(First Edition 1983)
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This volume is
the sixth in the series of the Punjab District Gazetteers published under the scheme
of Revision of District Gazetteers.
The previous editions of the Firozpur Gazetteer were prepared under the
British regime from time to time, as detailed below:
The original
edition of the Firozpur District Gazetteer was published in 1883-84. Mr. F mainly based it on the Settlement
Reports and a draft Gazetteer compiled between 1870 and 1874. Cunningham, Barrister-at-Law. Notes on certain points were supplied by
district officers, while the Census Report of 1881 was also utilized. Shortly after the publication of the first
edition of the gazetteer, the area of the district was considerably enlarged in consequence of the partition of the
then Sirsa District which took place in
November 1834. the whole of the Fazilka
Tehsil (together with a few villages from the Dabwali Tehsil) was attached to his district. A revised edition of the gazetteer was thus
rendered necessary, which was published in 1888-89. Mr. E.B. Francis,
Settlement Officer, Firozpur,
appears to have been responsible for this
revision. After the publication of the
revised edition of the gazetteer, numerous changes took place and the district
developed greatly. Another revised
edition was, therefore, prepared in 1915 and published in 1916 by Mr.
M.M.L. Currie, Settlement
Officer, Firozpur. It was based on the
previous edition of 1888-89, but a considerable amount of new matter was
included.
Besides the
above-mentioned three editions of the main descriptive volume of the district
gazetteer in the old series, their Statistical Tables were prepared in 1904,
1913 and 1935 and published in separate volumes.
Since the
compilation of the last edition of the Firozpur District Gazetteer in the middle of the second decade of
the present century and
especially after the
achievement of
independence in 1947, vast developments
have taken place in the political, social,
cultural and economic life of the people.
The partition of the country in 1947. Placed the district on the international
border with Pakistan. The mass migration of the minority population from both sides of the border
with Pakistan completely changed the
social set-up of
the region. The implementation of the Five-Year Plants
has brought about vast development in all spheres of life. An attempt has been made to depict the
impact of such developments and changes in the present volume of the gazetteer.
The preparation
of the present edition of the Firozpur District Gazetteer was actually taken up
in April 1971. By the time the draft was about to be completed, the hitherto
district of Firozpur was bifurcated on 7 August 1972, and two of its
tehsil/subdivisions, viz. Moga and Muktsar were transferred to the newly
created Faridkot District. Thus, the re-organized Firozpur District was left with
remaining three tehsils/subdivisions, viz.
Firozpur, Zira and Fazilka (including the Sub-tehsil Abohar). Since the
data for the gazetteer was collected and compiled before the bifurcation of the
district, it was decided that the gazetteer may be recast by eliminating the
data and references of places pertaining to the Moga and Muktsar tehsil s,
wherever possible. Accordingly, the gazetteer was revised and sent to the
Government of India in November 1975 which was received back in November 1977
after their approval. However, due to
certain procedural factors, the publication of the gazetteer remained withheld.
As the information/data contained in the gazetteer related to the year 1971-72,
it was, therefore decided in 1980 to revise it to bring the figures
up-to-date. Accordingly, the gazetteer
was revised and the information/data up to the year 1979-80 was incorporated.
It would be
interesting to note that the Survey of India have changed the spellings of the
district ‘Ferozepore’ to that of ‘Firozpur’ which have been adopted in this
gazetteer.
In the
preparation of this volume, the Gazetteers Unit has benefited immensely by the
able guidance and encouragement given by the Financial Commissioners. Revenue,
and other officers of the Department from time to time.
My thanks are
due to the staff of the Gazetteers Unit, viz Sarvshri Jagmohan Singh Hans,
Rajinder Singh Gandhi, Editors; Rajinder Kumar Gupta, Ved Parkash Rampal and
Mohinder Singh Sandhu, compilers; and Sureshar Lal Sahi, Draftsman-cumArtist
for assisting me in the preparation of this volume.
I am indebted to
the late Dr. Kishan Singh Bedi, M.Sc. (Agr.
Pb.) Ph.D (minn) USA, retired Joint Director, Agriculture, Punjab, for
going through the draft and making
useful suggestions. It is a matter of satisfaction that he accomplished this
job a few days prior to his demise in December 1981.
My thanks are
also due to Dr. PN Chopra, Editor (Gazetteers) and the officers of the Central
Gazetteers Unit, New Delhi, for their scrutiny of the draft and making suggestions.
