Dhubri district
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Dhubri District is an administrative district in the state of Assam in India. The district headquarters are located at Dhubri town which is situated at ~290 km from Guwahati, the state capital. This was also the headquarters of erstwhile Goalpara district which was created in 1876 by the British government. In 1983, Goalpara district was divided into four districts and Dhubri is one among those.
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[edit] Overview
In the past, the gateway of western Assam was a meeting place of different racial groups which mingled together and formed a unique cultural heritage and historical background. The growth of blended culture in this region, particularly in the areas of language, art and religion is due to the continuous process of assimilation of various races, castes, and creeds of local people, invaders, and migrated people. Dhubri District is bounded both by interstate and international borders: West Bengal and Bangladesh in the west; Goalpara and Bogaigoan district of Assam and Garo Hills district of Meghalaya in the east; Kokrajhar district in the north; and Bangladesh and state of Meghalaya in the south.
[edit] Origin of the name
The name Dhubri comes from the tale of "Chand Sadagar", where the main character of the story Netai Dhubuni used to wash her clothes on the surface of a big stone at bank of the river Brahmaputra . This particular place had a name called "Netai Dhubunir Ghat". The famous folk artist Pratima Barua Pandey also sang about the glory of Dhubri.
[edit] Geography and demography
The district occupies an area of 2,838 km² including forests, riverines, hills, etc. and has a population of 1,637,344 as of 2001. The male constitutes 841,044 while female is 796,300 and the overall sex ratio is 947 per 1000 male. The largest three religious groups belong to Muslim, Hindu and Christian with 1,216,455, 405,065 and 12,477 population, respectively. The district has become one of the most densely populated district in India with a density of 584 persons per Sq. Km.(As per 2001 census report) which is second highest in Assam after Nagaon district. The literacy rate is 48.21% of which male 55.91% and female 40.04%.
The district is located on the globe between 89.42 to 90.12 degree east longitude and 26.22 to 25.28 degree north latitude and situated at 30 meters above the sea level on an average. General topography of Dhubri district is plain with patches of small hillocks like Tokorabandha, Dudhnath, Chandardinga, Boukuamari, Boropahar, Chakrasila, etc. All these are situated in the north eastern part of the district. Mighty river Brahmaputra is flowing through this district from east to west with its tributaries like Champabati, Gourang, Gadadhar, Gangadhar, Tipkai, Sankosh, Silai, Jinjiram, etc.
The average annual rainfall of the district is 2,916 mm.
[edit] Economy of Dhubri district
Dhubri District is primarily dependent on agricultural and forest products. The main source of income is paddy (both winter and autumn) with surplus production. Jute and mustard seed occupy the major share of cash crops. Wheat, maize, pulses and sugar cane are also grown moderately. From forest, mainly timber and bamboo add to the income, though boulders and sand are also available. Fish, milk, meat, and eggs have small contribution to the economy. Currently three tea gardens, whose contribution to the district economy is almost negligible, cover an area of 1362.33 hectres. Land revenue collection is minimal, whereas tax from check gates and excise duty occupy much of the government exchequer. Devoid of major industrial production, the district uses more funds for administration, development, and welfare works than it provides.
Its rich natural wealth is yet to be explored and some believe that proper utilization of natural resources could provide a boost for the struggling economy.
Some important production and earnings are given below:[citation needed]
- Rice Production: 15,000 Tones (Approx)
- Forest Revenue: Rs. 40,00000.00 (Approx)
- Excise Revenue: Rs. 1,70,80,742.00 (2000-2001))
- Sales Tax Revenue: Rs. 10,13,36,902.00 (2000-2001)
Note: The tax department is believed by many to be corrupt, so numbers such as these are viewed with suspicion.
[edit] Sub-divisions and circles of the district
At present there are three sub-divisions:
1. Dhubri (Sadar)
2. Bilasipara and
3. South Salmara-Hatsingimari, Mankachar.
The district has 8 revenue circles and 7 tahsils. It has 8 police stations and 4 basic towns.
[edit] Educational infrastructure
At present the district houses 15 number of colleges for higher education. B. N. College, Dhubri (estd. 1946) at Dhubri is one of the oldest and famous institute in Assam. One Industrial Training Institute and some 30 number of private run computer institutes are there. More than hundred high and higher secondary schools are also imparting education to the people of the district.
[edit] Air and river ports and railway stations
Dhubri has an airport at Rupshi which is about 15 km away from the town. It was constructed during World War II by the British Govt. mainly for military purpose. Till 1983, the Indian Airlines and some private commercial flights operated regularly between Calcutta, Guwahati and Dhubri. Now it is totally closed. However, recently the ministry of DONER, GOI, has taken some initiative to renovate and fuctinalise the airport. The town had a very busy river port on the bank of the Brahmaputra which was used as an international trade centre with the neighbouring countries, specially in British era. At present, this port is lying idle. The importance of the Railway station and the MG line was also decreased since 1947, when the direct line to Calcutta was snapped as it ran through erstwhile East Pakistan (now Bangladesh).
[edit] Visit by historical personalities
Dhubri District also withnessed the historical visit of many of the eminent personalities like Guru Nanaka Dev, Srimanta Sankardeva, Guru Teg Bahadur, Swami Vivekananda, Mahatma Gandhi, Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose, Gopinath Bordoloi, Rajiv Gandhi and others.
[edit] Places of interest
The main places of interest in Dhubri district are Rangamati or Panbari Mosque, Mahamaya Dham, Gurdwara Sri Guru Tegh Bahadur Sahib, Chakrasila Wildlife Sanctuary, Florican Garden and Panchpeer Dargaha to name a few.
[edit] References
1. http://www.registry.gov.in/domain-info/domain_whois.php?siteurl=dhubri.gov.in
2. http://drdadhubri.org/
3. http://www.censusindia.gov.in/Dist_File/datasheet-1802.pdf
[edit] External links
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