Durgapur (/d??r??:p??r/ or /-?æ-/) is a city in the Bardhaman District, in the state of West Bengal, India. Durgapur is the third largest city in West Bengal. Durgapur is the second planned city of India after Chandigarh and has the only operational dry (inland) port in Eastern India. It is one of the six Municipal Corporations in West Bengal.
Durgapur known as the "Ruhr of India, is a reality born out of the dream of Dr. B. C. Roy, the then Chief Minister of West Bengal. The well laid out Industrial Township was designed by Joseph Allen Stein and Benjamin Polk.
This huge industrial belt, situated between the two rivers, Ajoy and Damodar, was just a small hamlet founded by a landlord named Gopinath Chattopadhya and was originally called Gopinathpur. The name Durgapur possibly came from one of his sons, Durgadas. The entire area is believed to be the part of LOWER GONDWANA LAND and anthropological as well as archeological research has turned up evidence that the landmass once was a seabed, as suggested by marine fossils. There are signs of both prehistoric and later civilizations beginning from Paleolithic to advanced copper ages. Various artifacts such as chisels, terra-cotta walls, foundations, copper bracelets and in particular, a stone seal signifies that a thriving civilization existed here between 3500B.C. to 1200B.C. which has been proved by radio-carbon testing. Archeological excavations at Birbhanpur, on the bank of the Damodar, have revealed a number of stone implements. These are dated to be around 5,000 BC. Many of these are hunting implements used by pre-historic hunters. Earlier, some of the excavations at Pandu Rajar Dhibi, on the banks of the Ajay, just beyond Durgapur but in Bardhaman district, revealed traces of a civilisation possibly linked with the Indus Valley Civilisation. These are important historical finds and are yet to be fully explored.
Historical evidence and folklore has created interesting amalgamations here. The Grand Trunk road, built by Sher Shah runs through here and a small hill having ancient stone structures, near the present city centre complex, was possibly a watch tower built during those times. However, folklore has it that a local powerful landlord named 'lcchai Ghosh' probably used it as an observation post. Many old temples scattered around the area proves the existence of an established religiosity.
Durgapur is known worldwide for the wide range of industries that it houses making it one the biggest industrial hub in eastern India. Durgapur Steel Plant (DSP) one of the largest industrial unit of the state, one of the integrated Steel plants of Steel Authority of India Limited (SAIL) is situated here. The pioneer in the production of alloy and special steels Alloy Steel Plant (ASP) another Unit of SAIL, is located here. There are a number of power plants, chemical and engineering industries and many small scale factories. Among them Durgapur Projects Limited( DPL), DTPS, DVC are well known. The location as well as excellent communication facilities of Durgapur has attracted investors to bet for their money.
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Geography
Durgapur is located at 23.48°N 87.32°E / 23.48; 87.32. It has an average elevation of 65 metres (213 ft).
Durgapur is in the Bardhaman District of West Bengal, on the bank of the Damodar River, just before it enters the alluvial plains of Bengal. The topography is undulating. The coal-bearing area of the Raniganj coalfields lies just beyond Durgapur; some parts intrude into the area. The area was deeply forested till recent times, and some streaks of the original Sal and eucalyptus forests can still be seen.
Durgapur subdivision is surrounded by Asansol subdivision on the west, Bardhaman Sadar North subdivision on the east, Bankura district across the Damodar in the south, and Birbhum district across the Ajay River to the north.
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Demographics
In the 2011 census, Durgapur M.Corp had a population of 522,517 out of which 294,255 were males and 272,262 were females. The 0-6 years population was 51,930. Effective literacy rate for the 7+ population was 87.70.
Religion
According to Census of India 2011, Hinduism is the predominant religion in this city, followed by Islam, Christianity, Sikhism, Buddhism, Jainism and others. Out of 5,66,517 people living in Durgapur (Municipal Corporation); 5,19,122 are Hindus (91.63%), 35,923 are Muslims (6.34%), 1889 are Christians (0.36%), 2346 are Sikhs (0.44%), 513 are Buddhists, 382 are Jains, 906 are other religions and 5436 (1.04%) did not state their religion.
