Asansol
Encyclopedia
Asansol is a coal mining and industrial metropolis and one of the busiest commercial centres in India. It is the second largest city and urban agglomeration in West Bengal
after Kolkata
and the 19th largest urban agglomeration in India. Asansol is located in the western part of the Burdwan District of West Bengal. It has a large workforce, moderately high per capita income, educational establishments, good transport connections, several housing complexes, and land suitable for industry, institutions, transport and commerce. Its hinterland is Bankura and Purulia districts and North Bengal, linked to parts of Orissa and Jharkhand states. According to a report released by International Institute for Environment and Development
, a UK-based policy research non-governmental body, Asansol is among the 11 Indian cities in the list of 100 fastest growing cities in the world with a rank of 42. The name Asansol is derived from two different names, Asan tree (a species of tree found on the banks of river Damodar
) and Sol-Bhumi/Sol-land (the land rich in minerals).
to Barakar
covering Raniganj
, Jamuria
, Asansol, Burnpur
, Neamatpur
, Kulti
and Barakar
, composed of about 40 kilometres along Grand Trunk Road
forms one urban agglomeration, all of which falls within Asansol subdivision area. The gaps between the contiguous urban centres are filled with collieries and small settlements. The Chittaranjan
– Rupnarayanpur urban centre are also closely linked. For the purposes of planning the entire stretch from Panagarh
to Barakar
is overseen by the Asansol Durgapur Development Authority (ADDA).
Being the central city of the coal belt, Asansol is heavily industrialised though many of the industries have fallen on hard times in the recent years, leading to its transformation into a trading town that utilises its position as the transport centre. The largest employers in the area are Eastern Coalfields (a subsidiary of Coal India Limited
) and IISCO
Steel Plant of Steel Authority of India Limited
. Other major industries are Chittaranjan Locomotive Works, Hindustan Cables Ltd., Disergarh Power Supply, Damodar Valley Corporation
(DVC), Burn Standard, Reckitt and Coleman, couple of cement plants such as Burnpur Cement, Asansol Cement,Lafarge Cement India Pvt. Ltd., iCore Cement and refractory units such as Kabita Refractories.
While Dhanbad district lies on the western side, Durgapur sub division of Bardhman district lies on the eastern side. To the south, across the Damodar river are the Purulia and Bankura districts. To the north are Dumka and Birbhum districts. Dhanbad district across the Barakar river in Jharkhand is also a major mining area and has close links with Asansol. Both lie in the Damodar valley.
and Austroloid
stock inhabited this region. Around two thousand five hundred years ago, it became an area of significant Jain activity. According to some, the last Tirthankar of Jain religion, Mahavira Vardhamana
, used to live and work in the area. The district and headquarters town thus came to be known as Bardhaman. Some identify the spread of Jainism in West Bengal with the Aryanisation of the region. Evidence of major Jain activity exists in the Jain temples on Parasnath Hills
a.k.a. Pareshnath Hill in neighbouring Jharkhand. There is an old Jain temple at Begunia on the bank of the Barakar river and temples in neighbouring Bankura district also bear evidence of major Jain activity in the region.
There is a Jain Temple in Asansol devoted to Vasupujya
,12th Tirthankara in Mehta Road in Durga mandir and a Jain Bhawan.
Later, the area was possibly part of the Vishnupur kingdom, where the Malla dynasty ruled for around a thousand years till the advent of the British. There is a Vishnupur style temple in Chhotodighari village providing a clue to its links with Vishnupur. The local dialect and culture of the region has closer affinities with those of Bankura and Vishnupur than the other neighbouring areas.
and John Summer of the British East India Company
discovered coal in the area, and mining started. The early exploration and mining operations were carried out in a haphazard manner and demand was limited. Regular mining operations started in 1820, led by an agency house, Alexander and Co. In 1835, Prince Dwarkanath Tagore
bought over the collieries and Carr and Tagore Co. led the field. For the entire 19th century and a major part of the 20th century, Ranigunj coalfields in the Asansol region was the major producer of coal in the country.
At the behest of William Princep, Carr and Tagore Co. joined hands with Gilmore Hombray and Co. in 1843 to form Bengal Coal Co., which opened up the coal mining activities. Their headquarters was at Sanctoria
. Other mining companies included Birbhum Coal Co., Equitable Coal Co., Madhu Roy and Prasanna Dutta Co., Bird and Co., South Barakar Coal Co., Andrew Yule and Company Ltd.
and Balmer Lawrie
.
The discovery of coal brought in the railways. In India, the first operational railway track was between Mumbai and Thane in 1853. In the eastern sector, the first train ran from Howrah to Hughli in 1854. It was officially opened in 1855 up to Ranigunj (194 km). It was extended through the Sahibganj loop up to Varanasi in 1862 and to Delhi in 1866. The line to Mumbai via Allahabad was opened in 1870. The present main line via Patna was opened in 1871. The Grand Chord
via Gaya came in 1906. The Howrah-Bardhaman chord was opened in 1917.
