TOTAL AREA, DENSITY OF POPULATION, TOWNS AND VILLAGES, BHIR DISTRICT, 1961

Boundries

The Godavari forms the boundary of the district from the village of Kuranpimpri to Borkhed throughout the northern border. The southern boundary mostly coincides with the course of the Manjra but makes a considerable number of deviations from it, some to the north and others to the south. The southeastern boundary similarly follows the course of the Sina with three deviations away from the river and one only beyond it to include a small stretch to the south of the river in Aurangpur village. Leaving aside the boundaries formed by these rivers the district boundary elsewhere is the result of historic accidents and administrative convenience.

Hills

The district can be divided into three broad physiographic divisions viz., the low lying northern division forming a part of the Godavari valley which may be described as lowland Bhir, the higher part in the south forming part of the Balaghat plateau which may be described as the highland Bhir and a third low lying undulating area south-west and west of the highland Bhir comprising almost the whole of the Ashti tahsil lying mostly in the Sina basin.

Lowland Bhir

The northern low land Bhir has a general elevation from 550 metres in the west to a little under 400 metres in the east, interspersed with a number of residual hills of summits over 600 metres. A discontinuous series of such a low residual hills in the north comprise the water shed between the Godavari and the Sindphana rivers. In the western part of these, are the Gonoba hill (1,960 ft. or 606.6 metres) and the Chitora hill (2,226 ft. or 678.5 metres) south of Chakalamba. Eastwards they become lower in elevation, just over 1,900 ft. or 580 metres south of Georai and further east to about 1,500 ft. or 450 metres terminating at Manjlegaon. A more discontinuous southern series of residual hills is found south of the Sindphana river, the most remarkable of this being the Narayangad hill comprising a flat topped plateau surface at a level of about 1,900 ft. or 580 metres. This second series is scarcely distinguishable as hills since many of them happen to be interfluent spurs extending northwards between the northward trending streams from the Balaghat plateau.

Hiland Bhir

The northern lowlands rise towards the south by a steep scarp to the next division, the highland Bhir. The dissected scarp of this plateau on the north appears as a series of hills which are often described as the Balaghat ranges. Southwards, this plateau slopes more gently towards the Manjra river except where the crestline has receded south by the back cutting of the northern trending streams down the scarp. The prominent heights on this range in order from west to east are 2.917 ft. or 889 metres near Chincholi, 2,775 ft. or 846 metres near Supe, 2,596 ft. or 791 metres west of Limba Ganesh, 2,509 ft. or 765 metres west of Yevta, 2,406 ft. or 733 metres west of Eda and 2.287 ft or 697 metres wesrt of Chanai near Ambejogai

The southern hounding scarp of this plateau division of Bhir starts from Chincholi appex and runs first southwards and then in a south-easterly direction forming the boundary between Ashti and Patoda tahsils of the district. South of Sautada it becomes the southern boundary of the district and continues to be so as far as south of Pargaon, but for a deviation northwards of the district boundary away from the scarp so as to exclude the villages of Kelewadi, Pimpalwadi and Sakat on this plateau from this district. Further eastwards the southern scarp passes to the south of the district into Osmanabad. The crest line of the southern scarp is lower than in the northern counterpart and includes features such as those west of Chikhali with a height of 2,801 ft. or 853.7 metres, south-west of Jogdand with a height of 2,808 ft. or 855.8 metres, west of Dukarwadi with a height of 2,567 ft. or 782.5 metres, and Sautada peak 2,599 ft. or 792.4 metres, 4 kilometres south-east of Sautada village.

Thus the triangular Balaghat plateau comprising the southern part of Bhir district and most of Osmanabad district begins at the appex of Chincholi in the north-west which is the highest part of the plateau and gradually widens south-eastwards lowering also in elevation in that direction. The northern scarp faces the Godavari basin and the southern one the basin of the Sina—Bhima system. North of the Chincholi appex there is a lowering of the northward continuing ridge with two passes both about 750 metres high, one en the route leading to Amalner and the other on the route leading to Manur from Ashti. This ridge at first runs northwards and then north-eastwards generally increasing in elevation towards Ahmadnagar district with steep scarps facing the Godavari valley. In fact the highest elevations of the district are to be found in the north-western end of this range and in a southern spur from it forming the dividing boundary between the districts of Bhir and Ahmadnagar. Here are the three highest peaks of the district, 2,932 ft. or 893.6 metres, 2,945 ft. or 897.6 metres and 2,964 ft. or 903.4 metres.

