Vasai-Virar

Vasai-Virar वसई-विरार
Metropolis / Twin City-Tahsil
Vasai-Virar
Coordinates: 19°28′N 72°48′E / 19.47°N 72.8°E / 19.47; 72.8Coordinates: 19°28′N 72°48′E / 19.47°N 72.8°E / 19.47; 72.8
Country	India
State	Maharashtra
District	Palghar
Area
• Total	380 km2 (150 sq mi)
Elevation	11 m (36 ft)
Population (2011)[1]
• Total	1,221,233
• Density	3,200/km2 (8,300/sq mi)
Languages
• Official	Marathi
Time zone	IST (UTC+5:30)
PIN	401- XXX
Telephone code	0250-XXX XXXX
Vehicle registration	MH-04, MH-48
Sex ratio	880 ♂/♀

Vasai-Virar is a city and tehsil (subdistrict) in Maharashtra state in western India, comprising the most populated part of Palghar district. It is a suburb of Mumbai. According to the 2011 census, it is the fifth largest city in Maharashtra.^[2] It is located in Palghar district, 50 km north of Mumbai. The city is located on the north bank of Vasai Creek, part of the estuary of the Ulhas River. Vasai-Virar City Municipal Corporation (VVMC) covers the tehsil.

Vasai-Virar is an agglomeration of several, formerly separate, towns. The area covered by the city roughly corresponds to the ancient city of Sopara.

Demographics

The population of Vasai-Virar was 1,221,233 at the 2011 census, up from 693,350 in 2001, 365,480 in 1991, and 219,868 in 1981, there exists slums and villages as well as urban zones.^[3]

Civic administration

The Vasai-Virar Town is governed by two bodies, the Vasai-Virar Municipal Corporation and the villages (gram panchayat).

Vasai-Virar Municipal Corporation

The Vasai-Virar Municipal Corporation (VVMC) was formed on 3 July 2010. It is headed by a Municipal commissioner, an Indian Administrative Service officer who wields the executive power. A quinquennial election is held to elect the governing body, who are responsible for overseeing that their constituencies have the basic civic infrastructure in place, and that there is no lacuna on the part of the authorities. The position of mayor is a largely ceremonial post with limited duties but the office-holder heads the party with the largest vote.

Transport

Railways

Mumbai Suburban Local Train

Vasai-Virar Town is Connected by Western & Central Railway. The Major Railway Stations on Western & Central Railway in Vasai-Virar Town are

• Virar railway station (Western Railway): All Local, DMU Train, Memu, Shuttle, Express & Passenger Trains halt or Depart from here.
• Nala Sopara railway station (Western Railway) : All Local DMU & Memu halt here.
• Vasai Road railway station (Western / Central Railway) : Vasai Road Railway Station is a Junction. All Local, DMU, Memu, Shuttle, Express & Passenger Trains halt or Depart from here.
• Naigaon railway station (Western Railway) : All Local Trains halt here.
• Juchandra railway station (Central Railway) : All DMU & MEMU halt here.
• Kaman Road railway station (Central Railway) : All DMU & MEMU halt here.

Road

Marcopolo Bus

Mini Bus

Vasai-Virar City Municipal Corporation started its own transport service on 3 October 2012 in association with Bhagirathi Transport Corporation Pvt Ltd, known as VVMT. It operates a large number of bus lines in the Vasai-Virar Town. VVMT also plies its buses in Vasai-Virar villages. It also has operation outside Town limits into neighbouring Town of Mira-Bhayander, Thane City & Mumbai City. VVMT bus ply from Vasai to Thane & Vasai to Mulund.^[4]

Operations
The VVMT uses diesel powered buses for its operation. The majority of the VVMT display boards will only have the destination name written in Marathi. All buses with electronic display board are introduced in the fleet, which have destination with the route number flashing in Marathi as well as English on front of the buses.^[4]

The VVMT bus routes are spread town-wide and also to neighboring towns and cities. The VVMT operates inter-city services to three different areas beyond the municipal limits of Vasai-Virar Town, i.e. into the limits of the Municipal Corporations of Mira-Bhayander, Thane and Mumbai.^[4]

Vasai-Virar Town
The local bus services of the city, which are operated by VVMC. The internal places of Vasai-Virar Town which are far from the Virar, Nalasopara, Vasai Road Railway Stations are connected by VVMT. The major concentration has always been Vasai-Virar Town and with vast growing population in the Town.

