Thane Explained

Thane
Other Name:ShriSthanak Thane
Native Name:Thana
Nickname:City of Lakes
Pushpin Map:Mumbai#India Maharashtra#India
Pushpin Map Caption:Location in Maharashtra, India
Coordinates:19.1972°N 72.9722°W
Subdivision Type:Country
Subdivision Name: India
Subdivision Type1:State
Subdivision Type2:District
Subdivision Name1:Maharashtra
Subdivision Name2:Thane
Established Date:9th century A.D
Founder:NA
Government Type:Municipal Corporation
Governing Body:
Leader Title:Mayor
Leader Name:Vacant
Leader Title1:Deputy Mayor
Leader Name1:Vacant
Unit Pref:Metric
Area Total Km2:147
Area Rank:15
Elevation M:7
Population Total:2,537,000
Population As Of:2023
Population Density Km2:17,258
Population Rank:15
Population Demonym:Thanekar
Demographics Type1:Language
Demographics1 Title1:Official
Timezone1:IST
Postal Code Type:PIN
Postal Code:400601—15
Area Code:022
Area Code Type:Telephone code
Registration Plate:MH-04 (Thane City)MH-05 (Kalyan)
Blank Info Sec2:91.36%
Blank1 Name Sec1:Lok Sabha constituencies
Blank1 Info Sec1:Thane
Kalyan
Leader Title2:Municipal Commissioner
Leader Name2:Mr. Abhijit Bangar
Demographics1 Info1:Marathi
Utc Offset:+5:30
Blank2 Name Sec1:Vidhan Sabha constituencies
Blank2 Info Sec1:Thane
Kopri-Pachpakhadi
Ovala-Majiwada
Mumbra-Kalwa
Official Name:Thane
Settlement Type:Metropolis

Thane (in Marathi ˈʈʰaːɳeː/; previously known as Thana, the official name until 1996) is a metropolitan city located on the northwestern side of the state of Maharashtra in India and on the northeastern side of Mumbai. It is an immediate neighbour of Mumbai city proper, and a part of the Mumbai Metropolitan Region. It is situated in the north-eastern portion of the Salsette Island.

Thane city is situated entirely within Thane taluka, one of the seven talukas of Thane district. It serves as the headquarters of the district. Thane city ranks as the 15th most populous city in India, with a population of 1,890,000 according to the 2011 census.[1]

Etymology and other names

The ancient name of Thana was . It appears as in early medieval Arab sources.

The name Thane has been variously Romanised as Tana,[2] Thana,[3] Thâṇâ,[4] and Thame.[5] Ibn Battuta and Abulfeda knew it as KukinTana; Duarte Barbosa as TanaMayambu.[6] Before 1996, the city was called "Thana", the British spelling of the city, until it was replaced with the more-local name.

History

A copper plate dating to AD 1078 was discovered near the foundations of Thane Fort in 1787. A land grant from Arikesara Devaraja, lord of Tagara, wherein he addresses the inhabitants of a city called "Sri Sthanaka".[7] For a long time, it was a military training and recruitment center of the Maratha Empire.

The East India Company occupied Salsette Island, Thana Fort, Fort Versova and the island fort of Karanja in start of First Anglo-Maratha War but after short time it were recaptured by the forces of Haripant Phadke and Tukoji Holkar. It remained under control of the Maratha Empire until Second Anglo-Maratha War.[8]

Geography

Climate

Thane has a tropical monsoon climate that borders on a tropical wet and dry climate. The overall climate is equable with high rainfall days and minimal days of extreme temperatures.

Temperature in Thane varies from 22°C to 36°C. The region experiences winter temperatures that can drop to as low as 12°C at night, while summer temperatures can ascend to over 40°C at noon. The lowest daytime temperatures are typically observed during the peak of the summer monsoon in July and August, when temperatures can plummet to approximately 25°C. Around 80% of the total annual rainfall is concentrated in the period from June to October. The average annual rainfall is recorded at 2000–2500mm, and the humidity level ranges from 61% to 86%, rendering the area a humid zone.

