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'File 9/9 Bahrain Reforms. Bahrain Water Supply' [50r] (117/261)
The record is made up of 1 volume (118 folios). It was created in 16 Jul 1921-7 Jan 1927. It was written in English and Arabic. The original is part of the British Library: India Office The department of the British Government to which the Government of India reported between 1858 and 1947. The successor to the Court of Directors. Records and Private Papers Documents collected in a private capacity. .
Transcription
This transcription is created automatically. It may contain errors.
Copy of letter from the Bsj
On behalf of the ^aatei-n;
inform you. that in ! ' r o 11 Ho, I
from which the princioal spri]
height towhich the water riset
pumoing at the rate of 2500
level 1 ,V inohe3 below the groi:
that of Adhari spring, the wel
source lies a few feet above 1
From the conditions obse ri
-^?nt that the source of this v.
with safety, in the town of Ma
applies to Huharrak: at perhaps!
my Directors that I advise you
these boreholes, I rocommend|th
and distributing pi^nt, you dr
two towns and, Sill >with a head
be no difficulty in naming eacl
medium of a simole assembly
i
T have given much attent:
source and find that the suoer;
admixture of rain water from tl
This formation does not appear
the horizon already struck in c
had been grounds for a contrary
advise your Excellency to go d«
C qq y Qf Ig "t"t 1 r f rora 'tho and .j-Qn0rrj.l .oyndioa,"to Lirtii'fco d .) f -!,hic-L j . j 1
dated 23th March 1925, to His Excellency 5hai.:h liana a C. 3.1.
On behalf of the Eastern & General Syndic te ltd. I have the honour to
inform you. that in rr e 11 No. I we have encountered the water bearing horison
from which the princioal springs on these islands are derived. The head or
height towhich the water rises above the garound, is about 10 feet and by
pumo.lng at the rate of 2500 gallons per hour we were only able to lower the
level il- inches below the ground: level. The water is similar in quality to
that of Adhari spring, the well has a depth of T98 feet and the principal
source lies a few feet above this.
From tho conditions observed during the progress of the boring I am confi-
^nt that the source of this water can be tapped at ranch the sane depth, and
with safety, in the town of Uananah itself and vith similar results. The sane
applies to I'uharrai at perhaps slightly greater do ;th. As it vn.a the v.ish of
my Directors that I advise your Exoellency upon the best method of utilising
these boreholes, I recoiaiaendjthat, rather than attempt an elaborate pumpin t;
and distributing pilint, you drill similar wells at convenient oentrns m the
two towns and, ma ^ith a head such as the present well shows, there should
be no difficulty in making each a self contained unit of distribution through
medium of a simple assemblage of taps.
; i t have given much attention to the Heneni wells and their probable water
source and find that the superior quality of water is probably due to a large
admixture of rain water from the adjacent catchment area towards Jebal Dukhan
This formation does not appear capable of yddlds comparable with that from
the horizon already atruch in depth beneath the town of Uanamah. If there
had bean grounds for a contrary opinion I should have lolt it my duty .0
adviKe your Excellency to go deeper.
I have the honour to bos
Your Excellency's obedient servant
(3 d). T. Oe 0 rge Hadgwick.
About this item
- Content
The volume contains correspondence, copies of contracts and other items related to the sinking of water wells in Bahrain, and the institution of a municipal water supply to the districts of Manama and Muharraq. The principal correspondents in the file are the Political Agent A mid-ranking political representative (equivalent to a Consul) from the diplomatic corps of the Government of India or one of its subordinate provincial governments, in charge of a Political Agency. at Bahrain (Major Clive Daly until September 1926, Lieutenant-Colonel Cyril Barrett thereafter), Major Frank Holmes, representative of the Eastern and General Syndicate Limited, F. Madgwick, geologist, and Shaikh Ḥamad bin ‘Īsá Āl Khalīfah, deputy ruler of Bahrain.
