NAGPUR CITY
319
Sakardara Bagh, about a mile from the city, where a small menagerie
is maintained. But the two fine reservoirs of Ambajheri and Telinkheri
to the west of the city, the Juma talao (tank) between the city and the
railway station, and the Maharajbagh and Telinkheri gardens form
worthy monuments of the best period of Bhonsla rule, and have been
greatly improved under British administration. The Maharajbagh also
contains a menagerie. The hill and fort of Sitabaldi form a small
cantonment, at which a detachment of infantry from the Kamptee
garrison is stationed. Nagpur is the head-quarters of two Volunteer
battalions, whose combined strength in the station itself is five
companies.
Nagpur was constituted a municipality in 1864. The municipal
receipts and expenditure during the decade ending 1go1 averaged
Rs. 3,28,ooo. In 1903-4 the income was Rs. 4,63,000, including octroi
(RS. 2,31,000), water rate (Rs. 34,000), and conservancy (Rs. 26,ooo) ;
and the expenditure was Rs. 4,51,000, the chief items being refunds
(Rs. 68,ooo), water-supply (Rs. gl,ooo), conservancy (Rs. 65,000),
up-keep of roads (Rs. 15,ooo), drainage (Rs. 14,ooo), and repayment
of loans (RS. 22,ooo). The water-supply is obtained from the Amba-
jheri reservoir, distant four miles from the city. The works were first
constructed in 1873, the embankment of the old tank being raised
17 feet, and pipes laid to carry water to the city by means of gravitation
at a cost of 4 lakhs. In 18go an extension was carried out at a cost of
3 lakhs to serve the higher parts of the city and civil station, which
could not previously be supplied through want of sufficient head.
The embankment was again raised by famine labour in 1goo, and its
present length is r,033 yards, the greatest height being 35 feet. The
catchment area of the tank is 62 square miles, and the water surface
412 acres. In order to prevent the waterlogging of the site of the
city, as a result of the constant intake from an extraneous source of
supply, a scheme for a surface drainage system has now been undertaken.
In addition to the drainage scheme a sewage farm is proposed, and the
cost of the whole project is estimated at about ro lakhs. A concession
has recently been granted by the municipal committee for the construc-
tion of a system of electric tramway lines along the principal roads.
Nagpur is the leading industrial and comm rcial town of the centre
of India, its trade being principally with BombXy. The Empress Mills,
in which the late J. N. Tata was the chief shareholder, were opened in
1877. They contain 1,400 looms and 67,000 spindles, the present
capital being 47 lakhs. Their out-turn of yarn and cloth in 1904 was
valued at 61 lakhs, and they employ 4,300 operatives. The Swadeshi
Spinning and Weaving Mills were opened in 1892 with a capital of
15 lakhs; they have 180 looms and 16,500 spindles, employ r,roo
operatives, and produced goods to the value of r4 lakhs in 1904- In
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