Lakes

No. Name Image Details Coordinates Area
(in hectares)
1Ambe Ghosale LakeAt Meenatai Thakare Chowk, Castle Mill Naka (Opposite Desai Bunglow) in Uthalsar Ward committee19.2051°N 72.9752°W2.77
2Brahamala LakeNear Babubhai Petrol Pump in Uthalsar Ward Committee19.2028°N 72.971°W0.5173
3Burbank LakeInside Hiranandani Estate, between Park Avenue and Wood Street. To the west of it is Lake Enclave.19.26°N 72.9812°W0.5857
4Datiwali LakeEast side of Diva station situated in the marshland of Ulhas river in Mumbra Ward Committee Area19.184°N 73.0519°W0.77
5Dawala LakeAt Ovala in Majiwada-Manpada Prabhag Samiti1.136
6Desai LakeOn westside of Ulhas river, in Desai village in Mumbra Ward Committee19.1641°N 73.0695°W1.75
7Devasar LakeAt the end of Bhayanderpada at foothills of Sanjay Gandhi National Park in Majiwada-Manpada Ward Committee0.516
8Diaghar LakeAt the outskirts of Diaghar village in Mumbra Ward Committee19.1379°N 73.0513°W0.363
9Diva LakeSituated just outside Diva station in Mumbra Ward Committee0.405
10Gokul Nagar LakeIt is a small lake situated in the heart of the city in the midst of Gokulnagar slums in Uthalsar Ward Committee19.2089°N 72.9761°W0.325
11Hariyali LakeNear Thane Railway Station in Kopari Ward Committee19.1857°N 72.9734°W0.7939
12Jail LakeOpp. Post Office beside Jail Water Tank in Uthalsar Ward committee19.1998°N 72.9763°W1.43
13Jogila LakeNear Uthalsar Ward officeapprox 0.1
14Kacharali LakeOpp. TMC Head Office in Naupada Ward Committee19.1966°N 72.964°W 2
15Kalwa LakeKalwa Ward office. Located close to railway station2
16Kasar-Wadavali LakeMajivada, Manpada Ward office19.2716°N 72.9698°W4.5173
17Kausa LakeMumbra Ward office, Kausa19.1656°N 73.0266°W 1.5173
18Kavesar LakeSituated at Waghbill road2.1746
19Khardi LakeThe lake is situated in premises of khardipada, Shilapprox. 1.15
20Kharegaon LakeKalwa Ward office0.7377
21Khidkali LakeMumbra Ward office Khidkali Lake is situated on the eastern side of the Thane creek near the Shil phata1.7
22Kolbad LakeUthalsar Ward office19.205°N 72.9705°W1
23Kolshet LakeManpada Ward office19.2383°N 72.9878°W1
24Makhamali TalavUthalsar Ward office19.1985°N 72.9671°W1
25Masunda Lake (Talao Pali)Masunda Lake (also known as Talao Pali) is located on West of Thane, in the heart of Thane city. The lake is surrounded by important historic places like Gadkari Rangayatan, St. John church, Kopineshwar temple and Jambli market. There is a Mahadev Dhyan Mandir at the centre of the lake and also a statue of Shivaji Maharaj near the lake.19.193°N 72.974°W 7.2
26Naar LakeNaar Lake is situated on outskirts of Thane along the Ghodbunder road0.7550
27Phadakepada LakeMumbra Ward office19.1578°N 73.0363°W1.71
28Railadevi LakeRailadevi Ward office19.1893°N 72.9571°W8
29Rewale LakeMajivada-manpada Ward office19.2188°N 72.9788°W0.5173
30Shill LakeMumbra Ward office6
31Shivaji Nagar, Balkumb LakeThe lake is situated along old agra road next to water supply line in Balkum area0.2247
32Siddheshwar LakeUthalsar Ward office19.2013°N 72.9642°W 3
33Upvan LakeLake is located at the foothills of Yeoor. A statue of Lord Shiva is situated in the middle of the lake. A Ganesh temple is situated near lake. 19.2214°N 72.955°W6
Reference:[9]

Demographics

The population of Thane according to the 2011 census is 1,886,941.[10] The average literacy rate of Thane city is 91.36 percent for where male and female literacy was 94.19 and 88.14 percent respectively. The sex ratio of Thane city is 882 females per 1000 males. Child sex ratio is 900 girls per 1000 boys. Total children (0–6) in Thane city are 186,259 as per Census India report on 2011. There were 98,017 boys while 88,242 are girls. Children form 10.24% of total population of Thane City.

