Balurghat (pron:bʌlʊəˈgɑ:t) is a city and a municipality in the state of West Bengal, India. It is the district headquarter of the Dakshin Dinajpur district. It is one of the major cities connected through National Highway 512. Atrai River flows through the city.
Balurghat | |
|---|---|
City | |
 Balurghat Railway Station. | |
  Balurghat Location in West Bengal, India  Balurghat Balurghat (India)  Balurghat Balurghat (Asia) | |
| Coordinates: 25°13′N 88°46′E / 25.22°N 88.76°E | |
| Country |  India |
| State | West Bengal |
| Division | Malda Division |
| District | Dakshin Dinajpur |
| Government | |
| • Type | Municipality |
| • Body | Balurghat Municipality |
| • Chairman | Ashok Kumar Mitra (TMC) |
| • MP | Sukanta Majumdar (BJP) |
| • MLA | Ashok Kumar Lahiri (BJP) |
| • DM | Bijin Krishna, IAS |
| • SP | Chinmay Mittal, IPS |
| Area | |
• Total | 10.76 km2 (4.15 sq mi) |
| Elevation | 24 m (79 ft) |
| Population (2011)[2] | |
• Total | 151,416 |
| • Density | 14,000/km2 (36,000/sq mi) |
| • City Rank | 20th in West Bengal |
| Languages | |
| • Official | Bengali[3][4] |
| • Additional official | English[3] |
| Time zone | UTC+5:30 (IST) |
| PIN | 733101 |
| Telephone code | 03522 |
| Vehicle registration | WB-61/WB-62 |
| Lok Sabha constituency | Balurghat |
| Vidhan Sabha constituency | Balurghat |
| Website | wb ddinajpur |
Geography
edit
10miles
M: municipal city/ town, CT: census town, R: rural/ urban centre, H: historical site
Owing to space constraints in the small map, the actual locations in a larger map may vary slightly
In the map alongside, all places marked on the map are linked in the full screen version.
Location
editBalurghat is at 25°13′N 88°46′E / 25.22°N 88.77°E.[5] It has an average elevation of 25 metres (82 feet). The town covers 10.76 km2 (4.15 sq mi) of area.[1]
River Atreyee runs across the city, dividing it into disproportionate halves. The heart of the city, with important administrative, cultural and entertainment hubs, is on the eastern bank of the river. India-Bangladesh border is approximately 3 km from the town.
Police stations
editBalurghat police station under West Bengal police has jurisdiction over Balurghat municipal area and Balurghat CD Block.[6][7]
Balurghat Women police station has jurisdiction over Balurghat subdivision.[7]
Subdivision and CD block HQ
editBalurghat subdivision has its headquarters at Balurghat.[6]
The headquarters of Balurghat CD block is at Balurghat.[8][9]
Climate
edit| Climate data for Balurghat (1991–2020, extremes 1960–2012) | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °C (°F) | 32.0 (89.6) |
34.9 (94.8) |
39.1 (102.4) |
42.2 (108.0) |
43.4 (110.1) |
43.0 (109.4) |
40.0 (104.0) |
38.8 (101.8) |
37.0 (98.6) |
38.0 (100.4) |
35.5 (95.9) |
33.0 (91.4) |
43.4 (110.1) |
| Mean daily maximum °C (°F) | 24.3 (75.7) |
27.8 (82.0) |
32.1 (89.8) |
34.6 (94.3) |
34.8 (94.6) |
34.4 (93.9) |
33.5 (92.3) |
33.6 (92.5) |
33.4 (92.1) |
32.3 (90.1) |
29.2 (84.6) |
26.3 (79.3) |
31.4 (88.5) |
| Mean daily minimum °C (°F) | 11.4 (52.5) |
15.1 (59.2) |
19.4 (66.9) |
22.5 (72.5) |
24.2 (75.6) |
25.1 (77.2) |
24.9 (76.8) |
24.9 (76.8) |
24.7 (76.5) |
23.2 (73.8) |
18.4 (65.1) |
14.1 (57.4) |
20.7 (69.3) |
| Record low °C (°F) | 4.1 (39.4) |
6.2 (43.2) |
9.7 (49.5) |
12.4 (54.3) |
14.8 (58.6) |
14.8 (58.6) |
17.0 (62.6) |
16.8 (62.2) |
16.2 (61.2) |
12.2 (54.0) |
7.3 (45.1) |
4.7 (40.5) |
4.1 (39.4) |
| Average rainfall mm (inches) | 7.1 (0.28) |
6.3 (0.25) |
12.1 (0.48) |
52.2 (2.06) |
145.9 (5.74) |
261.7 (10.30) |
324.1 (12.76) |
