Page 68 - Muzaffargarh Gazzetteer

three bad seasons might undo all the progress of the last 20 years. Owing to
the extension of canal irrigation in the District Jhang, there were no
alternative grazing-grounds anymore to which the sheep and goats of the
Thal could be driven in a bad season. A large proportion of the cultivators of
the Layyah Indus Circles had shared the prosperity of the Thal and, though
their flood supply was worse than at the settlement, they were as a body
probably more prosperous. In the Kot Addu Canal circles there had been
considerable increase in the cultivated area and a much greater increase in
produce owing to the new Dofasli cultivation. Except in the depression round
Sinawan town, where water-logging had caused deterioration in the soil and
also in the health of the people, those two circles were very prosperous, and
the standard of living was certainly higher than it was at the settlement;
wells, crops, cattle and population were all better and, though the soil and
water supply were such that the best crops could not be grown in that area
and in fact water logging was destroying the few orchards which already
existed, there was room for considerable enhancement of the assessment.
The northern half of the Kot Addu Riverain circle, was on account of water-
logging, less good than it was at settlement, but south of Sinawan there had
been an extension of canal irrigation, and the circle, as a whole was no worse
than it was at settlement. Most of the revenue payers in it also owned land
in the Pacca, and had shared the improvement of the Tehsil. The Thal circle
of Muzaffargarh had advanced with the adjoining part of Kot Addu, but, on
the whole, to a less extent since it had more irrigation from tails of channels.
The rest of the Tehsil Muzaffargarh had always been the most developed and
richest part of the district. There were signs that till 1915 improvement was
rapid and widespread, but since that year it had not been maintained, mainly
on account of changes in the canal supply, aggravated by sickness and high
prices, and along the Chenab by erosion and migration to the canal colonies.
Even so, the palm groves and orchards were more numerous than they were
at settlement, particularly on the eastern side of the Tehsil. The north of
Alipur had shared the fortune of Muzaffargarh but the south was
considerably better than at the settlement, though there were signs that the
improvement would not continue since labourers would be attracted to the
new colonies in the Bahawalpur State. The cash rents had increased largely
in amount though not in area, but rents in kind were the same as they were
at the settlement. Indigo, which used to be the most valuable crop in the
district, had almost gone, and its subtitutes were of less value than it used
to be. Any increase in cultivation had been followed by an increase in
population, and the incidence on the matured area was one person to one
acre (including fodders), and was rather heavier than it was at settlement;
only in certain area was there evidence of a rise in the standard of living.
Since the whole of the Thal, the Alipur Tehsil and the riverain circles of the
other three tehsils were placed under fluctuating assessments, and an
extension of canal irrigation in the Kot Addu and Muzaffargarh Pacca circles
had been assessed to the special canal advantage rate, the greater part of
any increase of revenue due to an extension in cultivation had already been

63