I am grateful to
the various Heads of departments and offices in the State, especially the
Deputy Commissioner, Firozpur, and the different officers working under him for
extending whole-hearted cooperation in supplying the requisite information and
data for the compilation of this volume.
Thanks are also due to the Controller, Printing and Stationery,
Chandigarh, and his staff for extending full cooperation in the printing of
this volume
CHANDIGARH B.R. SHARMA
1
October 1982 STATE EDITOR, GAZETTEERS.
.
Serial Particulars
No.
1.
Chart showing Growth of Population in the Firozpur District, 1951-1981.
2.
Chart showing Tehsilwise Population in the Firozpur District, 1981.
3. Chart showing Classification of Area by
Land Use in Firozpur District, 1979-80.
4. Chart showing
number of Educational Institutions in the Firozpur District, as on 30 September 1979.
5.
Panj Pir, Abohar.
6.
Victory Pillar at Ferozshah.
7.
Anglo-Sikh Was Memorial at Ferozeshah.
8.
Saragari Memorial, Firozpur Cantonment.
9.
Memorial of Martyrs Bhagat Singh, Raj Guru and Sukhdev at Hussainiwala.
10. Victory
Pillar at Mudki.
11.
Victory Pilar at Sobraon.
(a) Introductory
(i) Origin of the Name of the Firozpur
District
--- The name Firozpur obviously means the town of Firoz. Probably the founder was
Firoz Shah Tughlaq (A.D.) 1351-88), as the place must always have occupied an
important position on the line of communication between Delhi and Lahore.
Another tradition, however, ascribes its foundation to one of the Bhatti chief
named Firoz Khan, in the middle of the sixteen century.
(ii) Location,
General, Total Area and Population of the District:-- The Firozpur District
lies between latitude 29-55’ and 31-09’ and between longitude 73-53 and 75-24’.
Before 15 August 1973, this district was
the southernmost of the seven districts of the Jalandhar Division of the
Punjab State. On that date, the new Firozpur Division was formed and the
Firozpur District was included in it. The boundary of the present Firozpur
District on the east runs along the Faridkot District. On the north-east, the
River Satluj generally separates it from the Jalandhar and Kapurthala
districts. the united stream of the
Satluj and the Beas generally separates it from the Amritsar District in the
north-west, and farther down from the Pakistan, with the exception of some
areas on each side of the river.
District
comprises there tehsils/subdivisions, viz. Firozpur in the middle, Zira on the
east, Fazilka on the south-west. All important places in the District are
connected by rail or road.
Almost 11 km
from the Hussainiwala border on the west and 121 km from Ludhiana in the east
lies the City of Firozpur, the headquarters of the District administration. By
road, it is 116 km from Amritsar, 130 km from Jalandhar, 122 km from Ludhiana, 103
km from Bathinda (via Kot Kapura), and 86 km from Fazilka. The city lies on the
Firozpur Cantonment—Ludhiana Branch Line of the Northern Railway.
According to the
Director of Land Records, Punjab, Jalandhar, the area of the District during
1971-72 was 5864.06 sq. km. The tehsil-wise area is given below :-
Tehsil Area
(sq.km.)
Tehsil Firozpur 1,813.37
Tehsil Zira 1,312.64
Tehsil Fazilka 2,738.05
District Firozpur 5,864.06
According to the
1981 Census, the population of the Firozpur District was 13,07,804 comprising
that of the Firozpur Tehsil--4,36,655, that of the Zira Tehsil --2,95,958 and
that of the Fazilka-5,75,191.
(iii) History
of the District as an Administrative Unit and the Changes in its Component Parts --- The district came
into being on the annexation of Firozpur by the British in 1836. As a result of
the First Anglo-Sikh War, 1845-46, the ilaqas of Khai Mudki, etc. and certain
other Lahore territories, east of the Satluj, were added to it. When the Badhni District (now called Badhni
Kalan in the Faridkot District) was
broken up in 1847, some of its parts were added to the Firozpur
District. The next addition compressed portions of the ilaqas of Muktsar and
Kot Kapura in 1852. In 1856, the
estates of the deposed Nawab of Mamdot were annexed. In 1958, village of Sibian was taken back from
the Faridkot State. On the partition of the Sirsa District in 1884, its western
half was included in the Firozpur District. In 1959, the Nathana Sub Tehsil
(comprising 37 villages) of the Firozpur Tehsil was transferred to the Bathinda
District. On the exchange of enclaves between India and Pakistan on 17 January
1961, following an agreement between the Government of India and the Government
of Pakistan on 11 January 1960, certain areas in the vicinity of the Suleimanki
Headworks in the Fazilka Tehsil were transferred to Pakistan in exchange of the
areas near the Hussaniwala Headworks. These areas were added to the Firozpur
Tehsil.