Vasai-Virar Villages
It is not official, but some faraway Villages from the Virar, Nalasopara and Vasai are connected by VVMT buses. VVMT services are not so frequent in Villages as in the Town.

Mira-Bhayander Town
Bhayander and Mira Road are connected to Vasai by VVMT. Services start from Virar, Nalasopara and Vasai Road Railway Stations towards Bhanyander and Mira Road. The inter city connection between the Vasai-Virar Town (which on the western railway side) and Thane / Central Mumbai City (which is on the central railway side) via Mira - Bhayander Town.

Thane City
Thane City is connected to Vasai by the VVMT. From Vasai it starts its services towards Thane. The inter city connection is between Vasai-Virar Town (which is on the western railway side) and Thane City / Central Mumbai City (via Thane City) (which is on the central railway side).

Mumbai City
Brihanmumbai Electricity Supply and Transport (BEST) is the largest public transport provider in the Mumbai city & suburbs. VVMT connects the last station in Mumbai's suburb Mulund to the Vasai-Virar. The inter-city connection is between Vasai-Virar Town on the western railway side and Central Mumbai City on the central railway side.

Sports

Vasai-Virar Mayor's Marathon

Sachin at Vasai-Virar Mayor's Marathon in 2014

Ritesh Deshmukh at Vasai-Virar Mayor's Marathon

Vasai-Virar Mayor's Marathon is marathon race organised in Vasai-Virar area of Mumbai. Vasai-Virar City Municipal Corporation hosts the Vasai-Virar Mayor's Marathon every year. Every Year Participants from all over Vasai Taluka & from the country take part in the Marathon.^[5][6][7]

The Vasai-Virar Mayor's Marathon event is conceptualized by Aryanz Sports PR and Events for the Vasai Virar City Municipal Corporation. Its inaugural edition was in 2011 as a state level event. It got National level status in 2012.^[5]

The event is a National Level running event, recognized by AFI, which has a Full Marathon for men and women in different age groups. There is also a Half Marathon for Men & Women in different age groups and 11 km open run for amateurs as well as boys under 18 and Category races for Boys & Girls under-18, between 14-16, 12 to 14 and 10-12.

The event also offers separate prize money to participants from the Vasai Virar Taluka region in the Full Marathon and Half Marathon and 11 km Run timed races .

The event sees participation in excess of 15,000 across various categories and offers prize money in excess of Rs 30 lakhs.^[5]

The event has seen participation from all the top long distance athletes of the country, among them names like G Lakshmanan, Lyngkhoi Bining, Elam, Singh, Deep Chand, Sanvroo Yadav, Shoji Mathew, Kavita Raut, Sudha Singh, Monika Athare and a host of others big names.

Actor, Model and Running enthusiast Milind Soman has been the 'Face of the Event' since its inception, helping popularise the event, while athletic and sporting greats like Sachin Tendulkar , Anju Bobby George P T Usha, Shiny Wilson, wrestlers Sushil Kumar & Yogeshwar Dutt have graced the occasion as Event Ambassadors.

There has also been the presence of Bollywood personalities like Mahima Choudhary, Riteish Deshmukh and a host of Marathi film and TV personalities.^[5]

Swimming Pool

VVMC has built an Olympic-size swimming pool in Vasai & Virar.

Climate

Vasai-Virar has a tropical wet and dry climate (Köppen: Aw). This moderate climate consists of high rainfall days and very few days of extreme temperatures. 80% of total rainfall occurs between June and October. Annual rainfall averages at 2,000–2,500 mm (79–98 in) and humidity is 61—86%, making it a humid-prehumid zone. The driest days are in winter, while the wettest days occur in July.

Notes

External links

• A portal on Vasai-Virar

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