The Gazetteers Department

As stated in an earlier Chapter No. 1 (General), the main types of soils are kali, kanhar, sihar, morand, khardi and bardi in the district. The area under kali is not very extensive. Kanhar is a very rich alluvial soil. Khardi differs from kanhar by the presence of limestone nodules. Sihar is a reddish-yellow soil formed mainly of the detritus of the crystalline rock. It cracks very little in hot weather. Khardi is the name given to very inferior types of sihar. The kanhar and first class morand soils are chiefly found in the plains in the south of Bhandara and Sakoli tahsils and especially along the Wainganga river. The soil is very deep, sticky, retentive of moisture and bears a double crop. In the valleys of the Wainganga river the soil consists of sandy loam of varying quality but it is very suitable for the cultivation of rice. The soils generally found in the district are morand class II and sihar, which cover altogether about 71 per cent of the total cultivated area. Both these soils are utilized for cultivation of rice; but the sihar is perhaps prominently the rice soil while the morand especially, where it is purest grows jowar, wheat and linseed. The remaining bardi and khardi, etc., are very inferior types of sihar-morand and are used for the cultivation of inferior rice and minor millets. A description of the principal types of soils in Bhandara district as given by the old Gazetteer of Bhandara district is as follows: —

"Kali and kanhar [Central Provinces District Gazetteers, Bhandara District, Vol. A, pp. 77-78.].—The distinction between these soils is not very great, and the area classed as kali is nominal; it is usually kanhar which has been swamped in water owing to its situation. It thus loses all trace of lime [The absence of lime in kali soil is now thought to be due to its basaltic origin and the absence of any limestone grit at the time of its formation. (S. Clouston, Deputy Director of Agriculture). ] and at the same time is further enriched by rotting vegetable matter. It often takes a distinctly blue-black tint as opposed to the brown-black of kanhar. Kanhar is a very rich alluvial soil, probably of trap origin. It crumbles readily, and is easy to work.

Morand I differs from Kanhar by the presence of chunkari or limestone nodules.

Morand II is of two kinds, of approximately equal value. They are both formed of black soil, the one including, however, a considerable amount of chunkari, and the other a good deal of sand washed down from the sandstone hills.

Khardi is the name used for all soils dark in colour, which contains so great an admixture of chunkari, or of stones, or are so deficient in depth, as to be of less value than morand II.

Sihar is a reddish-yellow soil formed mainly of the detritus of the crystalline rock. It cracks very little in the hot weather.

Bardi is the name given to very poor, gritty sihar or to the detritus of laterite rock.

Kachhar, marhani and retari are names given to three sorts of soils found by river banks. They are all alluvial and differ in value according to the deposit brought down. Kachhar is blackish in colour, and contains very little sand. Marhani is red and is much more sandy than kachhar ; but still excellently suited, because so constantly renewed, for garden crops. Retari is poor stuff, almost all sand, and fit only for growing kultha.

Rith is not really a distinct soil class but rather a slate-coloured condition at which any soil may arrive when close to a village. Its value varies according to the original character of the soil.

The most important soils are morand I and II, and sihar, which between them account for 8,24,000 cultivated acres out of 9,80,000."

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