On 17 March
1970, 3 villages of the Zira Tehsil of the Firozpur District were transferred
to the Shahkot Sub-Tehsil of the Nakodar Tehsil of the Jalandhar District,
Eighteen villages of the Nakodar Tehsil of the Jalandhar District were
transferred to the Zira Tehsil of the Firozpur District. Nine villages of the
Patti Tehsil of the Amritsar District were transferred to the Zira Tehsil of
the Firozpur District.
The
above-mentioned 9 village, transferred from the Patti Tehsil of the Amritsar
District to the Zira Tehsil of the
Firozpur District were further transferred to the Firozpur Tehsil on 15
September 1971.
On 7 August
1972, two tehsils, namely Moga and Muktsar, of the Firozpur District were
transferred to the Faridkot District, formed on the same date. The Firozpur
District was, thus, left with only three tehsils, namely Firozpur, Zira and
Fazilka, with a total number of 1,054 inhabited villages.
(iv) Subdivisions, Tehisils and
Thanas --- The District is divided
into three tehsils, namely Firozpur, Zira and Fazilka, all of which have
been upgraded to subdivisions and are under the control of three subdivisional
officers,
The tehsil-wise
list of police-stations and police posts, in the District is given in Chapter
XII ‘Law and Order and Justice..
(b) Topography
Physiographically,
the Firozpur District constitutes a part of the Punjab plain, which is largely
flat and featureless and is formed of Pleistocene and Sub-recent alluvial
deposits of the Indo-Gangetic system. Wind act has also played a part in
shaping the relief of the District, located as it is in the vicinity of the
Rajasthan Desert. That is why the
alluvial surface of the District is strewn with sand-dunes in some parts.
The general
elevation of the District ranges from 230 metres in the north-east to about 175
metres in the south-west, giving a north-east-to south-west gradient of one
metre in 4km. Though the physiography of the District is apparently a
homogeneous plain, in general, it displays significant variations, if examined
at local levels. The following three torrain units can be indentified :
(i) The floodplain of the
Satluj
(ii) the sand-dune-infested
tract
(iii)
The upland plain.
(i)The Floodplain of the Satluj—the floodplain of the Satluj occupies the
northern half of the Zira Tehsil, the northern and western sections of the
Firozpur Tehsil and the north-western part of the Fazilka tehsil. This tract is
locally known as the bet Satluj. It is a lowlying, uneven 10-15 -km-wide
stretch of land along the Satluj River. It is covered with new alluvium and is separated from one sand-duen-infested tract
to its south and east by a low cliff.
Before the damming of the Satluj at Bhakra and the construction of barrages at
Nagal and Harike, the River used
to flood this tract during the rainy
season. This area is quite safe from
floods at present, giving stability to its settlements and agriculture. At
places, the tract contrains abandoned courses of the River, patches of marshy
land, and pockets of thickly growing grasses. It is now being reclaimed or
agriculture and other uses.
(ii) The Sand-Dune-Infested Tract—This
tract, which runs parralles to the bet Satluj to it south and east and which
covers the lower part of the Zira Tehsil, the eastern half of the Firozpur
Teshil and the middle zone of the Fazilka Tehsil, is a linear stretch of numerous closely spaced
sand-dunes. In fact, this tract coincides largely with the old course of the
Satluj, through which the River used to flow about 400 years back, since when
it has been drifting westwards. The base of the sand-dune-infested tract is
formed of the alluvium deposited by the River.
The sand-dunes here have been deposited by strong winds, from south-west
and north-west, picking up sand largely from the dry bed of the River during
winter and the pre-monsoon periods when the
discharge in the River is meagre. the sand-dunes are small, a few hundred
metres long, and generally low, only 2 to 5 metres above the level of the
surrounding ground. However, these sand-dunes are spaced close to one another,
providing a distinct type of topography.
(iii) The Upland Plain --- The upland plain,
which includes the interior parts of
the District, possesses a firm base of
old alluvium, with sporadically distributed
sand-dunes superimposed on it. Here, the soils are reddish brown sandy
loam. Within the upland plain, however, there are differences in certain
respects. the north-eastern part is higher (its elevation ranging from 215 to
230 metres) than the south-western part, the elevation of which is 175 to 200
metres. Moreover, the frequency of sand-dunes is more in the latter (which
adjoins the Rajasthan Desert) than in the former.