Road
Durgapur is the preferred gateway to the districts of Bankura, Birbhum ( Bolpur , Kirnahar , Suri ), and Purulia, which are not that well connected. NH 19 (old numbering: NH 2) passes through the city jurisdiction and SH 9 originates from Muchipara in the city. NH 14 (old numbering NH 60) passes through the north-western suburb of Pandabeswar and finally passes through Raniganj and heads away towards Orissa. It happens to be one of the very few cities that have an Asian Highway (AH) passing directly through the city jurisdiction. The AH1 links Japan with Turkey, through Korea, China, Vietnam, Cambodia, Thailand, Myanmar, India, Bangladesh, Pakistan, Afghanistan, and Iran.
Durgapur has bus termini at Benachiti-I, Benachiti-II (commonly referred as Prantika), City Center, and Station Morh. One bus terminus is coming up at Nadiha, but only for inter-city commuting.
Intra-city Transport
Within the city private mini-buses are the cheapest and most convenient mode of transportation. They operate from Prantika to Station terminus, via different routes through the city. Some of them operate to other termini from Prantika, like Nadiha, Madhaipur, Kasba, Sillyaghat, etc. CNG auto-rickshaws ply between City Center, Benachity, Railway Station and other parts of the city in a number of routes. They are non-polluting, environment friendly, convenient, less time-consuming, and cheap mode of transport. Cycle-rickshaws are available for travelling smaller distances, as a preferred commute. Pre-paid taxis are available in the city from Station and City Center Terminus. From 2015, OLACABS, the country's most popular App-based luxury cab app, has also started operating within the city boundaries as well as from the city to the Durgapur Airport. A new auto rickshaw service provider dAutowale have also started in the city.
Air
The nearest domestic airport is Kazi Nazrul Islam International Airport. The airport is roughly 15 kilometres from Durgapur's City Centre. It is India's first private-sector Greenfield airport. It is located in a place called Andal
An air force station at Panagarh, (16.3 km from Durgapur City Centre) belonging to the Indian Air Force is used as a base for a C-130J Hercules squadronal.
Climate
Durgapur experiences a somewhat transitional climate between the tropical wet and dry climate of Kolkata and the more humid subtropical climate further north. Summers are extremely hot and dry, lasting from March to the middle of June, with average daily temperatures near 32 °C. They are followed by the monsoon season with heavy precipitation and somewhat lower temperatures. Durgapur receives most of its annual rainfall of around 52 inches during this season. The monsoon is followed by a mild, dry winter from November to January. Temperatures are quite moderate, with average daily temperatures near 20 °C. There is a short autumn at the end of October and a short spring in February, both of which have relatively moderate temperatures of around 25 °C.
Industrialisation
Durgapur is by far the most industrialised city in eastern India and the second planned city in India. It started with the first prime minister of independent India, Jawaharlal Nehru. His dream of transforming the backward agricultural country into an industrially advanced nation was picked up in West Bengal by Dr. B.C. Roy. At the earlier stages for the selection of a proper site for a new industrial township, Jnananjan Niyogi, a great business organiser and planner, was involved. The modernist American architect Joseph Allen Stein, invited to head the newly formed Department of Architecture and Planning at the Bengal Engineering College in Calcutta, plunged into a major project as soon as he reached India in 1952 - the designing of Durgapur city with Benjamin Polk, another American architect already living in Calcutta. Thereafter it was the task of local leaders such as Ananda Gopal Mukherjee and bureaucrats such as K.K. Sen to get Durgapur going.
Before independence, only one small refractory plant of the Martin Burn group was located at Durgapur: the abandoned chimney is visible near the station. Damodar Valley Corporation constructed Durgapur Barrage in 1955 and shortly followed with the Durgapur Thermal Power Station.
