Kumta Taluka, 1908
This article has been extracted from THE IMPERIAL GAZETTEER OF INDIA , 1908. OXFORD, AT THE CLARENDON PRESS. |
Note: National, provincial and district boundaries have changed considerably since 1908. Typically, old states, ‘divisions’ and districts have been broken into smaller units, and many tahsils upgraded to districts. Some units have since been renamed. Therefore, this article is being posted mainly for its historical value.
Kumta Taluka
Coast Taluka of North Kanara District, Bombay, lying between 14° 21' and 14° 37' N. and 74° 20' and 74° 44' E., with an area of 224 square miles. . There are two towns, Ku.mt.a (population, 10,818), the head-quarters, and Gokarn (4,834); and iii villages. The population in 1901 was 66,040, compared with 62,803 in 1891. The density, 295 persons per square mile, is higher than in any other Taluka. The demand for land revenue in 1903-4 was 1-17 lakhs, and for cesses Rs. 7,000.
The coast-line, beginning south of the Gangavali river, consists of long stretches of sand, fringed with coco- nut gardens and crossed by frequent rocky highlands and headlands, and by tidal creeks. Eight to twelve miles inland the hills are clothed with forest, which becomes denser as the Ghats are approached. Near the coast is a belt of rice land ; beyond is the central plain occupied by rice and sugar-cane ; inland, rice gives place to rdgi. Water is plentiful. The soil is sandy or red loam. Kumta produces coco-nuts, rice, areca-nuts, pepper, sugar-cane, and pulses. The annual rainfall is heavy, averaging 133 inches.