It may be noted
that many of the sand-dunes, both in the sand-dune-infested tract and in the
upland plain, have been levelled by the farmers and brought under cultivation.
This expansion in agricultural land has been made possible by the extension of
irrigation, particularly by canals. This development has brought about
considerable changes in the topograph of the District. In brief, the
physiography of the District was originally designed by the depositional work
of the Satluj. Later on, it was worked over by the action of the wind simultaneously with that of the River.
Recently, man has been instrumental in smoothening out some of the
irregularities in relief consequent upon the development of canal irrigation.
(c) The River System and Water
Resources
(i)
The Main River, Tributaries
and Canals :-
The Satluj River --- The Satluj is the main river of the
Firozpur District. It forms the northern boundary between this District and the
districts of Jalandhar, Kapurthala and Amritsar. It also separates this
District from Pakistan in most parts. The physiography of the district owes its
origin largely to the alluvium deposited by this River.
The Satluj
performs a total journey of about 200 kilometers along the northern and western
borders of the Firozpur District. It enters the District near the Village of
Bhodiwala after passing through the Jalandhar and Ludhiana districts. From here
it follows a north-westerly course for about 40 km till it reaches harike
(situated in the Amritsar District to the other side of the River), where it is
joined by the Beas River coming
from the north-east. The Satluj flows
towards west for about 15 km from Harike and then it turns south-west, a
direction which it keeps through the rest of its journey in the District. It
passes into Pakistan at Suleimanki.
The Satluj, like
most of the rivers in northern India, ha undergone a westward drift during the
recent historical times. There is ample evidence to show that it ran throughout
the present sand-dune-infested tract about 400 years back. At that time, it did
not meet the Beas at Harike, but made its confluence with it somewhere between
Bahawalpur and Multan. The westward drift is perhaps explained by Ferrel’s law,
according to which moving bodies in the Northern Hemisphere tend to drift to
their right.
The Satluj used to be
a furious river during the rainy season
and used to cause much destruction through its floods before it was dammed
up at Bhakra. The diversion of the waters of the River into canals at Nangal,
Rupnagar, Harike and Hussainiwala has been responsible for significantly
reducing the mighty stream into a semi-dry bed. The River now contains only a
small trickily of water during. most of the year.
The Sukar or Sukka Nala ----- Mention may be made
of the Sukar or Sukka Nala (dry channel) which is small drainage channel
marking its course between the new and
the old beds of the Satluj River. In fact, this Nala occupies one of the
abandoned courses of the Satluj. It originates near Tihara in the Ludhiana
District, enters the Firozpur District near the Village of Jindra and traverses
through the flood plain of the Satluj as the Sukka nala in the Zira Tehsil and
later on as the Sukhbar Nala in the
Firozpur and Fazilka tehsils. This Nala has characteristically serpentine
course.
Canals --- Apart from the natural drainage lines discussed
above, the District possesses a fairly dense net work of canals. The Rajasthan
and Bikaner canals pass through the District, but their waters are meant for use
in Rajasthan only. The Eastern Canal System irrigates some areas of the
District. Besides, the Sirhind Canal System serves the District.
In sum, it is
only in its north and east that the District is traversed by the Satluj River.
Otherwise, it is devoid of any other large natural body of water. Of course, it
possesses a dense network of canals which play a prominent role in the
agriculture of the District.
(iii) Underground
Water Resources
Groundwater in
the District occurs both under the water-table and under confined conditions.
Shallow phreatic aquifers are unconfined and are tapped by means of open wells
and shallow tube-well. Systematic studies on groundwater in the District yet
remain to be carried out. However, about 3,200 sq. km has been covered in
connection with investigations into
waterlogging. The studies have
shown two very different groundwater conditions occurring in juxtaposition in
the District. A longitudinal strip, broadly 35 km wide and running parallel to the Satluj River
(between the Satluj and the Bikaner Canal) in a south-west to north, east
direction from Fazilka to Firozpur , and then taking a swing towards the east in conformity with the bed of the River, has been affected with
waterlogging. Waterlogging or the rise of the water-table to the base of the
root zone of the plants has been particularly sever in the regions which are
characterized by a low topographic relief. Waterlogging in this tract has been
attributed chiefly to the high permeability, characteristics of the soil, to the rapid textural
variation of the classic material at
shallow depths, the relatively low acquifer transmissibility, salt accretion in
the soil and excessive recharge over the discharge of ground-water in the
canal-command area. The water-table in this tract rests within three meters
from the ground-level. Soil alkalinization has been observed in certain places
within the affected area. Shallow tube-wells drilled in this tract to depths
ranging from 30 to 60 metres from the ground-level and the tapping the
water-table acquifers yield between 45-90 kilolitres of water per hour at
economic drawdowns. The chemical quality of the groundwater from these shallow
tube-wells is generally fresh and potable and has been found suitable for
domestic consumption and irrigation.
