HEALTH AND WELFARE. 255
Public Health Acts.
it is generally recognised that the first comprehensive Public
Health Act, brought into force in 1875, made possible the marked ad-
vances in public health which have taken place in England since that
date. Although sections dealing with public health matters find a place
in every municipal and local boards Act in India, these are in many res-
pects disconnected and incomplete, and public health legislation requires
considerable amendment and addition. We consider that the time is
ripe for the passing of comprehensive Public Health Acts in all pro-
vinces.
Water Supplies.
The first necessity of any community is a suitable water supply.
In this direction many employers have given a lead. A number of
the jute mills have provided piped water in the adjoining housing areas,
whilst, through the agency of a Water Board constituted for the purpose,
the mining industry in Jharia has provided an elaborate water supply at a
cost of 90 lakhs. Other industrial concerns have sunk tube wells and
artesian wells with satisfactory results. In all these areas and where
municipal councils have introduced piped supplies, water-borne disease
should ordinarily give little trouble. Even where piped water is avail-
able, however, the distribution is often unsatisfactory, and this difficulty is
enhanced by the general waste of water by the workers. Either there are
too few taps or there is an intermittent supply or the system has not been
extended to those areas, so that shallow wells and tanks have to be used.
These conditions all favour outbreaks of water-borne disease. Where
piped water supplies are not yet provided, it becomes all the more neces-
sary to ensure that every precaution be taken to keep available supplies
as pure as possible. Tube wells might be more frequently employed and,
if surface wells must be used, they should be kept in good repair and re-
gularly inspected by the sanitary staff. Where an industry begins to
develop in a new area previously sparsely populated and devoid of any
protected water supply, it should be the duty of the employers to provide
suitable water for their workers. Where, as frequently happens, the
development takes place on the boundary or outskirts of a municipal
area, we consider it would be of advantage for the municipal council and
the industry to co-operate in order to avoid competition for available
sources.
General Sanitation.
i Even with a safe water supply, bad sanitation creates condi-
tions favourable to the spread of disease. In many of the housing areas
We visited sanitary conditions were deplorable and were bound to
have the most detrimental effect on general health. With better
Organisation of health departments and sanitary staffs, improvements
In this respect should be secured. We must also remark on the great
lack of latrine accommodation in every industrial area we have seen.