Asansol became an important centre of railway activity, and the railway settlements grew with the growth of the locomotive shops. It also brought in the European and Anglo-Indian communities, who were to play a pivotal role in the life of Asansol. Durand Institute (now renamed Swami Vivekananda Institute), reputed to be the oldest railway institute in Asia, was a major centre of European and Anglo-Indian
activity. There is an imposing structure of tall column (memorial tower)in front of Durand Institute commemorating the memories of the supreme sacrifice of those European soldiers and commanders who laid down their lives in the First World War (1914–1918).It is as good as a landmark of Asansol, reminder of the European legacy of the place and it is so high that it is easily visible from the railway station. The old churches of Asansol and the leading schools were built to cater primarily to these communities. It was much later that Indians were allowed into the schools. There were a handful of Armenian businessmen. Old timers still recall the shops of Gregory at Asansol and Johannes at Burnpur. While Asansol emerged as an important centre of East Indian Railway, ultimately becoming the divisional headquarters in 1925, Adra emerged as a major centre of Bengal Nagpur Railway. It is now the headquarter of Divisional Railway Manager (DRM) Asansol, the post previously designated as Divisional Superintendent (DS).
using coal instead of charcoal went into production at Kulti in 1875. In those days, the place was more easily identified as Kendwa. Kulti was a smaller village than Kendwa. It utilised low-grade iron ore available locally.
In 1901 the country’s first iron ore mine was developed at Pansiraburu in Singhbhum district (then in Bengal, now in Jharkhand), as part of Manoharpur Ore Mines and linked to Kulti. In 1904, Kulti is credited with having produced steel from open hearth furnaces. However, with stiff competition from imported material, the steelmaking facilities were closed down. The ownership of the pioneering plant changed hands many times. The farsighted control of the plant by Sir Rajendranath Mookerjee
, who had founded Martin and Co. with Sir Acquin Martin, kept it going.
Burn and Co promoted The Indian Iron and Steel Co. Ltd. in 1918. G.H. Fairhurst is credited with having founded the plant at Burnpur (then better known as Hirapur). Sir Rajendranath Mookerjee and T. Leslie Martin were also associated with it. Sir Biren Mookerjee
joined a little later and played a major role in the development of the plant. Iron production started at Burnpur in 1922. Kulti Works of Bengal Iron was merged with IISCO in 1936. Steel Corporation of Bengal (SCOB) set up the steelmaking facilities at Burnpur in 1939. SCOB was merged with IISCO in 1952 and Martin Burn was then the managing agent of the company. Indian Standard Wagon (ISW) (later renamed Burn Standard) set up its wagon factory at Burnpur.
Another major development of the colonial culture was the establishment of clubs. The British are credited with the formation of such clubs as Asansol Club, Burnpur Club, Kulti Club and Dishergarh
Club. In the early days, these clubs did not admit Indians, who had their own organisations such as Hirapur Indian Association (later renamed Bharati Bhaban). Subsequently, Indians gained admission into the British clubs.
The growth and development of trade unions was a corollary of industrial development. Labour wages were low but the conditions of the rural areas were so pitiable that the area witnessed considerable influx of population not only from the neighbouring districts but also from Bihar and Uttar Pradesh (then the United Provinces). The countryside was weighed down by excessive land revenue and lack of development. Famines were a regular feature.Coal theft is common practice in this region.
With the nationalisation of the railways East Indian Railway became Eastern Railway and Bengal Nagpur Railway became South Eastern Railway. Asansol became divisional head quarters of Eastern Railway. Andal has the largest marshalling yard in Asia. The diesel locomotiveo shed at Andal can accommodate 101 locomotives and the electric locomotive shed at Asansol can accommodate 118 locomotives.
Chittaranjan Locomotive Works (CLW) was the first locomotive workshop in India, named after the freedom fighter, leader and statesman Deshbandhu Chittaranjan Das
. It initially produced steam locomotives. The production activity started on 26 January 1950 the day when India became a Republic. The first steam locomotive Deshbandhu was dedicated to the nation by Dr. Rajendra Prasad, the first President of India. With the roll out of first CLW built WAG-9 electric locomotive Navyug on 14 November 1998, India joined the five countries which can manufacture electric locomotives with 3-phase technology. In 2006, CLW produced Dr Silver, a 6000 hp three-phase locomotive with remote diagnostic system. Until 31 March 2006 CLW has produced 3380 electric locomotives.
Sen Raleigh Industries started production in their cycle factory at Kanyapur, near Asansol, in 1949. Pilkington set up a glass factory in Asansol. The Jaykay group established an aluminium plant at Jaykaynagar, near Asansol. The Dhakeswari textile mill was set up at Suryanagar on the banks of the Damodar. Bengal Paper Mill was established at Ballabhpur, Ranigunj. Hindustan Cables Ltd. set up their plant at Rupnarayanpur.
