Farakka Barrage Township Explained

Farakka Barrage Township
Settlement Type:Census Town
Pushpin Map:India West Bengal#India3
Pushpin Map Caption:Location in West Bengal, India
Coordinates:24.819°N 87.911°W
Subdivision Type:Country
Subdivision Type1:State
Subdivision Name1:West Bengal
Subdivision Type2:District
Subdivision Name2:Murshidabad
Unit Pref:Metric
Area Total Km2:3.7
Elevation M:12
Population Total:20,126
Population As Of:2011
Population Density Km2:auto
Demographics Type1:Languages
Demographics1 Title1:Official
Demographics1 Info1:Bengali, English
Timezone1:IST
Utc Offset1:+5:30
Postal Code Type:PIN
Postal Code:742212
Registration Plate:WB
Blank1 Name Sec1:Lok Sabha constituency
Blank1 Info Sec1:Maldaha Dakshin
Blank2 Name Sec1:Vidhan Sabha constituency
Blank2 Info Sec1:Farakka

Farrakka Barrage Township is a census town in the Farakka CD block in the Jangipur subdivision of the Murshidabad district in the state of West Bengal, India.

Geography

Location

Farakka Barrage Township is located at .[1] It has an average elevation of 12 metres (39 feet).

Area overview

Jangipur subdivision is crowded with 52 census towns and as such it had to be presented in two location maps. One of the maps can be seen alongside. The subdivision is located in the Rarh region that is spread over from adjoining Santhal Pargana division of Jharkhand. The land is slightly higher in altitude than the surrounding plains and is gently undulating.[2] [3] The river Ganges, along with its distributaries, is prominent in both the maps. At the head of the subdivision is the 2,245 m long Farakka Barrage, one of the largest projects of its kind in the country.[4] Murshidabad district shares with Bangladesh a porous international border which is notoriously crime prone (partly shown in this map).[5] The subdivision has two large power plants - the 2,100 MW Farakka Super Thermal Power Station and the 1,600 MW Sagardighi Thermal Power Station.[6] [7] According to a 2016 report, there are around 1 million workers engaged in the beedi industry in Jangipur subdivision. 90% are home-based and 70% of the home-based workers are women.[8] [9] [10] As of 2013, an estimated 2.4 million people reside along the banks of the Ganges alone in Murshidabad district. Severe erosion occurs along the banks.[11]

Note: The two maps present some of the notable locations in the subdivision. All places marked in the maps are linked in the larger full screen maps.

Demographics

According to the 2011 Census of India, Farakka Barrage Township had a population of 20,126, of which 10,430 (52%) were males and 9,696 (48%) females. Population in the age range 0–6 years was 1,882. The total number of literate persons in Farakka Barrage Township was 14,934 (78.90% of the population over 6 years).[12]

India census, Farrakka Barrage Township had a population of 21,794. Males constitute 52% of the population and females 48%. Farrakka Barrage Township has an average literacy rate of 68%, higher than the national average of 59.5%: male literacy is 73%, and female literacy is 63%. In Farrakka Barrage Township, 13% of the population is under 6 years of age.

Infrastructure

According to the District Census Handbook, Murshidabad, 2011, Farakka Barrage Township covered an area of . It had roads with both open and closed drains. The protected water-supply involved overhead tank, uncovered well, hand pump. It had 3,674 domestic electric connections, 1,211 road lighting points. Among the medical facilities it had 2 hospitals, 1 dispensary/ health centre, 1 family welfare centre, 1 maternity & child welfare centre, 28 medicine shops. Among the educational facilities, it had 6 primary schools, 2 middle schools, 1 secondary school, 1 higher secondary school, 1 general degree college. Among the social, cultural & recreational facilities, it had 1 stadium, 1 cinema theatre, 1 auditorium/ community hall, 1 public library, 1 reading room. Important commodities it produced were electricity, cement. It had the branch offices of 8 nationalised banks, 1 cooperative bank, 1 non-agricultural credit society.[13]

Economy

The Farakka Barrage Project under the Indian Ministry of Water Resources is an important local project.

Farakka Super Thermal Power Station of NTPC Limited (formerly National Thermal Power Corporation) has of 2,100 MW capacity is located at Farakka. The NTPC-Farakka has 85 km long Merry Go Round Railway transporting coal from Rajmahal mines.Ambuja cement open its third project in Bengal in Farakka with a 1.5 million tonne capacity.[14]

Healthcare

Farakka Barrage Hospital functions with 50 beds.[15]

Transport

National Highway 34 meets National Highway 12 at Farakka.[16]

A rail track, New Farakka Junction, connected Howrah, Sealdah and far southern and western parts of India, Assam via New Jalpaiguri in east and New Delhi via Kiul Jn.