There was a massive follow up - Durgapur Steel Plant (commissioned 1960), Alloy Steels Plant (commissioned 1965), Durgapur Projects Ltd. (established 1961), Mining and Allied Machinery Corporation, ACC-Vickers Babcock (later ACC-Babcock and now Alstom Power Boilers Ltd.), Hindustan Fertiliser Corporation, Philips Carbon Black Ltd., Sankey Wheels (a unit of GKW), Bharat Ophthalmic Glass Ltd, Durgapur Cement Ltd. (now Birla Cement) (established 1975), Graphite India Ltd. (established 1967), Durgapur Chemicals Ltd. (DCL) was incorporated on 31 July 1963, Ispat Forgings and many others, large and small. A great new industrial city was bubbling with enthusiasm.
I.T.E.S. firms like Hinduja Global Solutions Limited have already made Durgapur their Eastern Developmental Centre.
Administrative changes
Durgapur is a new industrial city. The administrative setup came in stages. Once the British settled down to ruling the country in the nineteenth century, they started effecting administrative changes. In 1837, when Bankura district was formed, Durgapur area was part of it. In 1847, Ranigunj subdivision was formed with three police stations - Ranigunj, Kanksa and Neamatpur - and it was made a part of Bardhaman district. In 1906, the subdivisional headquarters was shifted to Burdwan and the subdivision renamed accordingly. In 1910, the police stations in Asansol subdivision were Asansol, Ranigunj, Kanksa, Faridpur and Barakar. On 14 April 1968, Durgapur subdivision was carved out of Asansol subdivision. After TMC Government came to power in West Bengal in 2011, the Asansol Durgapur Police Commissionerate was formed by the State Government in order to improve the law and order situation in the Asansol -Durgapur belt and to curb the menace of illegal Coal Smuggling
Education
Colleges
Durgapur is home to National Institute of Technology, Durgapur, an autonomous institution in eastern India of national importance. It is one of the 30 N.I.T.s in the country. N.I.T. Durgapur is one of the 8 old Regional Engineering Colleges established in 1956.
Durgapur Government College, India, is the only government college not only in the home district of Burdwan, but also in the neighbouring districts of Bankura, Purulia and Birbhum. It was established on 15 September 1970 and was affiliated to the University of Burdwan. Now it is affiliated to Kazi Nazrul University. It is funded and administered by the Government of West Bengal. Direct administrative control lies with the Director of Public Instruction, Higher Education Directorate, Government of West Bengal.
Apart from these government colleges, numerous privately managed colleges and universities have been set up in and around Durgapur.
Central Mechanical Engineering Research Institute
The Central Mechanical Engineering Research Institute (also known as CSIR-CMERI Durgapur or CMERI Durgapur) is a public engineering research and development institution in Durgapur, West Bengal, India. It is a constituent laboratory of the Indian Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR). The institute is the only mechanical engineering research and development institution in India, dedicated to work in the mechanical and allied engineering disciplines.
National Power Training Institute (ER)
The National Power Training Institute (Also known as NPTI(ER) and formerly known as PETS, Durgapur) is an institute under Ministry of Power, Government of India. The Institute offers post graduate education in the field of power plants and also offers B. Tech. in Power Engineering. This institute is also associated with several industrial bodies for imparting training to plant personnel.
Important Schools
Durgapur houses a large number of government aided and public schools in addition to two Kendriya Vidyalaya and Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalaya (under the Government of India). The most renowned private schools are St. Michael's School; St. Peter's School; Delhi Public School; Carmel Convent High School, Fuljhore;DPL Boys' School , DPL Girls' School, Carmel School, Durgapur Steel Township; Aurobinda Vidya Mandir (D.H.B Road); Amrita Vidyalayam; D.A.V Model School; Pranavananda Vidya Mandir; Hem Sheela Model School; Bidhan School; Bidhan Chandra Institution for Boys and Bidhan Chandra Institution for Girls (both imparting Higher Secondary education only); Narayana School; Techno India Group Public School, Durgapur Public School; Guru Teg Bahadur Public School; St. Xavier's School; MAMC Modern High School and Assembly of God Church School. Besides, there are several other private schools which have achieved many laurels over the years.
There are schools run by the West Bengal Government and the Durgapur Steel Plant (DSP) as well, across the city.