The primary language spoken in Thane is Marathi, with widespread understanding and usage of Hindi. Some of the East Indian families in the Khatri ward of Thane still speak Portuguese.[11] About 1,800 of India's approximately 5,000 Jews live in Thane.[12]

At the time of the 2011 census, 48.50% of the population spoke Marathi, 19.59% Hindi, 12.99% Urdu, 3.93% Gujarati, 2.44% Bhojpuri, 1.37% Kannada, 1.29% Malayalam, 1.21% Bengali, 1.15% Tamil, 1.14% Marwari and 0.94% Konkani as their first language.[13]

Sports

Cricket is the most popular sport in Thane. Dadoji Kondadev Stadium, a sports arena of cricket is present in the city. Thane comes under jurisdiction of Mumbai Cricket Association, the governing body for cricket in Mumbai. Its players play for the Mumbai cricket team in Indian domestic cricket.[14]

Transport

Railways

Thana was the terminus for the first ever passenger train in Asia. On 16 April 1853, the passenger train service was inaugurated between Bori Bunder (Bombay) and Thane.[15] Covering a distance of 34 km (21 mi), it was hauled by three locomotives: Sahib, Sindh and Sultan. The Thane viaducts, the first railway bridges, were built over the Thane creek when the Mumbai-Thane line was extended to Kalyan in May 1854.

Thane is connected with neighbouring suburbs through Central and Trans-Harbour Line Suburban railway network. Thane is a railway junction for the Thane-Vashi & Panvel Harbour Line and Central Line. It is one of the busiest stations in India and handles 654,000 passengers daily.[16] [17]

Thane railway station will soon be revamped, Work to start soon on Rs 800-crore project.[18]

Metro

As of January 2021, the MMRDA, the nodal agency for building 300 km of vast Metro network, has proposed a plan to build an elevated depot for three Metro lines : 4 (Wadala-Thane-Kasarvadavali), 4A (Kasarvadavali-Gaimukh), 10 (Gaimukh-Shivaji Nagar) and 11 (Wadala-General Post Office, CSMT) at one stop. This depot is proposed at Mogharpada, Thane. The total project cost is estimated to be ₹ 596.60 crore.[19]

As of 2019, Wadala and Thane are being connected through a Metro line.[20]

On 26 August 2015, the MMRDA sanctioned ₹354 billion for 118 km Mumbai metro network. This includes a 40-km Wadala-Ghatkopar-Thane-Kasarvadavali Metro-4 corridor via Wadala GPO and R.A.Kidwai Marg costing ₹120 billion.[21]

Thane Municipal Transport (TMT)

See main article: Thane Municipal Transport (TMT). Thane Municipal Corporation started its transport service on 9 February 1989, known as Thane Municipal Transport (TMT). TMT provides services in Thane city and suburbs like Mulund, Borivali, Mira Road, Nala Sopara, Vasai, Bhiwandi and Navi Mumbai, among others.[22]

Number of —Details
Buses 299
Routes 45
Depots
  1. Anand Nagar (Ghodbunder Road)
  2. Kalwa Depot
  3. Kolshet Depot (proposed)
  4. Mulla Bagh Depot
  5. Wagle Estate Depot
Bus stands 8
Bus stops 874
km travelled per day 63,135
Daily bus trips 7,114
Daily passengers 280,017
Daily income 1,388,547/-
km travelled per day per bus 211
Employees 2,558

Navi Mumbai Municipal Transport (NMMT)

See main article: Navi Mumbai Municipal Transport.

Navi Mumbai Municipal Transport (NMMT) operates AC and Non-AC buses from Thane Cidco Bus Stand to various parts of Navi Mumbai (Airoli, Rabale, Ghansoli, Mahape, Kopar Khairane, Vashi, Turbhe, Nerul, Belapur, Kharghar, Kalamboli, Panvel) and also to Purna (via Kalher) and Bhiwandi (via Mankoli).

Mira Bhayandar Municipal Transport (MBMT)

See main article: Mira-Bhayandar Municipal Transport.

Mira-Bhayandar Municipal Transport (MBMT) started from 2006. The buses ply from Dahisar Check naka towards Versova [Thane] Check naka. So till now majority of MBMT buses can be taken up at the Check naka only. MBMT has started new services to Thane City from January 2010.

RouteRoute NoStartingDestination (Thane)Route Description
Ordinary7Bhayander Railway Station (West)Ghodbunder VillageKashimira[23]
Limited10 LTDBhayander Railway Station (West)Thane Railway Station (East)Ghodbunder Road
Ordinary29 Mira Road Railway StationMarathon Chowk (Teen Haath Naka)Ghodbunder Road

Vasai-Virar Municipal Transport (VVMT)

Vasai Virar Municipal Transport (VVMT) operates two routes in Thane. First from Vasai to Mulund Via Thane/Ghodbunder road and second from Nala Sopara to Thane Kopri.

