'File 35/5 Development of Grazing Grounds (Supplies from Persia)' [‎4r] (7/118)

at Shaiba or Zubair therefore any cultivation of this
type either grazing or trees would in Bahrain have to
depend upon artificial irrigation. Artificial irri
gation means the sinking of more artesian wells and
for the last five or six years it has been the policy
of the Bahrain Government to restrict the drilling of
new artesian wells except where water is very urgently
required. At present we have a file of applications
for permission to drill wells in the towns and in the
country, all of which have been refused. Almost every
week His Highness Shaikh Sulman refuses requests for
permission to sink new wells. The whole question of
the water supply has been the subject of correspondence
in the past between the Bahrain Government, the Agency An office of the East India Company and, later, of the British Raj, headed by an agent.
and the Bahrain Petroleum Company.
3. Some years ago I formed the plan of putting AMi
plain under cultivation by drilling wells to irrigate
this large stretch of good land, but the two experimental
wells which were sunk were both failures and tie scheme
was abandoned. Later I learned that this area was
outside the water bearing region. There are however
large areas of good soil where water could probably
be found, on the south west coast of Bahrain where
an important agricultural experiment could be under
taken, but before considering such an undertaking it
would be necessary to obtain expert advise as to the
chances of getting water and also to consider whether
it will not endanger the future of Bahrain’s artesian
water supply if the Government should decide to sink
a number of new artesian wells. If this were done it