Sports facilities
- Nehru Stadium is the biggest sports stadium in the city. It has a huge football ground, basketball and volleyball courts, athletic tracks, modern fully equipped gymnasium etc. It is managed by Durgapur Steel Plant Authority.
- ASP stadium is another sporting centre with a large ground, with all facilities for cricket, football, gymnastics, etc. It is managed by the Alloy Steel Plant Authority.
- 'Shahid Bhagat Singh Stadium' is a newly developed stadium, run by the Durgapur Municipal Corporation. Its football ground is one of the best in West Bengal. Teams like Mohun Bagan A.C. conduct their pre-season training camps here.
- 'Sidhu Kanu Indoor Stadium' is one of the best indoor stadiums in eastern India. It houses many sporting organisation and sporting association of Burdwan district, including Durgapur Sub-divisional Women's Sports Association, School Sports Association-Durgapur Sub-division, Burdwan District Badminton Association, Burdwan District Table Tennis Association and Burdwan District Physical Culture Association.
Media
Durgapur is home to a large number of electronic media houses. In fact, it is next, only to Kolkata and Guwahati, in serving as the operation bases and headquarters for the largest number of electronic media channels in Eastern India. Express News, Axes Info Media, TV 7, Shaan (formerly HTV, DSTV (owned by DSP), Hallow India, TV Bangla are some of them., Ganashakti, I-Core Ekdin, Sakalbela, Good Morning Asansol, Shilpanchal Express, are printed from the city. Anandabazar Patrika is published from Ghutgoria, near Durgapur, in Bankura District, and has a separate Asansol-Durgapur edition. Samay Sanket is the most controversial news paper published from Durgapur .Dainik Jagaran has a Durgapur Edition, too. Durgapur Adda - the online news portal of Durgapur with daily news updates for all that is happening in and around the city of Durgapur is catering to all those who rely on online channels for news updates. Durgapur does not have any F.M. stations. However 92.7 Big FM and 93.5 Red FM has stations at Asansol and serve both Asansol and Durgapur.
Places of interest
- City Centre - This is the central business hub of the city, and is the costliest area of the city.
- Junction Mall - Located in City Centre. Spread over 4,00,000 sq ft, on six floors over a total land area of 2.8 acres. Developed by the Shrachi group and designed by the renowned architect, Stephen Coates of aCTa International, Singapore, this mall is tagged as the biggest shopping destination in Durgapur. The mall has many high end retail stores like Pantaloons, Shopper's Stop, Max Lifestyle, Reliance Footprint, American Tourister, Sonodyne, Peter England, Story, Canon, Louis Philippe, Van Heusen, Allen Solly, Wrangler, Nike, Lee, Pepe, Levis, Provogue, Raymond, Turtle, Fabindia, Reebok, Adidas, Woodland, Café Coffee Day, United Colors Of Benneton, Converse, VIP, The Mobile Store, Bioscope (3 screens) (capacity - 800), KFC, Pizza Hut, Mc Donald's, Mainland China, Tamara, Spencer's Hyper(the first Spencer's Hyper mart in whole West Bengal) and many other popular brands. The mall houses cafes, gaming zones, branded restaurants and a host of important facilities.
- Mohan Kumar Mangalam Park - Located at Priyadarshini Indira Ave, B-Zone, Steel Township. Park area is 80 acres. Named after Late Mohan Kumar Mangalam (the first Steel Minister of India). Exalt Services manages the park. The park has a large artificial lake spread over an area of 10 acres and greenery all around.
- Fast food chains - KFC (Junction Mall, City Centre), Domino's (Beside Junction Mall, City Centre), Pizza Hut (Junction Mall, City Centre), Subway (Recol Park, City Centre), Mc Donald's (Junction Mall, City Centre).
- Multiplexes - 1. Carnival Cinemas (3 screens) (capacity - 999 seats) (Dreamplex Mall, City Centre). 2. Bioscope (3 screens) (capacity - 800) (Junction Mall, City Centre). 3. Arti Cinemas (3 screens) (Fortune Plaza, Benachity).
