The following telegrams are from Indian exchanges Bombay, 27th July.
The week's season reports record that rain is badly wanted. Crops are withering, and sowings and transplanting retarded. The Government of Bombay have instructed Collectors and Officers in charge of all districts in the Presidency to keep them informed of the state of the weather in their respective districts every day by telegraph. They are further directed to report at once to Government if relief-works are necessary in their districts. The crops are at present half-parched, and if the failure of the rains continues for a week more, Government have to start relief-works in several districts. In case the starting of relief-works is found necessary, those that are left incomplete on the programme of the last famine will be proceeded with first.
Simla, 28th July.
The crop reports in to-day's Gazette state that the continual holding off of rains renders prospects gloomy in Madras, while regards the Bombay Presidency, young crops have withered in parts of Bijapur, an are withered over the greater part of the Deccan, Guzerat, and Kathiawar. Regarding the Central Provinces, where the numbers under relief are now returned at 8,740, we are told that the position in Chanda is critical, while in Waingana and Nagpur country, tanks are low and fodder la aearee, Tu. Rjpur and Bilaspur, the want of rain is hardly less urgent, while in fardha crops are beginning to wither, and rain is also needed in Betul and Chind-wata, In the Punjab also more rain wanted, but the situation is less serious while elsewhere throughout India the condition of crops is not unfavourable.
Madras, 28th July.
Southern India has experienced a most serious short fall of rain during the present monsoon, The area of drought is nothing like so large as it was the year before last, but the situation in the Madras Deccan is -one that calls for extreme watchfulness and care, for unless change occurs very shortly, there will be a widespread failure of crops those parts. This best season for early crops is passing, The Deccan has received practically no rain since the report of the Madras season last week.
Simla, lst July.
Telegraphic reports up to date show that the prospects of crops in the Nagpur country and the Deccan continue to grow gloomier as day by day passes and no sufficient rain falls. There is still time, however, for anything like a complete failure in these areas to be avoided if good rain even now comes, and to-day's telegrams lead to hopes being entertained by the Meteorological Department, that a change in the weather is probable. Meanwhile returns for July have been made up and show an extraordinary deficiency Kurnool. The Deccan returns half-an-inch of rain in July, against a normal average of five inches; Cuddapah, a quarter of an inch, against a normal of three-and-a-half, while Sholapur had but one shower in the whole month, which ought to have been one of the rains, and Bijapur had practically nothing. Nellore had two showers, amounting to 0.16 inch, the normal being 2.18. The one satisfactory feature is that the whole of the chief grain-bearing provinces, namely, the North-West Provinces, Bengal, Assam, and the rice-growing districts of the Arracan coast and Lower Burma have all received a rainfall either normal or in excess. In the event, therefore, of a necessity arising to feed the Deccan and the Nagpur country plenty of food-stuffs will be available, and prices generally are unlikely to reach anything very excessive. The condition of the richer provinces too being assured, there is no fear of any v=ry great upsetting of Government plains -ving to failure of revenue. Secunderabad, 31st July.
After thirty-seven days of excessive heat and no rain, there isa sudden and complete change in the weather. 'This afternoon there was a severe thunderstorm, with heavy rain, and if rain continues, and if this lasts some days, the prospect of famine, which is imminent, will disappear. Market prices till this' morning were bordering on a famine scale.
Simla, 1st August.
It is understood that arrangements have been made, at the request of the Viceroy, to keep His Excellency specially informed of the progress of events in the areas threatened with scarcity.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.