The scarps of the triangular Balaghat plateau are being continuously wasted away by the headward erosion of the streams of the Godavari system on the north and those of the Bhima system on the south resulting in their retreat and reduction in the width of the plateau. This phenomenon has already taken place west of the Chincholi plateau so that there remains now only the dissected remnants of the old plateau gradually losing in elevation towards the south. This process is now actively at work even on the Chincholi plateau by the activity of the Inchana (Vincharna) river flowing by Jamkhed in Ahmadnagar district. The Jamkhed stream must have worked backwards across the scarp by its powerful headward erosion and captured the former upper course of the Manjra river just above the Rameshwar falls at Sautada and in this way it is trying to integrate the drainage of the western portion of the plateau into the Sina basin. For this assumption, the retreating of the scarp face as well as the waterfall site as indicated by the steep gorge below, cut into the plateau, the general slope eastwards of the plateau surface above the falls, the entrenched obsequent river flowing in the opposite direction across this towards the west flowing into the gorge below the falls, the diminished misfit continuation river east of the wind gap flowing by Sakat whose continuation is the present Manjra, are clear evidence along with the remarkable elbow of capture observable above the tails. A similar phenomenon of river capture is noticeable in the north-western part of the plateau where the upper course of the proto-Rena river has been similarly beheaded and diverted northwards with a distinct elbow of capture to the west of Ambejogai to form the present Wan river.

Sina Basin

The third physical division comprising practically the whole of Ashti tahsil is in the Sina basin draining into that river. Though of lower elevation this region is interspersed with innumerable low residual hills between the valleys of streams, rising from about 600 metres in the south to about 750 metres in the north. These dissected and scattered interfluent uplands sloping generally towards the south are the result of the wasting away of the old plateau by the powerful streams of the Sina system as already described.

Amrita: The Amrita rising further east from the same hills, flows in a general north-easterly course leaving Umapur a kilometre to the north-west of it and flowing by Dhondrai joins the Godavari at Sawleshwar

Sindphana: The Sindphana rises in the Chincholi hill at the north-western appex of the Balaghat plateau and flows in a northeasterly course past Amalner. About a kilometre below Chavarwadi it makes a right-angular turn to follow the trend of a small tributary, the Gana in a north-westerly direction flowing by Hingalwadi and resumes again its north-easterly course, the trend of another tributary, the Belpar below the confluence. After the confluence of another tributary, the Kinha, the Sindphana has a fairly long easterly course up to about Manjlegaon, whereafter it flows north-eastwards and northwards to join the Godavari at Kshetra Manjrath.

Sindphana Tributaries: The only important tributaries of the Sindphana on its left bank are the Ad, the Belpar and the Kinha in the western part. In the eastern part the tributaries on the left flank flowing from the north are very small sized streams. The Ad rising on the southern slopes of the Chincholi hills flows by Kotan in a north-easterly direction to join the Sindphana below Hingalwadi. The Belpan also rises on the northern slopes of the Chincholi hills to the west of the Ad. After flowing past Hatola, it makes a short sojourn outside into Ahmadnagar district and after re-entering the district flows by Pimpalner to join the Sindphana at Gomalwadi.

The Kinha river rising in the hills to the west of Pangri village, flows in an easterly and north-easterly course sometimes within and sometimes outside the district and joins the Sindphana just above Nimbgaon. The Kinha has several small tributaries such as the Manikarni flowing by Manur, and the Nandidara flowing by Ukirda.

There are innumerable right flank tributaries of Sindphana flowing from the Balaghat slopes, the more important of which, in order from west to east are the Uthola flowing by Raimoha, the Utawali flowing by Khokarmoha and Khalapuri, the Dombri flowing by Dombri and Rajuri and joining the Sindphana opposite to Sirasmarga, the Bendsura, the Takur rising on the eastern slopes of Pimpalgaon Ghat, the Pimpalner river and the Kundalika. Of these the Bendsura and the Kundalika are of considerable size and length and require some detailed consideration.

Bendsura: The Bendsura rises near Waghera, 2 kilometres north-west of Limba Ganesh and has a fairly long course on the northern slopes of the Balaghat plateau first flowing northwards and after Kadamwadi eastwards to Pali village, receiving a number of tributaries on both banks comprising a fairly large catchment area of 70.75 sq. miles or 183 square kilometers on the slopes of the plateau. This has been taken advantage of for the Bendsura project. About 8 kilometres below Pali the river flows through Bhir town with a north-north-east course to join the Sindphana. The headward erosion of this comparatively large sized stream must have been so considerable that the watershed to the south has migrated farther south here than at other places.

