Page 564 - Records of Bahrain (6)_Neat

552 Records of Bahrain

No. /*S» - fC) of 1302
Offico of tho Adviser to
the Government, Bahrain
Dated, Moharram 17, 1362
January 24, 1943
J.£ faxes' 'V*7
H. B. M'o Political Agent,
Bahrain.

Momorandura:-
His Highness Shaikh Salman is constantly being
requested to waive the ban on tho drilling of new
artesian wells or the deepening of existing wells.
Recontly he has been asked by the owners of gardens

at Malchioh to allow a new well to be drilled there.
The gardens in question belong to tho A1 Fadl family
and are partly wakf. They used to produce over 100
jillas of dates and last year they produced about
6 jillas. They depend for their water supply on
springs in the hills some miles inland which ore

connected with the gardens by an old Persian water
channel. The water in the springs has decreased so
much that there is now no flow to the gardens. His
Highness is inclined to grant permission for an
artesian well to bo drilled but before doing so he
wishes to obtain your advice.

Some years ago an attempt was made to drill a
well at Molchieh but no water was obtained.
This is not an isolated case, in several date
growing districts such.as Aali and Buri the natural
springs have almost ceased to flow and the date gardens
are rapidly dying.
It would appear that tho decroase in water from

natural springs, which usod to be the only source of
water before the days of artesian wells, is the result
of drilling artesian wells and the more wells that are
drilled the more rapidly will tho natural springs

decrease in strength. .

Advisor to the Government.