The area in the
south and south-east of the waterlogged
tract (i.e south-east of the Bikaner Canal) suffers from acute scarcity of
fresh potable groundwater. the
water-table is generally deep and rests
between 6 and 40 metres from the ground-level. The drop in the
water-table outside the waterlogged
areas generally conforms to the topographic rise. The water in the formation,
by and large, is brackish to saline. It has been observed that the mineralization
of groundwater increases with the depth of salinity, in general, and is chiefly
attributed to aridity in this area. In addition, the low permeability of the
water-bearing formations which progressively decrease with depth owning to
overburden transits of great length from areas of recharge in the case of deep
aquifers and a prolonged contract of water with the formation material may also
raise the level of sodium chloride in the water at various depths. However, in
certain localized areas, particularly in the canal-command areas, freshwater
lenses resting over saline groundwater have been generally encountered. The
formation of such freshwater lenses has chiefly resulted from the infiltration
of canal water which effects (1) a dilution
of the mineralized groundwater in the upper stratum of the zone of
saturation, and (2) the accumulation of fresh recharged water over the saline
groundwater in the area.
Such freshwater
lenses are, however, limited in thickness, and have been generally observed to
occur down to depths ranging from 20 to 50 metres from the ground-level. Any
increase in the pumping of fresh water or the deepening of wells in such areas
may lead to the intrusion of saline water from the deeper levels. Electrical
resistivity surveys undertaken in the Abohar Sub-Tehsil for the delineation of
the zones of fresh and saline water
have generally indicated the presence of fresh-water lenses of varying
thickness resting over saline groundwater in the area. Appreciable, or often
abrupt, variations in the thickness of the freshwater columns have been
recorded. The thickness of this column has been found to vary, on an average,
from two to forty metres, being greatest along the canals, where the interface
of fresh and saline water has been invariably pushed down owing to continuous infiltration and owing to canal water.
Resistivity have indicated that the areas to the north of the branch of the
Abohar Canal appear to have very limited thickness of the layers of fresh
water. But the area on the east and south-west of Abohar shows an appreciable
thickness of the freshwater column and is found to the favourable to the
development of groundwater by shallow tube-wells.
The shallow
tube-wells drilled in the areas around Abohar to depths ranging from 9 to 24
metres from the ground-level yield fresh potable water. The yield of the
tube-wells varies from 20 to 140 kilolitres of water per hour. The exploitation
of groundwater from shallow depths is also done through open wells. Deep
tube-wells which have been attempted in this area have invariably yielded
brackish to saline water.
An analysis of
the water-table in the Firozpur District makes an interesting study. Parts
of the floodplain of the Satluj area
waterlogged, the water-table being within one or two metres from the surface.
thus whereas the parts of the floodplain of the Satluj suffer from
waterlogging, most of the other areas
of the District have deep water-tables, and the underground water is brackish
only at places.
(d) Geology
(i) Geological Formation
The area forms a
part of Indo-Gangetic alluvium. It is practically flat except for occurrence of
small scattered sand-dunes. The geological formations identified in the area
are : sandy clay with saltpetre encrustations at places, clay with sporadic
sandy nodules, coarse sand, a water-bearing sand horizon. and impervious clay.
The formations which have been encountered from a bore-hole drilled for oil,
are the middle and upper Shiwaliks (between 195 and 700 metres).
(ii) Mineral Resources
Except
saltpetre, other mineral occurrences in the Firozpur District are rather rare.
The seepage of natural gas and the occurrences of groundwater have also been
reported from this area.
Natural Gas --- The seepage of natural gas has been reported
from Zira. The details of the seepage are not known.
Saltpetre. ---Saltpetre is essentially a nitrate of potassium
and sodium, with minor amounts of chloride, sulphate and carbonate redicals. It
occurs as a thin, white encrustation on the surface. The efflorescence appears
during the hot months, viz. May and June and even during July in the absence of
adequate rains.
