Rohtas district

History

The administrative headquarters of the district, Sasaram is a place of historical importance. Another important symbol of national pride are the parallel bridges built over the Sone River – one for road and another for railway. The road bridge (Jawahar Setu built by Gammon India in 1963–65) over Sone was the longest (3061 m) in Asia until it was surpassed by the Mahatma Gandhi setu (5475 m) over the river Ganges at Patna. Nehru Setu, the railway bridge is the second longest railway bridge in India.

The district is also home to the Rohtasgarh fort, which was one of the strongest forts in the medieval age.

The district is currently a part of the Red Corridor.

Geography

Rohtas district occupies an area of 3,851 square kilometres (1,487 sq mi).

The district has a variety of landscapes within a small area, with flat plains running alongside the Kaimur Range and Rohtas Plateau. The majority of the land is a fertile floodplain of the Son River which is a tributary of the Ganges originating in Madhya Pradesh. The mountains of the Kaimur Range, which is an extension of the Vindhya Range were heavily forested in recent history, however mass deforestation has occurred due to firewood being used as fuel. The area is highly fertile and due to this is densely populated.

Climate

The climate of the region is sub-tropical and typical of the plains of Northern India, with hot dry summers and cool winters with cold nighttime temperatures. The monsoon is vital for the district as the economy is mainly based on agriculture.

Deforestation has led to climate change and has had an environmental impact, with drought becoming more frequent and temperatures becoming warmer. As recently as the early 1990s, nighttime frost used to be common in the winter, however deforestation in the Kaimur hills has had a negative impact.

Sub-divisions

Rohtas district comprises 3 Sub-divisions:

Economy

Until 1980, Dalmianagar was one of the major industrial cities in India. It had sugar, vegetable oil, cement, paper, and chemical factories (Rohtas Industries) but now they are closed. Dacoities, extortion and interference from the local mafia led to the downfall of this place. In 2008–09 budget establishment of railway factory in Dalmianagar has been passed and the campus of Dalmianagar factory has been taken by railway.

Dehri On Sone is also famous for coal depot. This market brings customers from all over of North India for coal trading. There is one hydropower generation unit which generates 6.6 megawatts of electricity.

In 2006 the Ministry of Panchayati Raj named Rohtas one of the country's 250 most backward districts (out of a total of 640). It is one of the 36 districts in Bihar currently receiving funds from the Backward Regions Grant Fund Programme (BRGF).

Transport

This city is well connected with railway and road. Dehri on sone and Sasaram has big railway station with almost all the major train stops there. This place is well connected with the road as Grant Trunk Road passes through the heart of both of Dehri and Sasaram. Sasaram is well connected with Ara by rail as well as road.

Demographics

According to the 2011 census Rohtas district has a population of 2,962,593, roughly equal to the nation of Armenia or the US state of Mississippi. This gives it a ranking of 127th in India (out of a total of 640). The district has a population density of 763 inhabitants per square kilometre (1,980/sq mi) . Its population growth rate over the decade 2001–2011 was 20.22%. Rohtashas a sex ratio of 914females for every 1000 males, and a literacy rate of 76.59%., which is highest in Bihar.

Flora and fauna

In 1982 Rohtas district became home to the Kaimur Wildlife Sanctuary, which has an area of 1,342 km² (518.1 sq mi).