Country India Headquarters Bijapur Major highways NH-16 Literacy 41.6% Administrative division Bastar division Tehsil 4 | State Chhattisgarh Tehsils 4 Website Official website Average annual precipitation 1,517 Major highway National Highway 16 | |
Bijapur district (Hindi: बीजापुर जिला), formerly known as Birjapur (Urdu :برجاپور) one of the 27 districts of Chhattisgarh state in central India. It is one of the two new districts created on May 11, 2007. As of 2011 it is the second least populous district of Chhattisgarh (out of 18), after Narayanpur. Moreover, it holds the dubious distinction of being the second least literate district in India at 41.58%, as per the 2011 census, after Alirajpur, Madhya Pradesh
Contents
Map of Bijapur, Chhattisgarh
History
It was carved out from the erstwhile Dantewada district. It is currently a part of the Red Corridor.
Geography
The Bijapur district occupies the southwestern part of Chhattisgarh state. The district borders on the Narayanpur district to the north and the Dantewada district to the east. To the southwest it borders on Andhra Pradesh state, to the west on Maharashtra state.
Indravati River, the main geographical feature of the district, flows across the southern limit of it with a tortuous course.
This district occupies an area of 6555 km² and Bijapur town is the administrative headquarters of this district. This district comprises 675 villages.
Topography
Most part of the district consists of hills. The loftiest peak of the district is Bailadila or the "Bullock's Hump". It is situated to the south of the Indravati River and tilts towards north-south.
Transport
The National Highway passing through Bijapur town, the district headquarters, is NH 16 (connecting Bijapur to Jagdalpur towards east and to Nizamabad in Andhra Pradesh) in the west while passing through Maharashtra). RTC depoits - 02
NH 63 at Bhopalpatnam connects Bijapur to NH 202 leading to Warangal and Hyderabad.
Missing links in NH 16
Even though the NH 16 purports to connect, among others Bijapur and Jagdalpur towns to Nizamabad in Telangana while passing through Maharashtra, the connectivity has not been established till date due to two missing bridges en route.
One of the missing bridge is on river Indravati near Bhopalpatnam in Bijapur district in Chhattisgarh as is evident from the road network map of the area. One has to cross the river through boat ferry to go to Sironcha taluq of Maharashtra.
As one goes further towards Maharashtra on the NH 16, there is another bridge missing on river Pranahita near Sironcha as is evident from the road network map of the area.
Refer this article for an update as of March 27, 2012.
Flora and Fauna
The district is rich in forest. The forest found in the district falls under the dry region comprising mixed forest range. The dry region consists of mixed forest is extensive and is interspersed between the moist and intermediate belt but more generally confined to the western half and southern parts of the district. Here are found trees of the mixed variety viz. Dhawra (Anogeissus latifolia), Bhirra (Chloroxylon swietenia), Rhoni (Soymida febrifuga) and others like Char, Tendu, Aonia, Aonla, Harra, Haria and so no.
In the rocky regions, the trees are generally stunted and deformed.the common trees in the rocky region are salai, Hangu, Khair, Harra, Palas, Sesam and others. In the northern portions of the district, the forest trees are Teak (Tectona grandis), Sal (Shoraaro-busta), Sirsa (Dalbergia latifolia), Bijasal (Ptetocarpus marsupium), Kusum (Schleichera trijuga), Palas (Butea frondosa), Mahua (Bassia latifolia) Tendu (Diospyos melanoxylon), Harra (Terminalia chebula) Aonla (Phyllanthus emblica) Saja (Terminalla tomentosa), Kauha (T. arjuna), Salai (Boswellia serrata), Char (Buchanania latifolia) and others.
In the region around village settlement are found the common trees which need no mention here. Palms fill an important place in the domestic economy of the people. The Palmyra palm (Borassua flabellifer), locally known as tar, grows gregariously in the south-west. From this people extract tari. The next most important is Sulphy (Caryota urens). Unlike the palmyra palm, Sulphi is not a gregarious species and grows in the shady valleys of hills of depressions of undulating plains. It thrives best in the central regions of the district. The sulphi yields a sap, known by the same name and provides a delicious juice. Other palm trees are the wild date palms (Phoenix Sylvestris) and P. acaulis, which are locally named as chhind and the buta chhind (P. farinifera). From the stem of this buta chhind is obtained a grub which is a delicacy for the tribes.
The district is famous for its rich wildlife as it has very thick cover of forest. Tigers and Panthers are found throughout the district in the forest. Tigers and Panthers have a notoriety for turning man-eaters, evidently because of the scarcity of the trees, natural food in the forest and absence of cattle. Nearest airport is at Raipur and railway station is at Dantewada. By road, Bijapur is linked with Dantewada, Raipur and Vishakhapatnam. Its headquarters is at Bijapur, which is approximately 90 km south from the District Dantewada.
Demographics
According to the 2011 census Bijapur district, Chhattisgarh has a population of 255,180, roughly equal to the nation of Vanuatu. This gives it a ranking of 581st in India (out of a total of 640). The district has a population density of 39 inhabitants per square kilometre (100/sq mi) . Its population growth rate over the decade 2001-2011 was 8.76%. Bijapur has a sex ratio of 982 females for every 1000 males, and a literacy rate of 41.58%.