Future of transport in Thane

A light rail network covering 42 km has been proposed in three phases. In the first phase, consultants have suggested connectivity between Balkum and Kolshet via Naupada. It will be 16.05 km long with 14.65 km elevated, and only 1.4 km on the surface, and 11 stations in all.[24]

Education

Schools

Colleges and Institutes

Notable people

See also

External links

Notes and References

  1. Web site: District Profile Thane District, Govt. of Maharashtra India. 2021-01-22. en-US.
  2. .
  3. , cited in .
  4. .
  5. .
  6. .
  7. .
  8. Book: Naravane, M.S. . Battles of the Honourable East India Company . A.P.H. Publishing Corporation . 2014 . 9788131300343 . 53–54.
  9. Web site: Thane Municipal Corporation | Lakes in Thane City . 18 January 2017 . https://web.archive.org/web/20170119053647/http://thanecity.gov.in/page.php?id=22 . 19 January 2017 . live.
  10. http://censusindia.gov.in/PopulationFinder/Sub_Districts_Master.aspx?state_code=27&district_code=21 Census of India: Sub-District Details
  11. http://www.maharashtra.gov.in/pdf/gazeetter_reprint/Thane-I/population_christians.html#4 Thane Gazetteer: Population: Christians – Speech
  12. News: Jew in Thane . . 20 October 2013 . 25 October 2017 . https://web.archive.org/web/20171223231846/https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/thane/At-1800-Thane-has-most-number-of-Jews-in-India/articleshow/24411496.cms . 23 December 2017 . live.
  13. Web site: 2011 . Table C-16 Population By Mother Tongue: Maharashtra (Town level) . census.gov.in . Registrar General and Census Commissioner of India.
  14. News: 2 February 2023 . महिला आयपीएल लिलावा ठाण्यात. . Women's Premier League auction in Thane. . 10 . . 2 February 2022.
  15. Colonialism: An International, Social, Cultural and Political encyclopedia By Melvin Eugene Page, Penny M. Sonnenburg, page 135
  16. http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2013-05-19/mumbai/39369149_1_passengers-mumbai-rail-vikas-corporation-harbour-line Thane is busiest railway station in Mumbai – Times Of India
  17. Web site: Kalyan, Kurla and Thane among the 10 dirtiest stations in the country. https://web.archive.org/web/20181230234913/https://mumbaimirror.indiatimes.com/mumbai/cover-story/3-city-stations-among-dirtiest-in-the-country/articleshow/64278913.cms. 30 December 2018. live.
  18. News: Work to start soon on Rs 800-crore revamp of Thane railway station: Maharashtra minister . 31 May 2023. timesofindia.indiatimes.com.
  19. Web site: Elevated Metro depot in Thane for 3 lines to cost Rs 596.60 crore. 2021-04-05. Free Press Journal. en.
  20. http://www.hindustantimes.com/India-news/Mumbai/Soon-take-a-metro-from-south-Mumbai-to-Thane/Article1-1048837.aspx Soon, take a metro from south Mumbai to Thane
  21. Web site: MMRDA sanctions Rs 35,400 cr for 118 km Mumbai metro network . B. S. . Reporter . 26 August 2015 . 27 August 2015 . https://web.archive.org/web/20150828002553/http://www.business-standard.com/article/companies/mmrda-sanctions-rs-35-400-cr-for-118-km-mumbai-metro-network-115082601240_1.html . 28 August 2015 . live.
  22. http://www.thanemahapalika.com/english/transport.html
  23. http://mira-road.com/1_14_Mbmt.html Know your Town Better
  24. https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/mumbai/now-attention-on-thane-light-rail/articleshow/1345898.cms? Times of India report
  25. Web site: Podar International School. podareducation.org. live. https://web.archive.org/web/20190413063015/https://podareducation.org/school/thane. 13 April 2019. 13 April 2019.
  26. Web site: Best Vocational Education & Training Courses Institute in India RAGC. Rustomjee Academy For Global Careers. en-US. 13 April 2019. https://web.archive.org/web/20190412105832/http://www.ragc.in/. 12 April 2019. live.