The
soil, containing this salt, becomes loose and is different from the soil
beneath it. Nearly a 2-Centimetre-thick layer is scraped and is loosely stacked
in a kachcha pond, 50 cm deep. A sufficient amount of water is spread over it
and the percolating water takes into solution the salt content of the heaped
soil. This solution is then led into a first
set of pans and allowed to evaporate there. After a few days, it is
transferred to another set of pans where it is kept for another five or six days. From there, it is known as crude saltpetre. The product is
then taken to factories and is subjected to filtration and heating to obtain
pure saltpetre.
Saltpetre is
used primarily in the production of nitrates and potash which are extracted
indigenously from the soil in two different stages. the refined product is used
in the manufacture of gunpowder. It is also of some use of enamel and fireworks
industries. Potash is used in the
manufacturing of soap, matches, explosives and in the glass and ceramic
industries.
Firozpur is an
important saltpetre-producing district of the Punjab. A majority of the
occurrences are confined to the deserted villages lying between the Satluj
River and the Firozpur-Fazilka road.
(ii)
Seismicity.
Seismically, the
Firozpur District is situated in a region which is liable to slight to moderate
damage due to earthquakes. Although no
major epicentral track has been located near Firozpur, a number of earthquake shocks,
originating in the Hindukush, the Himalayan Boundary fault zone and the Karakoram regions, are occasionally
experienced at Firozpur, with slight to moderate intensity.
From
the records, it is seen that the maximum seismic intensity experienced at Firozpur
was between VI and VII on the Modified Mercalli Scale-1931^5 during the Kangra
earthquake of 1905 its proximity to the Himalayan Boundary fault zone. Firozpur
has been placed in zone III of the earthquake zoning map of India. In this zone
the maximum earthquake intensity may reach VII M.M.
In order that
engineering structures at Firozpur may not suffer damage or consequently result
in the loss of life owing to earthquakes, the civil engineering structures may
be provided with safety factors. For ordinary structures, the following factors
have been suggested in the Indian Standard Institution Code, Criteria for the
Earthquake-Resistant Design of Structures.
Type of foundations hard medium soft
Earthquake
factor .. 04
g .05 g .06
For important structures, the earthquake factor has
to be suitably increased.
I Modified Mercalli Intensity Scale of
1931 Scale
Specifications
III
Felt quite noticeably indoors, especially on the upper floors of
building, but many people do not recognize it as an earthquake. Standing motorcars may rock lightly. Vibrations like passing of lorry. Duration estimated.
VI Felt by all; many frightened and run out
doors. Some heavy furniture moved a few instances of fallen plaster or
damaged chimneys. Damage slight.
VII Every body runs outdoors. Damage negligible
broken in buildings of good design and
construction; slight to moderate in
well-built ordinary structures; considering in poorly built or badly designed structures; some chimeneys brocken. Noticed by person
driving motor-cars.
(Source : Director-General of Observation, New
Delhi).
(e) Flora
The Firozpur District
is sparsely wooded. With a progressive increase in the area under cultivation,
the scrub type of forest, which covered
large tracts in the past, has almost disappeared. The scrub, which originally consisted of a thick growth of
Salvadora oleioides Dene (van, mal), which yields the berries, known as pilu;
Capparis decidua (Forsk.) Edgew. (karir or the leafless caper) and Acacia
nilotica (L.) Wild. ex DC. Subsp. indica (Bth.) Brenan (kikar) are now
represented by scattered trees of these
species, which, however, from the common trees of the District. In the
south-west, Prosopis cineraria (L.) Druce (Jand) is frequently seen. Dalbergia
sissoo Roxb. (shisam or tahli), Albizia leddeck Bth. (siris) are planted
alongside the canal banks and roads.
Among other trees seen in the District are the neem (Azadirachata Indica Zucc.)
and the Bukain or Persian lilac (Melia, azedareh L.)
The well-grown
trees of Tamarix aphylla (L). Karst. (pharwan) are seen along the canals. The
earliest plantation of this species through cuttings dates back to 1876-79,
according to the old Gazetteer of the and A. modesta Wall. (phulahi) are also
seen. The ber, comprising two species of Zizyphus viz. Z. mauritiana Lamk., and
Z. nummularia (Burm. f.) W. & A., are widely distributed, the latter,
particularly in good soil. Near villages and on the edges of ponds, the pipal
(Ficus religiosa L.) is frequently planted.
The wild date, pnoenix sylvestris (L) Roxb., is found
near Firozpur and Fazilka.
The commonly cultivated fruit-trees of the District are
mango, orange, lime, pomegranate and jamun. Banana is also grown.