The Kundalika, called very often by the shortened form Kundka, rises to the north-east of Neknur and flows first in a north-easterly direction and then in an easterly direction up to Nagjheri after which it has a general northerly course to join the Sindphana a few kilometres upstream of Manjlegaon.

Saraswati: After the Sindphana there are three tributaries of the Godavari of considerable size, the Saraswati, the Gunwati and the Wanganga. The Saraswati and the Gunwati rise very near each other. The Saraswati flows northwards passing by Hingni, Dindrur and after Belur turns eastwards to join the Godavari.

Gunwati: The Gunwati flows in a northeasterly course passing by Hiwra to join the Godavari, a kilometre and a half below the Saraswati sangam.

Wan: The Wan or the Wanganga as it is often called, has its source to the south of Dharur and has a fairly long deeply incised easterly and south-easterly course on the Balaghat plateau itself. It makes an abrupt turn northwards to the north-west of Ambejogai cutting through the scarp and then flows in a north-easterly direction towards the Godavari. Flowing through Ambejogai there is a small tributary of this river viz., the Jayanti nala that meets the river in the opposite direction in the same valley axis. The Rena after a gap continues 10 run through the valley of the Jayanti river but flows eastwards and then southwards to join the Manjra. The soils of the Rena valley are exceptionally fertile considering the small length and size of the river. It must have been due to the fact that the Rena was a much larger and longer river, which must have been captured by an active stream working backwards at the scarp to form the present Wan river. The deeply cut upper Wan valley, the distinct elbow of capture, the obsequent Jayanti nala and the highly fertile soils of the Rena all provide evidence for such a capture having taken place.

The large catchment area of 143.60 sq. miles or 372 square kilometres in the upper Wan and its tributaries as a consequence of this drainage evolution has been availed of in the construction of the Wan project.

Manjra: The Manjra, sometimes called the Wanjra river, rises in the northern edge of the Balaghat plateau a little above Gaurvadi flows first southwards and then south-eastwards right across the plateau towards the opposite side and makes an abrupt right-angular turn to follow the course of a tributary from Sakat (which must have been the original Manjra course as discussed earlier). After flowing past Patoda it once again resumes the south-easterly course. After Pimpalgaon Ghat [This should not be confused with two others of the same name one near the north-western boundary and the other near the northern slope forming the source of the Tukur river.] the course becomes zigag but with a general easterly trend up to near Bhatangli in Osmanabad. where it is joined by the Rena. Throughout a greater part of its course this river forms the southern boundary of the district. The river flows in a deep bed with high banks which rise sometimes as much as 9 metres but on an average 5.5 metres above the bed of the river in the district so that the waters are not easily available for irrigation of the banks.

However, on this river recently an irrigation project known as Mohasangavi project has been executed.

But for two important exceptions, the Inchana and the Wan, practically all the streams of the plateau drain into the Manjra. There are two directions in the flow of these rivers, one from north-west to south-east and the other from north to south corresponding to structural lines of weakness. Among these streams are the Chausala, the Limba, the Waghi, the Babhti, the Yelambchi. the Kaij, the Chandan Savargaon, the Hol and the Rena.

Chausala: The Chausala stream rises in the high ground to the, west of Limba Ganesh and flows in a general south-easterly direction passing by Borkhed, Chausala and Hingni. Just below the last of these, it joins the Manjra. The soils on its banks have a high lime content and therefore are not suitable for the making of bricks and tiles. The river is having a big bend just up stream of the bridge across this stream south of Chausala on the road from Osmanabad to Bhir. There is so much erosion on the south bank that there is the danger of the river migrating to the south of the bridge making the bridge useless and necessitating the construction of another further south. In order to obviate this danger, three cement concrete guide walls have been constructed in the bed of the river for arresting this development and confining the stream to the present course under the bridge.

Limba: The Limba or the Ganesh rises as the name indicates, near Limba Ganesh and flows in a south-easterly direction receiving a few tributary streams from the north flowing due southwards, the last of which is a fairly large sized stream, the Nimgur (Naiknur) river.

Yelambchi: The Yelamb or Waghi flowing by Yelamb, Wagha Babulgaon and Nandur has almost a due southerly course throughout.

