The scavenging of a town and the disposal of the refuse has probably more effect on its sanitary state than anything else; dirty rags, dead grass and other refuse lying about, are ideal homes for germs of disease to live and flourish in, and these, when a shower of rain falls, very frequently get washed into the water-supply. The modern system of cremation in specially constructed incinerators is the only safe method of disposal of town sweepings. Even in England, where the water-supply is, in the majority of cases, not affected, careful observations have proved that there is an increased liability to enteric fever in the localities of refuse heaps. In an Indian bazaar dependent on wells and tanks for its water-supply, anything more barbarously insanitary than the filling up of deep tanks with town refuse is hard to imagine. Deep burial keeps the germs of disease alive, probably for years, in the very stratum the drinking water is frequently taken from.

In order to facilitate the collection of refuse, dust-bins are of great use; they should, however, not be so large as to become unwieldy, as it is much more preferable to have numerous small ones conveniently placed, than a few large ones; the simplest shape is a circular one of corrugated iron, open at both ends, provided with a pair of handles, and resting on a brick on edge platform, with a groove therein into which the bin fits, on the same level as the street. When the collecting cart comes round, the bin is lifted, the contents shovelled into the cart, and the bin then replaced; these should be cleared at certain fixed hours, and house-holders ought to be encouraged to have private ones of small size near their doors if space permits. Fig. 19 is an illustration of these bins, and being made of galvanized iron are not liable to rust. They vary in price—for bins 2 feet 9 inches in height and 2 feet in diameter from Rs. 6 each, without angle iron rings at top and bottom, to Rs. 12–8 each with rings. These receptacles should not be placed within 50 feet of any well or tank.

The selection of strong and serviceable refuse carts is also a matter of importance, especially as regards the axles and wheels. Fig. 24, page 48, is an illustration of a cheap but effective type. The cost is Rs. 120 for a cart of 30 cub. ft. capacity, Rs. 150 for 50 cub. ft., and Rs. 200 for 90 cub. ft.

All the working parts should be of standard size, duplicates of which can be economically purchased and kept in stock in the event of a breakdown, when they can be easily fitted by unskilled labour. This is important, as few municipalities have good workshops. The axle box in the wheels should invariably be the full width of the hub. A new axle, with axle box and sleeve or jacket to take the wear and tear off the axle, can be made up at a small cost, Fig. 20. In the Patna Municipality this is supplied complete for Rs. 9–2–0.

In Municipalities where the quality of work warrants it, it will be found economical to maintain a small workshop where repairs can be done, but this must be properly organized. The following cart Register kept up in Patna City will simplify control of the carts, and ensure proper repairs being done. It commences with an Index, each cart is numbered consecutively, whether it be water, conservancy or refuse cart, and the number permanently marked on it. At the ledger folios referring to any cart appears—

1. The number of cart.

2. Date when made.

3. Maker’s name.

4. Where worked (ward and by whom) and below that

This is of course separate from the Stock Register, and may appear to be a mere detail of organization, but is very useful in administration.

For towns and small Municipalities Incineration is by far the safest, and in most cases, the most economical method of getting rid of rubbish. If night-soil be mixed with the rubbish nuisance generally arises.

There are various types of incinerators, but for burning town refuse only a very simple one, merely a furnace and chimney, is quite enough, and several of these can be constructed at a very small cost outside a municipality at convenient centres, where the smoke will not cause a nuisance. Many of the existing incinerators have been designed to burn night-soil as well as refuse, as is generally done in military camps and forts on the frontier.

The Madras type Incinerator is shown in Figs. 21 and 22, page 46. These were designed to suit local conditions by Mr. C. L. Griffith, while Engineer of the Corporation, and cost Rs. 100 for masonry and Rs. 25 for ironwork. There are a considerable number of these at work, distributed throughout the Municipal area, so as to reduce the load for carting to a minimum, a very important factor in a straggling town.

The Sealkot Improved Type Incinerator is also a suitable and economical one. A 4' diameter one is capable of burning about 300 cub. ft. of rubbish daily, and it costs about Rs. 400. See Fig. 23.

Harrington’s Improved Refuse Incinerator has been in use for several years. Each furnace burns from 500 to 1,500 cub. ft. of refuse in 24 hours, and is attended by one man who works in 8–hour shifts, and who charges the furnace at the top and removes the ashes from below the fire bars. The fires do not die out when the furnace is properly charged, and no coal or other fuel is required. It was patented by Mr. R. R. Harrington.

The Horsfield Back feed continuous grate type with 6 cells, designed to dispose of 10 tons each in 24 hours, has been adopted for Colombo, the cost of destruction varying from Rs. 1·30 cents to Rs. 1·50 cents per ton.

A large amount of town refuse can be satisfactorily disposed of by stacking it judiciously and setting fire to it from the windward side, when it gradually and steadily burns away. This is, of course, only practicable during the dry weather months when the sweepings are comparatively dry. In this, as in every case of removal, the beats of the carts should be systematised and a fixed area allowed to each cart.

Where incineration is not practicable the only method of disposing of street sweepings is by filling up hollows or old tanks, when the following rules should be observed:—

1. The hollow or pit should first be pumped out quite dry; if wet, a horrible nuisance is caused.

2. Where the hollow or pit is a large one a section of it should be bunded in, staked off, and filled up to surface level before the rest is proceeded with.

3. The sweepings, as soon as ground-level is attained, must be at once covered over with earth, or the dÉbris from old houses, walls, etc., so as to prevent them being exposed and acting as breeding-grounds for flies.

A rapid and effective method of filling a tank when land is available round its border is to excavate shallow pits parallel to its sides, the earth from which is thrown into the tank, and the pits then filled in with sweepings.

A form for regulating the progress of the work of filling up depressions or tanks is given in Appendix B, page 61.

Unless, under exceptional circumstances, it is most undesirable to fill up any hollow or tank in the vicinity of any well from which drinking water is obtained. It may possibly be found the lesser of two evils to fill up small tanks or hollows in the interior of a bazaar with refuse, as these are frequently in an undescribable state; the charge made by a Municipality for doing this should, however, be so adjusted as to admit of the surface being well covered in with earth, which must, in all cases, be insisted on. If no charge is made, and no depÔt for the refuse selected, it will be found that the cartmen will sell it by the cartload to irresponsible persons, when reasonable precautions as to covering in with earth and selection of site are not possible, the consequence being that innumerable breeding-places for flies are well distributed throughout the heart of a densely populated neighbourhood, in places where earth has been from time to time excavated for building huts.