- Benachity Bazar- This is the largest shopping market place in Durgapur. Thousands of people flock the streets of this widely popular market area especially during the Puja season marketing.
- Fortune Plaza - A shopping mall located in Benachity. It has Reliance Digital, Reliance Trend, Arti Cinema (Multiplex). This multiplex has 3D screen facility.
- Durgapur Barrage - A dam and a tourist spot on river Damodar.
- Durgapur Haat is an excellent Handicrafts Center, managed by the Government of West Bengal. It is located near Palashdiha, City Center, very close to the National Highway -2. Through the year, at various times, artisans and craftsmen from all over Bengal come here for exhibition and sale of their masterpieces. The place has a soothing beauty and is very well-maintained.
- Bhabani Pathak's Tilla (Durgapur Science and Energy Park) - is located near the City Centre of Durgapur. Earlier there was a tunnel system from here to the Damodar River, but now that is closed from public view. Now, people can visit only the Tilla and the Science park. The park which was built by the WEBREDA is now closed.
- Ichhai Ghosh's Deul - Remains of an age old fort, now mostly in ruins. The brick built temple of Ichhai Ghosh is more than 500 years old, still stands erect against the backdrop of Garh jungle. Located on the bank of river Ajay, adjacent to it is the Shyamarupa temple.
- Rahreswar Shib Mandir - Located 3 km from the NH-2 Muchipara crossing on the Muchipara-Shibpur Road in the Arrah village opposite the NSHM Knowledge Campus, this 11th century Shiva temple is protected by the Archaeological Survey of India. It is located in the Gopalpur Gram Panchayet of Kanksa block. Thousands of people rush to this temple at the Maha Shivaratri.
- Santiniketan - location of Visva Bharati, established by Rabindranath Tagore. It is about 60 km away from Durgapur.
- Bishnupur - the famous terracotta temple town and home to major art and crafts. It is about 70 km away from Durgapur. The Bankura horse, symbol of Indian handicrafts is produced at Panchmura, near Bishnupur. It is also the home of the Baluchari sari, originally woven with motifs based on stories from the Ramayana and the Mahabharata, but now modernised.
- Jaydev Kenduli - temple and birthplace of Sanskrit poet Joydeb, on the banks of the Ajay River. This place is about 30 km away from Durgapur. On the occasion of Makar Sankranti (Winter Solstice), a fair is organised here. Bauls, religious singers with a detached philosophy and spontaneity of their own, participates in this fair, which is held in mid January every year.
- Randiha - The Anderson Weir (named after John Anderson, 1st Viscount Waverley, who inaugurated it), a diversion constructed in 1932, 19 km downstream of Durgapur Barrage on river Damodar is a wonderful serene tourist spot located in the Chaktentul Gram Panchayet in Galsi I block. Across the river lies Sonamukhi.
Non-governmental and charity organisations
- Third Eye Durgapur is Durgapur's first photography club and was established with an objective to promote photography in the steel city. Renowned photographer and travel writer Mr. Abhishek Roy is the founder and the present director of this club.
- Swami Vivekananda Vani Prachar Samity: Influenced by the teachings of Swami Vivekananda, few like minded people of Durgapur Steel Township.Many discourses and seminars are held.
- Bharat Sevashram Sangha is a charitable organisation, having its roots in the ideals of Swami Pranavanandaji Maharaj. It organises health camps, disaster reliefs, vocational trainings, and other activities.
- Art of Living centre is in the town.
- Rarh Bangla katha sahitya Akademi (RBKA) is an important literary organisation.
- Vivekananda Academic Aid Fund established to help the cause of talented but needy students inspired by the doctrine of selfess service of Swami Vivekananda.Mr.Jiban Banerjee,lecturer of Statistics at Bidhan Chandra Institution,Durgapur, and at Ramakrishna Mission Vidyamandira,kolkata is the current secretary of the organisation.
- Rotary Clubs There are 4 Rotary Clubs in town serving the poor and weaker section of the society.
Source of the article : Wikipedia
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