Badin

Badin بدين
Badin
Coordinates: 24°34′N 68°50′E / 24.567°N 68.833°E / 24.567; 68.833Coordinates: 24°34′N 68°50′E / 24.567°N 68.833°E / 24.567; 68.833
Country	Pakistan
Province	Sindh Province
Elevation	10 m (30 ft)
Population
• Total	61,302
Time zone	PST (UTC+5)

Badin (Sindhi: بدين Urdu: بدین‎) is the main city and capital of Badin District in Sindh, Pakistan. It lies east of the Indus River. The region is swampy, fertile, and suitable for growing rice. Some oil fields are located near the town in the seasonally inundated Rann of Kutch region. Badin is the main town of Badin District. The population of the city as of 1998 was 61,302.^[1]

Badin is often called 'Sugar State' due to its production of sugar.^[2]

Shrines

In Badin District there are numerous shrines to saints, which are visited by hundreds of people daily, not only from parts of the district but also beyond. The shrines include that of Saman Shah, one of the greatest saints of Sindh of the last century; the shrines of 7 Pirs of Lowari Sharif including that of the famous poet of Sindhi language, Khowaja Muhammad Zaman; Faqir Syed Muhammad Hasan of Joona; Jandu Shah Badshah, and others. Many festivals take place around these shrines, which attract many people from a wide region.^[2]

Languages

As per National Census 1998 Sindhi in Vicholi and Kutchi dialects is primary language in the district, spoken by 74 percent of the total population in the district predominantly in rural areas. The next prominent language Punjabi with 17 percent speakers, Urdu (5 percent) and Balochi (2 percent) and Others (2 percent).

Education

The University of Sindh established a campus in the region of Badin, called 'Laar', to provide citizens in these areas with access to education. Laar College, Badin (S.U.L.C) was established in order to provide the inhabitants of Laar region, particularly girls, with the higher education in their local area.^[3]

The campus provides facilities including a library and a computer laboratory with an Internet connection. The College offers 4-year bachelor degree programs in Business Administration, Commerce and Computer Science, postgraduate diploma in Computer Science and B.Ed., M.Ed. & M.A. (Education).^[3]

As of 2013 government owned institutions of education consisted of 209 schools for boys, 102 schools for girls, 691 primary schools, 428 co-educational schools, and 15 high and higher schools.^[4]

Transport

Badin District is well linked by roads between taluka headquarters. The main roads in the district are Badin-Sajawal road and Badin-Hyderabad road via Tando Muhammad Khan. The Badin district consists of five talukas; its total geographical area is 6,726 square kilometres and the total length of roads of both high type and low type is 2,019 kilometres (1,255 mi). The length of road per square km as per geographical area is 0.30 km, which is insufficient, considering the number of motor vehicles transporting produce from farms to markets.^[2]

Railway

Badin District is connected by a railway system. The railway line connects Badin with Hyderabad passing through Matli Taluka. All the trains running through this district carry enormous traffic both of passengers and goods.^[2]

Media

Badin's media consists of radio, television and newspapers. 3905 television licenses were registered from Badin in 1999–2000. There are two movie-cinemas in Badin with 611 seating facility in each. PTCL V wireless and all mobile companies set their boasters and are commercially successful.

Industry and trade

Being an agricultural area, Badin's industries are agriculturally based. Badin is also known as the 'Sugar State' of Pakistan because it has the largest production of sugar; presently there are five large-scale units engaged in the production of sugar providing employment to 6,000 persons. Beside these factories, there are also more than 40 rice-husking mills.

Immunisation

A question about immunisation was included in the 1998 population census for the first time to evaluate the success of a vaccination program launched by the government. In all 44.37% of the children below 10 years of age have been reported vaccinated with a considerably higher percentage, 71.13% vaccinated in urban areas. The percentage of those whose vaccination status is not known is quite high, at 40.80% in the district, 43.34% in the rural, and 26.76% in the urban areas.

Climate

The climate of the district taken as a whole is moderate, and is tempered by the sea breeze which blows for eight months of the year from March to October, making the hot weather somewhat cooler than for other parts of Pakistan. During the monsoon period, the sky is cloudy, but there is very little precipitation. The climate in summer is generally moist and humid. The cold weather in Badin starts from the beginning of November when a sudden change from the moist sea breeze to the dry and cold north-east wind brings about, as a natural consequence, an immediate fall in temperature.cyclones and floods are hit because of sea.

Law and order

Although five sugar mills and oil fields are operating within the jurisdiction of Badin district, the law & order situation remains under control.

The compilation of crime figures for the last 30 years reveals that crime has decreased due to day and night patrolling and taking preventive measures to avert the crime and criminal activities.

References