Babhti: The Babhti or the Sanvi flowing by Eda, Arangaon and Warapgaon, has a south-easterly course and receives two southerly flowing streams, the first flowing by Sindi and Mhasa Jogi, and the other flowing by Yevta and Jaola.

Kaij: The Kaij stream, rising to the south-west of Dharur, flows southwards passing by Kaij and joins the Manjra below Sona Sangavi.

Hol: The Hol stream passing by Hol is having southerly and south-westerly course and joins the Manira at Deola

Rena: The present Rena river, having its source south of Ambejogai, must have once been a much longer and larger river, the continuation of the upper Wan, as is well testified by the high fertility of the soils of the valley too big for the present river. At first this flows due eastwards and then south-eastwards and finally almost due southwards passing by Renapur to join the Manjra near Batangli in Osmanabad district.

Sina system: Mehekri—The name Sina is attributed to three small head-streams one of which rises to the west of Ahmednagar in Jamgaon and the other two in the hills east of Ahmadnagar below Jeur and Pimpalgaon Ujjani in Ahmadnagar district. The united river Sina formed by these head-streams Bows first southwards, west of Ahmadnagar and then pursues a general southeasterly course parallel to the edge of the Balaghat plateau and forms the district boundary with a few small deviations along the entire south-eastern border. This important tributary of the Bhima has itself a large tributary, the Mehekri, in the district rising in the southern slopes of the same hills forming the source regions of the two easterly head-streams of the Sina. The Mehekri after having a fairly long course in Ahmadnagar district enters the Bhir district some two kilometres above Nandur. In Bhir district it has a long and winding course in a flood plain south-south-eastwards to join the Sina at Sangavi.

The Mehekri receives very small insignificant streams on its right or west bank but fairly large sized streams on its left or east bank. Of these latter, the Keli, the Kambli, the Keri, the Kan and the Bokdi are relatively more important streams.

Keli: The Keli rises in the north-western corner of Ashti tahsil draining the slopes of the highest peaks of the district and flows southwards by Pimpalgaon Ghat, Kheil and Vadgaon to join the Mehekri just outside the district.

Kambli: The Kambli rises on the gently sloping south face of the Balaghat Dongar above Sawargaon in the district and flows in a general south-south-west direction passing by Gahukhel, Hivra, Pimparkhed, Dhanora and Takli and joins the Mehekri opposite the Nanda.

Keri: The Keri rises to the east of the Kambli in the same hills but outisde the limits of the district and flows southwards to join the Kari. Another tributary, the Wanmara also from the north flows in the Kari. The latter drains the slopes north-west of Chincholi plateau, flows by Devi Nimbgaon and Kada in a south-easterly course. After Kada it flows southwards receiving another tributary, the Bandola Nala, at and joins the Mehekri at Dhirdi.

Bokdi: The Bokdi drians the western slopes of the Chincholi plateau and flows in a south-westerly course as far as Jalgaon and thereafter in a nearly southerly course joins the Mehekri a few kilometres upstream of its confluence with the Sina.

Talwar: The Talwar rises on the western slopes of the Bhir plateau and passes by Brahmangaon and Ashti to join the Sina ahove Kharkat.

Inchana: The Inchana or the Vincharna has its source in the western end of the Bhir plateau south of the Chincholi village and drains the western portion of this plateau passing by Chikhli, Antapur and Lambarwadi. West of Sautada it turns due southwards around an elbow of capture and flows down the scarp giving rise to a beautiful waterfall and a gorge below formed in the retreating scarp face. On the side walls of this gorge are exposed vertical faces of the different layers of lava flows of bare resistant rocks, one of which is made of columnar basalts separated by inter-trappean weathered beds which support green patches of vegetation. The river down below enters the Ahmadnagar district and joins the Sina after flowing past Jamkhed.

Small Tributaries: Besides the Mehekri, the Talwar and the Inchana, there are a number of small tributaries flowing into the Sina within the limits of the Bhir district, all draining the western slopes of the low hills bordering the Mehekri on its west in a south-westerly direction into the Sina of which the Khalki and the Loni Nala alone are of some size.

As already described, the district is broadly divisible into the following three geographical regions, the lowland Bhir, the plateau Bhir, and the Sina basin of Ashti tahsil.

Lowland Bhir: The lowland Bhir consists of the Godavari valley proper or the Gangathadi on the north, the Sindphana valley along with its tributary valleys and the interfluent between these.