From New Farakka Jn railway station and New Farakka Bus Stoppege (NH 34) Farakka Barrage Township(3 km) is connected by Rikshaw, battery operated Rikshaw and private car on rent.

The transport is also facilitated by routine bus service from Township TTS to PTS (falling under NTPC) and vice versa at stipulated timings every day. The township is served by New Farakka Junction.

Tourism

Farakka Barrage Township is situated on the bank of the holy river Ganga. It surrounded by water channels and canal. Deer are nurtured in a park on the bank of the Ganga. The project is covered by much greenery and has a full, fresh airy atmosphere to live a peaceful and healthy life. At the end of October various types of migratory birds come here and stay up to February. The Hindu Milan Mandir operated by Bhrat Sevashram Sangha provides well accommodation system to visitors very near to the river Ganga.

Notes and References

  1. http://www.fallingrain.com/world/IN/28/Farakka.html Falling Rain Genomics, Inc - Farrakka Barrage Township
  2. Web site: District Census Handbook: Murshidabad, Series 20 Part XII A . Physiography, Page 13 . Directorate of Census Operations, West Bengal, 2011 . 24 July 2017.
  3. Web site: Murshidabad . Geography . Murshidabad district authorities. 24 July 2017.
  4. Web site: Farakka Barrage Project . FBP . 12 September 2017.
  5. Web site: Child labour, illness & lost childhoods, India’s tobacco industry . Edge of Humanity Magazine, 27 December 2020. 13 July 2021.
  6. Web site: Power Generation . Farakka . NTPC . 7 August 2016 . 30 October 2016 . https://web.archive.org/web/20161030030445/http://www.ntpc.co.in/power-generation/coal-based-power-stations/farakka . dead .
  7. Web site: The West Bengal Power Development Corporation Limited . Sagardighi Thermal Power Project . WBPDCL . 15 August 2017 . 23 August 2017 . https://web.archive.org/web/20170823115439/http://www.wbpdcl.co.in/wbpdcl/sagardighipowerstation.html . dead .
  8. Web site: Child workers in household industry: a study of beedi industry in Murshidabad district of West Bengal . Sunirmal. Kar. Viswa Bharati University thesis, page 5 . Shodhganga . 28 August 2017.
  9. Web site: The ‘Poor man’s cigarette’ . Gurvinder Singh . The Statesman, 22 January 2017 . 28 August 2017.
  10. Web site: Beedi workers of Jangipur hold key . Indrani Dutta . The Hindu, 1 May 2009 . 28 August 2017.
  11. Web site: Types and sources of floods in Murshidabad, West Bengal . Swati Mollah . Indian Journal of Applied Research, February 2013 . 5 September 2017 . https://web.archive.org/web/20170820073737/http://gangawaterway.in/assets/7-murshidabad.pdf . 20 August 2017 . dead .
  12. Web site: District Census Handbook, Murshidabad, Series 20, Part XII B. Rural PCA-C.D. blocks wise Village Primary Census Abstract, location no. 313830, page 26-27. Directorate of Census Operations West Bengal . 28 June 2021.
  13. Web site: District Census Handbook Murshidabad, Census of India 2011, Series 20, Part XII A . Section II Town Directory, Pages 981-987: Statement I: Growth History, Pages 990-993: Statement III: Civic & Other Amenities, Pages 993-995: Statement IV: Medical Facilities 2009, Pages 995-1001 Section V: Educational, Recreational and Cultural Facilities; Pages 1001- 1002: Statement VI: Industry & Banking . Directorate of Census Operations, West Bengal . 26 June 2021.
  14. Web site: National Thermal Power Corporation . 2009-02-13 . Installed Capacity . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20090203194322/http://www.ntpc.co.in/aboutus/installed_capac.shtml . 3 February 2009 .
  15. Web site: Health & Family Welfare Department . Health Statistics . Government of West Bengal . 19 September 2017 . 28 October 2021 . https://web.archive.org/web/20211028134305/https://qphs.fs.quoracdn.net/main-qimg-99a499ee367f0c1530476c81086270c8 . dead .
  16. Web site: Rationalisation of Numbering Systems of National Highways. Department of Road Transport and Highways. 7 February 2017. New Delhi. https://web.archive.org/web/20160201124738/http://dorth.gov.in/writereaddata/sublinkimages/finaldoc6143316640.pdf. 1 February 2016. dead.