Farakka (community development block)

Location

Farakka is located at 24°47′51″N 87°54′51″E

Farakka CD Block is bounded by Kaliachak III CD Block, across the Ganges in Malda district, in the north, Barhawarwa CD Block in Sahibganj district of Jharkhand, in the west, Pakur CD Block in the south and Samserganj CD Block in the east.

Area

Farakka CD Block has an area of 132.74 km².

Physical features

The Bhagirathi divides the district into two parts namely Bagri on the east and Rahr on the west. The Padma separates the district from Malda district, and Chapai Nawabganj and Rajshahi districts of Bangladesh.

Gram panchayats

Gram panchayats in Farakka block/ panchayat samiti are: Arjunpur, Bahadurpur, Beniagram, Bewa I, Bewa II, Imamnagar, Mahadevnagar, Maheshpur and Nayansukhi.

Population

As per 2011 Census of India, Farakka CD Block had a total population of 274,111, of which 167,826 were rural and 106,285 were urban. There were 139,226 (51%) males and 134,885 (49%) females. Population below 6 years was 225,344. Scheduled Castes numbered 32,689 and Scheduled Tribes numbered 5,165.

As of 2001 census, Farakka block has a total population of 219,775, out of which 112,447 were males and 107,328 were females. Farakka block registered a population growth of 24.13 per cent during the 1991-2001 decade. Decadal growth for the district was 23.70 per cent. Decadal growth in West Bengal was 17.84 per cent.

Census towns and large villages

Census towns in Farakka CD Block were (2011 figures in brackets): Farakka Barrage Township (20,126), Srimantapur (P) (4,374), Benia Gram (15,046), Arjunpur (6,042), Sibnagar (6,812), Memrejpur (9,851), Pranpara (22,297) and Mahadebnagar (21,737).

Large villages in Farakka CD Block were (2011 figures in brackets): Bahadurpur (4,079), Uttar Bhabanipur (5,509), Bewa (P) (15,265), Andhua (4,090), Sri Rampur (4,848), Jafarganj (12,114), Ballalpur (7,117), Imamnagar (6,933), Kuli (28,092), Bhabanipur (11,465), Sankarpur (4,411) and Jigrikulgachhi (6,004).

Literacy

As of 2011 census, the total number of literates in Farakka CD Block was 134,650 (59.75% of the population above 6 years) out of which 74,957 (56%) were males and 59,693 (44%) were females.

As of 2011 census, literacy in Murshidabad district was 66.59. Literacy in West Bengal was 77.08% in 2011. Literacy in India in 2011 was 74.04%.

Language

Bengali is the local language in these areas.

Agriculture

Main cops cultivated are paddy, jute, potato, onion, garlic and brinjal. The source of water is ponds and tubewells. Famous fruits are mango, litchi and jackfruit.

Agriculture is the main occupation. Women are mainly beedi workers. Beedi is the largest small-scale industry.

Farakka Super Thermal Power Station

Six units of the 2,100 MW Farakka Super Thermal Power Station, owned by NTPC Limited, were commissioned between 1986 and 2011. A major coal mining project of Eastern Coalfields Limited (Rajmahal open cast project, a part of Rajmahal coalfield) is going on in Boarijore, Mahagama and Sunderpahari CD Blocks of Godda district in Jharkhand. Rajmahal open cast project (earlier known as Lalmatia Colliery) supplies coal to the Farakka Super Thermal Power Station and the 2,340 MW Kahalgaon Super Thermal Power Station.

Transport

NH-34 passes through Farakka block. NH-80 connects Farakka and Mokama.

New Farakka railway station is served by Howrah-New Jalpaiguri line and Barharwa-Azimganj-Katwa loop. The 2,240 metres (7,350 ft) long Farakka Barrage carries a rail-cum-road bridge across the Ganges. The rail bridge was thrown open to the public in 1971, thereby linking the towns of Murshidabad district and South Bengal to Malda Town railway station, New Jalpaiguri railway station and other railway stations in North Bengal.

Healthcare

Farakka block is one of the areas where ground water is affected by arsenic contamination.