After the forced abdication of Shaikh ‘Īsá bin ‘Alī Āl Khalīfah in 1923, public works projects in Bahrain, such as the sinking of artesian wells for the municipal water supply, were able to go ahead under the instigation of Shaikh Ḥamad (folios 28-30). The Eastern and General Syndicate Limited (London), represented by Major Frank Holmes, was awarded the contract to sink two wells in Manama and Muharraq to depths of 600 feet, in search of fresh water. The total expected cost of this first phase was 100,000 rupees Indian silver coin also widely used in the Persian Gulf. (folio 5). A total of 300,000 rupees Indian silver coin also widely used in the Persian Gulf. had been set aside by the Bahrain Government for the implementation of a water supply in Bahrain (folio 76). The Manama well struck good-quality water at 200 feet, and although Shaikh Ḥamad was keen to continue drilling to 600 feet, Holmes convinced the Shaikh against further drilling (folios 63-68). In the wake of the first two wells, water tanks capable of holding thirty tonnes of water were installed, and new contracts between Holmes and the Bahrain Government drawn up for the sinking of a further twelve wells, with the installation of the necessary pipework and tanks (folios 79-80, 82-83).
A minor diplomatic incident was avoided when, in December 1924, the Baghdad Times reported that Holmes was travelling to Bahrain with drilling equipment. The Secretary of State for the Colonies wrote to the Resident, reminding him to in turn remind Shaikh Ḥamad that the British Government recognised the Anglo-Persian Oil Company's exclusive right to negotiate concessions for the exploratory drilling of oil in Bahrain (folio 39). The Resident replied to the High Commissioner in Baghdad that Holmes was interested only in sinking wells for water (folio 42). A later disagreement in 1927 arose between Holmes and the Bahrain merchant Khalil Kanoo, over the sinking of water wells in Bahrain. Holmes, who had by this point signed a concession to drill for oil in the state, objected to Kanoo's proposals to sink his own water wells in Manama (folios 108-14).
- Extent and format
- 1 volume (118 folios)
- Arrangement
The contents of the volume have been arranged in an approximate chronological order, running from the earliest items at the front of the volume to the latest at the rear.
- Physical characteristics
Foliation: The volume is foliated from the front cover to the inside back cover, using circled pencil notes in the top-right corner (but in some cases the top-centre) of each recto The front of a sheet of paper or leaf, often abbreviated to 'r'. . The following foliation anomalies occur: 1A-1F, 81A, 81B, 84A, 84B, 111A, 111B.
The following folios are fold-outs: folios 2, 4, 5, 14, 15, 23, 28-30, 32-34, 36, 37, 49-54, 70, 76, 90, 94, 104, 116.
- Written in
- English and Arabic in Latin and Arabic script View the complete information for this record
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'File 9/9 Bahrain Reforms. Bahrain Water Supply' [50r] (117/261), British Library: India Office Records and Private Papers, IOR/R/15/2/136, in Qatar Digital Library <https://www.qdl.qa/archive/81055/vdc_100023034593.0x000073> [accessed 20 January 2025]
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Copyright: How to use this content
- Reference
- IOR/R/15/2/136
- Title
- 'File 9/9 Bahrain Reforms. Bahrain Water Supply'
- Pages
- front, back, spine, edge, head, tail, front-i, 1br:1fv, 2v:7v, 10v, 13r:14v, 15v:16v, 17v:20v, 24v:44v, 47r:48v, 49v:50v, 51v:53v, 54v:62v, 69v:80v, 81ar:81bv, 82r:83v, 84ar:84bv, 85r:87v, 88v:91v, 93v:94r, 95r:99v, 101v:103v, 104v:105v, 106v:108v, 110r:110v, 111ar:111bv, 113r:121v, back-i
- Author
- East India Company, the Board of Control, the India Office, or other British Government Department
- Usage terms
- Open Government Licence