Atul, Gujarat

Demographics

As of the 2001 India census, Atul has a population of 5352. Males constitute 53% of the population and females 47%. Atul has an average literacy rate of 84%, higher than the national average of 59.5%; with 55% of the males and 45% of females literate. 10% of the population is under 6 years of age. Atul, located on the bank of the river Par, derives its name from the Lalbhai Group owned Atul Ltd.

Transport

Atul is located on the Western Railway on Mumbai (Bombay)-Surat segment. It is 187 km from Mumbai Central. It is 76 km from Surat, 205 km from Vadodara (Baroda), 305 km from Ahmedabad. While coming from Mumbai, it is the previous station before Valsad.

The nearest airports are Mumbai to the south (200 km), Surat (around 80 km) & Vadodara (around 215 km) to the north.

Atul is located along the National Highway no. 8.

Educational Facilities

Although Atul is a small village there are very good schools available in Atul and nearby areas. The main schools are as follows.

Atul Vidyalaya

Atul Vidyalaya, founded in 1991 and sponsored by the Lalbhai Group of Companies, aims to create a centre for education, wherein each child is imparted knowledge that is contemporary and at the same time rooted firmly in our cultural heritage. It is an English medium school, up to standard 12. The school is affiliated to the Council for the Indian School Certificate Examinations (ICSE), New Delhi. Students of standard 9 and 10 appear for the ICSE (Indian Certificate of Secondary Education). Students of standard 11 and 12 appear for the ISC (Indian School Certificate).

Kalyani School

This is Gujarati medium, co-educational school up to standard 12, following GSHE Board curriculum. It is the first school in the town and one of the great schools. On 15 August 1948 (on 1st anniversary of Indian Independence) Pandit. Jawaharlal Nehru (first Prime Minister of India) had given a speech from the podium of Kalyani School, Atul.

Vallabh Ashram School

One more school is located 2.5 km away from Atul. It is an English medium school, up to standard 12. It follows the CBSE curriculum. It has hostel facilities for boys as well as girls. Its full name is 'M.G. M. Amin and V. N. Savani School'.

Atul Ltd

The village Atul was developed due to the company Atul Ltd.which was established around 1950 here. The Company established successful joint venture companies with world-renowned multi-national companies namely American Cyanamid Company (now a part of BASF AG and Pfizer Inc) in 1947, Imperial Chemical Industries plc (now a part of Akzo Nobel and Astra Zeneca plc) in 1955 and Ciba-Geigy Ltd (now a part of BASF AG and Huntsman Corporation) in 1960. It is the first private sector company of India to have been inaugurated by its first Prime Minister, Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru. Spread over 1,300 acres, the manufacturing facility is an example of transformation of completely barren lands into one of the greenest chemical complexes in the world. The 1,350 (2012-13) products and formulations sold by Atul Ltd are used by around 4,000 (2012-13) customers belonging to diverse industries particularly Adhesives, Agriculture, Animal Feed, Automobile, Chemical, Composites, Construction, Cosmetic, Defence, Dyestuff, Electrical and Electronics, Flavour and Fragrance, Food, Glass, Home Care, Horticulture, Hospitality, Paint and Coatings, Paper, Personal Care, Pharmaceutical, Plastic, Polymer, Rubber, Soap and Detergent, Textile and Tyre. The Company has established subsidiary companies in the USA (1994), the UK (1996), Germany (1998), China (2004) and Brazil (2012) to serve its customers and thus enhance breadth and depth of its business.

Atul Ltd has very well developed colonies for residence of its employees in Atul Village. The colonies are named as Down Colony, Up Colony, Par Colony, Suvidha Colony, GJK colony etc. Three Guest Houses belonging to the Company are also located in the residential area.