BARD WAN.
136
some supposing
of the fever of late years,
from the
to result
it
interference with the natural drainage of the country by river
and
railway embankments, by changes in the courses of the large rivers, and
by the
silting
and drying up of the channels of the small streams
others attribute
and
it
others, again, believe that
of which
is
while
to the drinking water, or defective sanitation, etc.
some influence is at work, Be the cause of the
not fully understood.
the operation fever what
it
may, there is no doubt that with improved drainage, a better watersupply, and the spread of sanitary knowledge among the people, the ravages of the fever will abate.
Attention
is
now being bestowed on Schemes
these points by the Municipalities and District officers.
all
for a water-supply to the
municipal towns are under consideration, and
Eden Canal supplies pure water from the Damodar to a large tract of country which hitherto depended entirely upon polluted tanks. The the
silted-up beds of old drainage channels are also to be cleared.
The
fever at present (1883) is very much less than ten years ago, and at least further improvement may be anticipated year by year. [For further
my Statistical Account of 1876); also for information regarding the state of the country on the accession of British Rule, see my Atifials of Rural Bengal (Smith & Elder, 1868). Also Census Bardwan
particulars regarding
Bengal, vol.
iv.
Report for 1881
ment
pp.
17 to 201
District,
the Report on the
Press, Calcutta)
see
(Triibner,
Bardwan and Hugl'i Fever
and Provincial Administration Reports
(Governfor
1880
to 1882.]
Bardwan.
— The
head-quarters Sub-division of the District of the
same name in Bengal, lying between 22° 57' 30 and 23° 32' n. lat., and between 87° 32' 45" and 88“ 16' 45" e. long. area, 1242 square miles, with 1726 villages and 130,817 occupied houses. Population (1881) 639,593, namely, 500,007 Hindus (or 78'i per cent, of the Sub-divisional population), 139,445 Muhammadans, and 141
Average density of population, 515 per square mile; 370; houses per square mile, 11971; persons per occupied house, 4'89. The Subdivision contains the 8 thdnds (police circles) of Bardwan, Sahibganj, Khandgosh, Raona, Gangur, Bud-Bud, and Ausgram. In 1882 there were 1 7 magisterial and revenue courts and the total police force Christians.
villages per square mile, i'39; persons per village,
consisted of 6612 men, including village watch.
The
separate cost
of Sub-divisional administration was returned at ;^Si37Bardwan. Principal town and civil station of the District of the
—
same name, ^7°
situated
on the Bankd
nadi.
Lat. 23° 14' 10" n., long.
in Population in 1872, 32,321 1881, 34,080, 53 55" E. namely, 23,683 Hindus, 10,263 Muhammadans, and 134 ‘others.’ Municipal revenue in 1881-82, ;^573i ; expenditure, f^566g; average ^
rate of taxation, 2s. 5|d. per
head of municipal population.
The town