The Gangathadi consists of a strip of low lying land about 5 to 10 kilometres wide adjoining the Godavari and extending for some distance upwards of the valleys of the tributary streams. Here the soils are extremely fertile and of considerable depth. This area includes the northern parts of the Georai and Manjlegaon tahsils. Here, well sinking is arduous in the deep soils and even if accomplished may not last long. Irrigation is rare and the crops depend solely on rainfall. However, the extreme fertility of the soils enable heavy crops of jowar, cotton and pulses to be grown. Near the Godavari as at Khamgaon sometimes no crop is raised in the kharif season, but jowar, wheat and gram are grown heavily in the rabi season. The villages of the district on the southern bank of the Godavari are at least a kilometre and a half apart from one another, and they depend for their drinking-water supplies solely on the river whose bed is some 10 metres below the banks. The wells appear away from the Godavari and increase in number especially in the valleys of the tributary streams. Therefore, the larger villages in this region are found invariably at some distance away from the Godavari on or near the banks of the tributary streams e.g. Chakalamba, Umapur, Dhondrai, Georai, Jategaon and Manjlegaon.

Both Chakalamba and Umapur are situated in a depression surrounded by high ground, the drainage of which provides plentiful supplies of ground water in wells. Dhondrai on the eastern bank of the Amrita has wells which support garden crops such as sugarcane and papaya. Georai town (pop. 7,129), the tahsil headquarters, is situated on the eastern bank of a small stream.

Away from the Godavari banks, the kharif bajri becomes important along with groundnut, tur and til though the rabi jowar, wheat and gram are still grown. Being nearer the rocky interfluent, there is a greater proportion of stones used in walls than mud. The Sindphana valley, which is nearly parallel to the Godavari valley through a greater part of this sub-region, is having nearly as fertile soils as those of the Gangathadi, and is therefore, a heavily cropped zone. But as the soils are not as deep as in Gangathadi, well sinking is not difficult and in fact numerous wells are found here and this accounts for a relatively greater frequency of villages on its banks at somewhat closer intervals.

Manjlegaon is situated at the south-eastern end of the interfluent ridge, which has forced the Sindphana river into a southerly bend surrounding the town.

The road from Georai to Manjlegaon deviates eastwards from the Bhir road near Ranjanai and follows as closely as possible the flat topped interfluent ridge between the Godavari and the Sindphana. Here the depth of the soil rarely exceeds 6 inches as seen in the roadside cuttings, the kharif bajri, jowar, groundnut, tur and ambadi being the usual crops. Villages are usually located away from this road either to the north or south of the ridge on the banks of streams e.g. Jategaon, Talkhed, Rajegaon and Kesapuri.

South of the Sindphana river, the land rises at first gradually and then more steeply southwards to the Balaghat plateau and is drained by a number of nearly parallel streams from the plateau slopes.

The town of Bhir, the Champavatinagar of pre-Muslim days, owes its importance to its situation on the banks of the Bendsura in a hollow cut into the Balaghat scarp by that river. Beyond the limits of the town both eastwards and westwards the land rises by steep slopes to plateau levels some 30 metres higher in relation to the town level. It has developed on both the banks of the river, the Kasba or the old town lying on the western bank and the Peth or the commercial quarter on the eastern bank.

The sacred temple of Parali Vaijanath is situated on the rising slopes of a hill situated to the south of the town. Climbing on the top of this hill, it is possible to have a view of the entire town.

The second geographical region, the plateau of Bhir, rises from the lowland Bhir by fairly steep slopes highly dissected by the headward erosion of streams into a confused system of hills on its northern border. The surface rocks of the plateau are chiefly composed of solid massive basalts, while there are clear indications of a horizontal layer below of columnar basalts as seen in the exposures on the sides of the streams which have cut down deep into the plateau. In the eastern margins on the slopes are found volcanic ashes which point to an ash bed also below the surface rocks.

On the northern slopes the soils are highly eroded and thin and wherever possible hardy crops of bajri, pivali jowar, with some tur are grown in the kharif season. Above the slopes, the land is generally gently sloping southwards down, with innumerable streams flowing either southwards or south-eastwards towards the Manjra river. The valleys of these streams contain fairly fertile soils and they have better ground water conditions so that there is considerable cultivation of crops in the rabi season besides the kharif, the jowar being the most important in both the seasons. On the interfluent, the soils are thin and sometimes bare rock is exposed at the surface. This is given to rough grazing or to the cultivation of crops only in the kharif season, bajri, pivali jowar or Warhadi jowar depending upon the varying nature of the soil depth. Tur and a little ambadi are sown in lines in the jowar fields. Groundnut is an important crop in the eastern part of the plateau particularly in Kaij and Ambejogai tahsils.

