TRADE AND COMMUNICATIONS
miles;- wells; 7 square miles; and other sources, 98 square miles. Of
the numerous Government canals, the principal are: the Western
Nara (irrigating 457 square miles), Ghar (569 square miles), Sukkur
(tog square miles), Phitta canals (9 square miles), Dada canal
(i9 square miles), Aral canal (rq square miles); Pritchard canal
(i3 square miles), Marvi Wah (7 square miles), Nara bands (7 square
miles), Ghar bands (i square mile), Wahur Wah (5 square miles),
Raj Wah and Begari canal (o.r square mile). The Western Naxa,
navigable by boats from May to September, is a river artificially
improved. After flowing through the Larkana and Mehar subdivisions,
it falls into the Manchhar lake. The Ghar, which is supposed .also to
be a natural channel, is very winding, broad, and deep, with level
banks. It is largely used for boat traffic, and forms. a great highway to
Sukkur via the Indus, as also between Kambar and Larkana. Nearly
all the canals obtain'their supply from the Indus. Of smaller Govern-
ment canals, the :Shahaji Kur and Dateji Kur are the most important:
They draw their supply from the. Ghar canal. None of the zamindiri
canals is important. The Manchhar lake provides for -the irrigation
of a considerable area (25 square miles) in the Seliwan idluka;
Numerous hill torrents and rivers are utilized for irrigation in the
Mehar subdivision.
The Government `reserved' forests in Larkana cover an area of
g2 square miles, chiefly situated in the Sehwan subdivision, and are
administered by a Deputy-Conservator;. These forests lie close to the
Indus and were planted by the Talpur chiefs as shikdrg-dhrs or shoot-
ing. preserves. The revenue from forests, which amounts to over
Rs. ig,ooo, is mainly derived from the sale of fir6wood and timber;
With the exception of some good babul plantations, the tree growth
is small. In the hills of Sehwan, the pis or pish, a kind of dwarf;
palm, is much used by the Brahui tribes for manufacturing ropes,
twine, sandals; mats, and baskets.
The principal minerals are coarse salt and saltpetre. Alum, sulphuri
and mica occur in the hills to the west; but are not worked.
The manufactures include coarse cotton cloth, carpets, rugs, mats;
salt, metal-work, shoes, native saddles, and other leathern goods
dyeing is also an important industry. Bubak is
the chief centre of carpet-manufacture; but both Trade and
communications.
carpets and saddle-bags, worked by Baloch and
Brahui women, are imported from Kalat and sold in the Johi and
Sehwan Mlukas. Native saddles are manufactured in Larkana
and cotton lungfs in Sehwan: There are altogether 33 nice-cleaning'
factories in the District, situated chiefly at Larkana town, Rato-dero,
Kambar, and Nasirabad. The District has an extensive trade, the
exports comprising grain of sorts, wool, cotton, and other agricultural
K 2
|
![[Digital South Asia Library]](/graphics/thirdlevel.gif)
