| Gaighata | |
| — community development block — | |
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| Coordinates | |
| Country | India |
| State | West Bengal |
| District(s) | North 24 Parganas |
| Parliamentary constituency | Bangaon |
| Assembly constituency | Gaighata, Bangaon Dakshin |
| Population • Density |
300,418 (2001[update]) • 1,234 /km2 (3,196 /sq mi) |
| Time zone | IST (UTC+05:30) |
| Area | 243.52 square kilometres (94.02 sq mi) |
| Website | north24parganas.nic.in/ |
Gaighata (community development block) (Bengali: গাইঘাটা সমষ্টি উন্নয়ন ব্লক) is an administrative division in Bangaon subdivision of North 24 Parganas district in the Indian state of West Bengal. Haroa police station serves this block. Headquarters of this block is at Chandrapara Bazar.[1] There are two census towns in this block: Sonatikiri and Dhakuria
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Gaighata is located at .
Gaighata community development block has an area of 243.52 sq km.[2]
Gram panchayats of Gaighata block/ panchayat samiti are: Chandpara, Fulsara, Jaleswar II, Sutia, Dharmapur I, Ichapur I, Jhaudanga, Dharmapur II, Ichapur II, Ramnagar, Duma, Jaleswar I and Shimulpur.[3]
As per 2001 census, Gaighata block has a total population of 300,418 out of which 177,515 were males and 166,459 were females. Gaighata block registered a population growth of 16.72 per cent during the 1991-2001 decade. Decadal growth for the district was 22.40 per cent.[2]Decadal growth in West Bengal was 17.84 per cent.[4]
Gaighata is on NH 35 from Barasat to Bangaon and the Bangladesh border. A privately operated express bus (No. 250) from Esplanade to Bangaon goes via Gaighata.[5] Gaighata now has good connectivity with all surrounding villages by means of autorikshas and trekars. One can easily reach Ranaghat and Basirhat by bus. Recently another privately operated bus ( No. DN 44 ) from ( Bangaon to Dakshineswar ) also goes via Gaighata and Gopal pur.
Gaighata block is one of the areas where ground water is affected by arsenic contamination.[6]According to the findings of the Arsenic Dushan Protirodh Committee (ADPC), a national-level NGO which aims to spread awareness of arsenic and prevent arsenic poisoning through water, found at least 70 tube-wells were reportedly supplying water highly contaminated with arsenic. The ADPC tested water from wells across Gaighata block in North 24-Parganas as well as urine samples of 100 school children.[7]
The possibility of a low cost river water treatment plant utilizing water from Yamuna-Ichhamati at Gighata has been considered. However, this is not considered feasible because the river is highly polluted, costs would considerably increased because of installation of chemical treatment plant to remove pollutants, and the volume of water in the river in summer season is not sufficient.[8]
Project Well, a NGO, is implementing a self-supporting community-based mitigation program in Gaighata to provide arsenic safe water by constructing 20 modified conventional dugwells along with education on water related health effects to change behaviour.[9]
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