241.8 (9.52) |
269.9 (10.63) |
112.5 (4.43) |
7.2 (0.28) |
2.7 (0.11) |
1,443.4 (56.83) |
| Average rainy days | 0.5 | 0.5 | 0.6 | 2.8 | 6.5 | 10.1 | 10.9 | 9.4 | 8.4 | 3.3 | 0.4 | 0.1 | 53.7 |
| Average relative humidity (%) (at 17:30 IST) | 76 | 70 | 65 | 69 | 73 | 78 | 80 | 81 | 82 | 82 | 81 | 80 | 76 |
| Source: India Meteorological Department[10][11] | |||||||||||||
Demographics
editIn the 2011 census, Balurghat municipality had a population of 153279, of which 76730 were males and 76549 were females.[12] The Balurghat urban agglomeration had a population of 164,593, out of which 82,466 were males and 82,127 were females. The 0–6 years population was 10,349. Effective literacy rate for the 7+ population was 91.66 per cent.[13]
As of 2001[update] India census, Balurghat municipality had a population of 151,416, of which 75,794 were males and 75,622 were females. Balurghat has an average literacy rate of 84.8%, with 87% of the males and 82.5% of females literate. Population in the age range of 0 to 6 years is 10,677. The Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes have a population of 15,204 and 3,008 respectively. Balurghat had 37507 households in 2011.[2]
98.7% of the population are Hindus, with small percentages (below 1%) of Muslims and Sikhs.[12]
Economics
editBalurghat is a distribution centre in northern West Bengal. The main goods traded include rice, jute, sugar cane, fisheries and oilseeds.[14]
Transport
editRailway
editBalurghat Railway Station is the terminus station of the Eklakhi–Balurghat branch line[15] Trains connecting Balurghat to Kolkata directly include Sealdah Balurghat express, Tebhaga Express and Howrah–Balurghat Bi-Weekly Express. Train services also connect Balurghat to Siliguri in the north through Balurghat-Siliguri Intercity Express. Balurghat is also connected to Malda through Balurghat-Malda Court Passenger Train. Besides, Balurghat-Nabadwip Dham Express connects Nabadwip with Balurghat.
Highways
editIndian National Highway 512 passes through Balurghat (from Gazole To Hili).
At Balurghat, there is a Government bus and a separate private bus stand. The NBSTC(Major Service Provider),SBSTC(Limited Service Provider) and WBTC(Only between Kolkata & Balurghat) are the government bus service provides majority of bus rides to distant places. Many buses (both Government and private) run from Balurghat to Kolkata, Siliguri, Jalpaiguri, Coochbehar, Kalna, Durgapur, Malda, and Raiganj.
Airways
editBalurghat Airport is situated at the entrance of the town, at Mahinagar, although the airport is not operating right now due to construction and executive issues. A Kolkata-Malda-Balurghat-Coochbehar flight service has been planned for this airport. Previously, there was a Kolkata-Malda-Balurghat helicopter service for some years.
Education
editSchools
edit- Balurghat High School
- Kendriya Vidyalaya, Balurghat[16]
- Atreyee D. A. V. Public School
- Balurghat Techno India Group Public School[17]
- Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalaya, Dakshin Dinajpur
Colleges
edit- Balurghat College[18][19]
- Balurghat Mahila Mahavidyalaya[20][21]
- Balurghat Law College[22][23]
- Jamini Majumdar Memorial College
- Uttar Banga Krishi Viswavidyalaya (Majhian Campus)
Universities
editFestivals
editDurga Puja, Kali Puja, Chhath Puja, Rath Yatra, Biswakarma Puja, Ganesh Chaturthi and Saraswati puja are widely celebrated at Balurghat. Bolla Kali Puja is celebrated at Bolla, approximately 15 kilometres (9 miles) from Balurghat, in November each year.