The most widely
distributed plant in the District is, perhaps, the akk (Calotropis procera
(Ait.) Ait. It is very common in the poor sandy soil on fallow land and waste
places. The plant sometimes attains a considerable size. The stems are used as
firewood and also in the construction of huts by the poorer sections of the
population. the roots of the this plant often harbour a parasite, Cistanch
tubelosa Wt. (Orobanchaceae), which puts out its fleshy flowering spikes above
the ground. The flowers vary in colour from yellow to brownish purple. IN the
canal-irrigated land and in abandoned fields, there occurs commonly a member of
the onion family, viz. Asphodelus tenuifolius Ca., which is locally known as
piazi or bhugaat. In the riverain tracts also occurs a plant which is quite
conspicuous by its prickly habit. It is the
jowanya (Alhagi pseudalhagi (Bib.) Desv., a low bushy plant with small
reddish flowers. Along the river banks, another species of Tamarix, viz.
T. dioica Roxb., locally known as
pilchhi, forms a thick scrub and this is used largely as firewood.
The
characteristic plant of the uplands is Aerva tomenstosa (Burm.f) Juss. (bui),
with its dense woolly spike, giving a greyish-white appearance to the
countryside where it abound; Crotalaria burhia Buch.—Hum ex. Bth., the wild
Indian hemp, a wiry plant, with small yellow flowers; Farsetia Jacquemontii Hk.
& T. (lathia), whose growth is
indicative of baqd sand, and others. In the sandy soil, the trailing Citrullus
colocvnthis (L.) Cogn. (tumma) of the gourd family occurs in profusion. Ephedra
foliata Biss. is seen in dry places. An intruduced weed, now running wild and
often proving to be a nuisance, is a
thistle-like spiny plant, with yellow flowers, Carthamus oxyacanthus Bieb.
The useful grasses of the District
include (Saccharum bengalense Retze = Munja Roxb.), locally known as sarr or
sarkanda. It is particularly common in
the riverain tracts. this grass finds many uses and the baan or munj fibre
extracted from it is twisted into ropes or is
used to make chairs and stools (moorhas). Its stems are used for
making huts and serve as fence poles.
The young sprouts are sometimes used as
fodder. Phragmiles karka (Retz.) Trin., a tall reedy grass, forming clumps in marshy places; (Eranthus ravennae
(L.) P. Beauv., a tall robust grass;
the doob grass, Cynodon dactylon (L.) pers.; Cenchrus ciliaris L. (dhaman) and
the dabh or talla and Desmostachya bipinnata (L.) Stapf., a tufted grass,
though useful as a sand-binder, all spread with great rapidity, sometimes proving troublesome. Some other grasses
are also found in the District.
The plants of
medicinal importance found in the District include Centella asiatica (L.) Urban
(brahmi), (datura innoxia Mill.
(dhatura), Grewia tenax (Forsk.) Fiori (ganger mewa); Pegamum harmala L.
(harmal) and Withania somnifera (L.) Druce asgand or aksan).
(f) Fauna
(i) Animals—The
Firozpur District contains but little of big game. The black buck is plentiful
in the Bishnoi villages in the Fazilka, and is occasionally found in the areas
near about. The nilgai is found in field areas of the Fazilka Tehsil and the
hog-deer is found along the banks of River Satluj. An occasional wolf is brought
in for reward. The wild boar abounds in
the riverain jungles to the east of Firozpur,
especially near Sobraon, but seems to have been exterminated in the west
of Firozpur though there are a few of
it in the Abohar silting tank and in the municipal reserve at Fazilka. The wild ass and the tiger, which were
sometimes founds in Fazilka, have long since disappeared. Jackals are common in
the riverain tract and in the neighbourhood of towns, but are very rare in the
uplands. The fox is found in the sandy parts of the District,
whereas the hare is common. The otter is sometimes found along the River and near the large jheels.
In the River itself, the tortoise is common.
In many parts of
the District, the field rats are so common that they have become a veritable
plague and cause much damage to the crops. In buildings, the ordinary house rat
is common. The mongoose (neola) is by no means rare.
(ii)
Birds—With respect to bird life the District
is much better off. The black partridge is common in the riverain tract,
whereas the grey partridge is found in almost all places. In the sandy parts of
the District sandgrouse, both the imperial and common varieties, are found the former being especially plentiful in the
cold weather. The latter is believed to
breed in the District. The great Indian
bustard is found on the Bikaner border. In the cold weather, various
varieties of duck are to found on the jheels and in the River,
whereas large flocks of the kunj or
demoiselle crane daily wing their way inland from the River to the gram fields
where they feed on the sundi (caterpillar). the common crane also is by no
means rare.
