041909, p 19. Available at https://catalog.hathitrust.org/Record/012155477/Home.
5. School
A "lower primary" school, run by the Mewar Bhil Corps, was reported in Kotra in 1906. It was attended by 13 students.
Erskine, Keith David, 1863-1914, and C. C. (Charles Cuningham) Watson. Rajputana Gazetteers. Ajmer: Scottish Mission Industries, 19041909, p 23. Available at https://catalog.hathitrust.org/Record/012155477/Home.
6. Hospital
In 1905, there was reported to be two hospitals in Kotra. One was a civil hospital, the other a "detachment hospital" (presumably associated with the Mewar Bhil Corps. They had a capacity of 8 and 7 beds respectively, and were both maintained by the government.
Erskine, Keith David, 1863-1914, and C. C. (Charles Cuningham) Watson. Rajputana Gazetteers. Ajmer: Scottish Mission Industries, 19041909, p 23. Available at https://catalog.hathitrust.org/Record/012155477/Home.
No comments:
Post a Comment