Sports
editBalurghat is also home to district's 1st ever stadium to host the top tier national level cricket match like a Ranji Trophy Match.[24] Balurghat Stadium is a multi-purpose stadium used for sports like cricket and football. An indoor sports complex in Balurghat is also in under construction.
Healthcare
edit- Balurghat General Hospital (District Hospital) has 600 beds
- Balurghat Police Hospital has 50 beds
- Balurghat Poura Hospital and Matri Sadan has 32 beds[25]
- Balurghat Super Specialty Hospital
Notable people
edit- Abhijit Mondal, footballer
- Madhubanti Bagchi, singer
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ a b "Balurghat Municipality". sudawb.org. Retrieved 25 November 2020.
- ^ a b "Census of India: Balurghat". www.censusindia.gov.in. Retrieved 10 October 2019.
- ^ a b "Fact and Figures". Wb.gov.in. Retrieved 14 July 2019.
- ^ "52nd Report of the Commissioner for Linguistic Minorities in India" (PDF). Nclm.nic.in. Ministry of Minority Affairs. p. 85. Archived from the original (PDF) on 25 May 2017. Retrieved 14 July 2019.
- ^ "Maps, Weather, and Airports for Balurghat, India".
- ^ a b "District Statistical Handbook 2014 Dakshin Dinajpur". Table 2.1. Department of Statistics and Programme Implementation, Government of West Bengal. Archived from the original on 21 January 2019. Retrieved 4 December 2018.
- ^ a b "Dakshin Dinajpur District Police". Know your PS. District Police. Archived from the original on 28 November 2017. Retrieved 4 December 2018.
- ^ "District Census Handbook: Dakshin Dinajpur, Series 20 Part XII A" (PDF). Map of Dakshin Dinajpur with CD Block HQs and Police Stations (on the fourth page). Directorate of Census Operations, West Bengal, 2011. Retrieved 4 December 2018.
- ^ "BDO Offices under Dakshin Dinajpur District". Department of Mass Education Extension & Library Services, Government of West Bengal. West Bengal Public Library Network. Archived from the original on 2 November 2018. Retrieved 4 December 2018.
- ^ "Station: Balurghat Climatological Table 1991–2020" (PDF). Climatological Normals 1991–2020. India Meteorological Department. Archived from the original (PDF) on 8 April 2024. Retrieved 17 July 2024.
- ^ "Extremes of Temperature & Rainfall for Indian Stations (Up to 2012)" (PDF). India Meteorological Department. December 2016. p. M230. Archived from the original (PDF) on 5 February 2020. Retrieved 10 January 2021.
- ^ a b c "C-1 Population By Religious Community". censusindia.gov.in. Retrieved 10 April 2021.
- ^ "Urban Agglomerations/Cities having population 1 lakh and above" (PDF). Provisional Population Totals, Census of India 2011. Retrieved 21 October 2011.
- ^ Balurghat, from Encyclopædia Britannica.
- ^ "55721x->55421 Malda Town-Balurghat Passenger". Time Table. India Rail Info. Retrieved 30 November 2018.
- ^ "Kendriya Vidyalaya, Balurghat, South Dinajpur: Admission, Fee, Facilities, Affiliation". school.careers360.com. Retrieved 27 February 2022.
- ^ "Techno Global Balurghat". www.technoindiagroup.com. Retrieved 25 October 2020.
- ^ "Balurghat College". BC. Retrieved 7 December 2018.
- ^ "Balurghat College". College Admission. Retrieved 7 December 2018.
- ^ "Balurghat Mahila Mahavidyalaya". BMM. Retrieved 7 December 2018.
- ^ "Balurghat Mahila Mahavidyalaya". College Admission. Retrieved 7 December 2018.
- ^ "Balurghat Law College". BLC. Retrieved 7 December 2018.
- ^ "Balurghat Law College". College Admission. Retrieved 7 December 2018.
- ^ "Balurghat to host Ranji match for first time". www.telegraphindia.com. Retrieved 25 October 2020.
- ^ "Health & Family Welfare Department". Health Statistics. Government of West Bengal. Archived from the original on 28 October 2021. Retrieved 7 December 2018.
External links
edit- www
.dakshindinajpurzp .org - balurghatmunicipality
.org - ddinajpur
.nic .in 
Balurghat travel guide from Wikivoyage