The snipe
and jack snipe are scarce. Large flocks of bar-headed geese are to be
seen on the River and in the fields in the neighbourhood. The quail is not so
plentiful as in some other districts. There are always a few about. Various
varieties of plover occur, the commonest being the courier, grey, green, and
goggle-eyed plovers; both the ordinary variety and the so called black variety
of curlew are not uncommon. Herons, pelicans, spoonbills, paddybirds, coots,
cormorants and debchicks are plentiful
in suitable localities, whereas the sarus and the black and white stork
(chitror) are occasionally seen. The common blue pigeon is to be found
everywhere, but the green pigeon is rare. At the beginning of the cold weather,
large flocks of the eastern stock pigeon visit the District. Doves, crows, sparrow, starlings (mainas),
and parrots occur in swarms, and the vultures and various varieties of hawks
are also plentiful. Ravens are also not uncommon. In the cold weather, large
flocks of starlings and the rosy pastor appear.
The
following is a list of the game-birds found in the district :
English Name
Vernacular Latin name Remarks
name
Great
Indian Gurain Eupodotis Very rare
Bustard
Imperial or Bhattitar,
Pterocles Plentiful
in
black-bellied kashmira, or arenarius suitable loca
sandgrouse palla lities.
Common sand- Bhattitar
Pterocolinus Not
uncommon
grouse exustus
Black partridge Kala titar
Francolinus
Common in riv-
vulgaris rain
Greay partridge Titar
Ortygornis Plentiful
pondicerianus
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
English Name Vernacular Latin name Remarks
Quali Bater Conturnix Not every plentiful
communis
Bar-headed Mag Anser indicus Common
goose
Whooper
swan Hans Cygnus musicus Occassionally visit
the
District in excep-
tionally
severd winters
ruddy
Shel- Surkhah Casarca rutila Common
drake
or brah-
miny
duck
Whistling
teal Bara silahi Dendrocyena Rare
javancia
Mallard Nilsir, nila Anas hoscas Common
Spot-billed
duck Murgabi Anas pocci- Common;breeds
lorhyncha in the District,
but
sparingly
gadwall Bey khur Chaulelasmus Common
streperus
Common
teal Sou churka or nattion crecca Common
teal
Wigeon Peason Mareca penelope Not common.In
fact
distincly rare.
Pintail Shinkhpar Dafila acuta Not Common
Carganey
teal Chatwa khira Querquedula Rarely
seen, except
circia at the end of
season.
White-eye Burar Nyroca africana Common
Shoveller Tidari Spatula clypeata Fairly common
Marbled
duck Murgabi Marmoronetta Rare
angustirostris
Red-crested
Lal sir Netta rufina Fairly common
pochard Nyroca berina
Tufted
pochard Dubaru Fuligula fuligula Not common
Common
crane Kunj Grus communis
Demoiselle
Kunj Anthropoides
crane virgo
Indian
blue Kabutar Columba livia Common everywhere
rock
pigeon intermedia
Eastern
stock Kabutar Columbia every Large flocks in
pigeon smanni cold weather
Green
pigeon Hariyal Crocopus Rare
phenocapterus
(iii) Reptiles—The krait is perhaps the
commonest variety of poisonous snake found in the District. Cobras and a
variety of viper (Ecbis carinata) also occur. The chhimba or wanis (Psammenis
diadema), though commonly supposed by the people to be poisonous and a hybrid
cobra, is really a non-poisonous, though vicious, snake. The small house lizard
is common, whereas the larger goh or iguana is by no means rare.
(iv) Insects - Mosquitoes are plentiful in
the irrigated parts of the District, whereas in certain seasons sandflies are a
veritable plague. While-ants or termites are very common and do considerable
damage in houses, and black and red ants are also plentiful. Locusts sometimes
appear in large swarms, especially in the Fazilka Tehsil and a
number of grasshoppers also cause damage at times. The sundi
(caterpillar), the larva of a species of leaf-cutter moth, does lot of damage to the gram crop and to a less extent to sarson. Tela, a gree
aphis, damages the sarson crop and, in some years, almost blights it. Kira, a
sort of borer, in certain seasons, ruins the jowar and maize crops.
(v) Fish—The principal kinds of fish found in the Satluj are the
mahser, rohu, and sowal. The other kinds observed are : charanda, dhungna,
dambara, jhails, malli, sohni, mohri, bachwa, and ghogu, the last beind
intentified as Callichroas bimaculatus.