Near the southern border of the district on the banks of the Manjra, the soils are of great depth and fertility and this combined with the coolness of the high elevation of the plateau on which the river flows, has enabled rich crops of rabi wheat being grown. In the eastern parts of the Manjra valley in the district as also in the Rena valley, the soils are so fertile that there is a great variety of crops such as coriander, wheat, gram, jowar, udid, mung etc., grown.

The villages in this region are situated on the banks of streams, the larger ones at the crossing places of these streams by the main roads. There are several such large sized stream bank villages located to the east of the prominent hills of the area with the advantage of the protection afforded by them from the strong westerly winds on the plateau surface. They are Chikhli, Supe, Kusalamb, Limba Ganesh, Yevta and Chenai.

There are a number of large settlements located near the northern edge of the Bhir plateau commanding the routes down the scarp, e.g. Manjarsumbha, Dharur, Ambejogai and Ghat Nandur.  Manjarsumbha is now a road junction being the meeting place of the east-west route on the plateau and the north-south route from Bhir up the scarp. The waterfalls of Kapildhar nearby, where Kapilamuni is believed to have performed penance, is a scenic attraction of the place.

The third geographical region forms the Sina basin portion of the Bhir district, which includes practically the whole of the Ashti thasil. Only a small portion in the extreme eastern part of the northern border of the tahsil extending as a salient into the Ahmadnagar district consisting of the three villages of Mahinda, Panera, and Morala (Nagjhari) drained by the Kinha and its tributaries into the Sindphana does not belong to the Sina basin.

There is a remarkable similarity between the course of the Sina river and the south-western edge of the Bhir plateau being the result of the structural features of the same origin. In the different windings of the Sina river and in those of the tributaries, two dominant trends are noticeable; the north-west to south-east trend and the north-east to south-west trend in accordance with the pattern of joints in this area.

This third geographical region is made up of the valleys of several small tributary streams draining southwards and south-eastwards into the Sina consisting of relatively more fertile soils separated by intensely dissected flat topped interfluent hills generally sloping downwards away from the Balaghat scarp with poorer soils. It is due to the prevalence of the sloping ground, rather level ground in this region to a greater extent than even on the Bhir plateau that the soils of Ashti tahsil are poor and stony. This combined with rainfall averaging between 509 mm. and 638 mm., the lowest in the district, accounts for this area being the poorest region in the district causing thousands to migrate annually to the sugar factories and farms in the irrigated areas of nearby Ahmednagar district.

However, of all the regions of the Bhir district, it is this region which has the maximum number of small sized irrigation projects recently executed. The lighter soils of the district generally respond well to irrigation. In this tahsil jowar occupies half the gross cropped area and bajri about one-eighth. The proportion of the area under food crops is the highest (88 per cent) here, of all the tahsils of the district.

In this region, all the villages are invariably located on the banks of streams where alone adequate water-supplies arc available either from the streams or nearby wells. The larger settlements are located at the crossing points of the main roads from Jamkhed to Ahmadnagar and the bigger streams e.g. Ashti, Kada and Dhanora.

 [The section on Geology has been contributed by the Geological Survey of India, Calcutta.]

The district is divided into the Balaghat or high lands forming the southern and eastern parts and the Payinghat or lowlands. A low spur of the Western Ghats traverses the district from Ahmadnagar to Amba.

The district is underlain by the Deccan traps of Cretaccous-Eocene age. The trap rocks belong to the type called 'Plateau Basalt' and are uniform in composition corresponding to that of dolerite or basalt with an average specific gravity of 2.9. They are dark grey or dark greenish grey in colour. The traps have been distinguished into the vesicular and non-vesicular types. The non-vesicular traps are hard, tough, compact and medium to fine grained and break with a conchoidal fracture. The vesicular types are soft and tend to break with more ease. Ash-beds are common.

The Deccan traps by decomposition under tropical conditions, give rise to a porous rock, laterite (of Pleistocene age). The laterites form a thin cap over the Deccan traps at many places, and is at places rich in iron-ore which was used by the primitive smelters.

Beds of gravel and clays of upper Pliocene to Pleistocene age containing fossil bones of extinct mammalia, overlie the traps in the valleys of the Godavari and some of its tributaries.

The traps more often wither into a rich and fertile black cotton soil which forms vast spreads in different places in the district. Nodules of kankar are of frequent occurrences in the layer of black cotton soil.