The Sen-Raleigh cycle factory was located in the outskirts called Kanyapur. Later the company was taken over by government and renamed to CCIL. Models from the factory included Raleigh, Humber, Balaka, Rudge, Arjun and Swathi. Another major industry was Hindustan Pilkington Glass with a factory located in a prime area of the city.
A steel plant was set up in neighbouring Durgapur and the plant at Burnpur was expanded. There also was considerable expansion of townships and other facilities. Nehru Park
(formerly Lahmeyer Park) was built utilising the natural contour of the terrain on the banks of the Damodar. The airstrip at Burnpur can handle small aircraft. Along with the expansion of the steel plant at Burnpur the outdated open top blast furnaces of Kulti were closed and the Kulti Works emerged as the pioneer and later as the largest producer of spun pipes in the country. It also produced foundry products.
valley, the city has evolved and expanded over time to a population of one million, ranking it 23rd in India. It is located about 200 km from Kolkata.Asansol is the 42nd Fastest growing city in the world and 10th in the India.
, Kajora
, Jhanjra Bankola, Kenda
, Sonepur, Kunustoria, Satgram,Ningha, Sripur, Sodepur and Salanpur
are the major coal areas around Asansol. Kasta Coalfields, north of the Ajay river in Birbhum district, Mejia and Parbelia, across the Damodar in Bankura and Purulia district respectively, and Mugma, across the Barakar river in Dhanbad district, are adjacent to Asansol. Only small patches intrude into Durgapur subdivision. Coal in India was first mined in Narayankuri near Ranigunj. Sitarampur
boasts of the first Mines Rescue Station, Directorate of Mines Safety and explosive manufacturing unit now defunct but the former two still in operation.
The region sits on seams of coal. Reserves of coal in West Bengal (mostly in Asansol) are estimated to be 22.62 billion tonnes. ECL has 107 operating mines, a majority of them in Asansol. Superior quality non-coking coal is mined in the region. With around two centuries of coal mining in the region, most of the coal in the upper seams have been exhausted and underground mining has been extending to deeper seams. However, substantial volumes of coal are available in the pillars and walls of coal left behind to support the roofs of underground mines. Coal remaining in the surface seams can be mined by open cast methods.
The use of heavy duty earth-moving equipment has led to the development of large open cast mines. ECL’s total coal production of 27.25 million tonnes in 2004–05, is expected to rise to 46 million tonnes by 2011–12. Out of this 32.84 million tonnes is expected to be from the open cast mines. The annual production of Sonepur Bazari open cast project, a major project in the area, is proposed to be raised from the level of 3 million tonnes in 2004–05 to 8 million tonnes by 2011–12.
Underground coal mining brings with it the problem of subsidence. By law, when coal is taken out from an underground mine it is to be filled in with sand. However, the laws were not there in earlier days and even when it was there, private mine owners had violated this for decades and left behind big gaps beneath the surface. At places, the surface is subsiding and creating havoc in the area.
In 1952, 12 people were killed in a roof collapse in Dhemo Main colliery. In 1954, 63 people were killed in Newton Chikli, near Ranigunj, as a result of inundation. In 1956, 28 people were killed in Baro Dhemo colliery because of inundation. In 1958, 175 people were killed at Chinakuri because of explosion of fire damp. In 1994, 55 people were killed in New Kenda, near Jamuria, as a result of fire/suffocation by gases.
The Baro Dhemo colliery accident, where a large number of people were rescued the mine was inundated with water, provided the inspiration for a theatrical production in Bengali, Angar (1959), directed by Utpal Dutta
. The lighting effects by Tapash Sen, which recreated the flooding of a mine on the stage at Kolkata, were notable.
The Head Quarters of the Eastern Coalfields Limited (a subsidiary of Coal India Limited
) is situated at Sanctoria
which is just 20 kilometres from Asansol.
functioning under the Mughals. When Mir Kassem, then Nawab of Sube Bangala, ceded Bardhaman along with Medinipur and Chittagong to East India Company in 1760 (three years after the Battle of Plassey), it was the beginning of an eventful chapter for the region. Till that time the area was a wilderness of forest and jungle, dotted at long intervals with tiny settlements. The countryside was ravaged and plundered by outlaws.
Administrative changes started taking place with the advent of the British. While Badhaman Raj continued to function under British tutelage, changes were made to suit the requirements of British administration. One major change was that of parganas (administrative division) to thana (police station).
In 1837 when Bankura district was formed, the Asansol-Ranigunj area was part of Bankura district. In 1847, Ranigunj subdivision was formed with three police stations –Ranigunj, Kanksa and Neamatpur and it was made a part of Bardhaman district. In 1906 the subdivisional headquarters was shifted to Asansol and the subdivision renamed accordingly. In 1910, the police stations in Asansol subdivision were Asansol, Ranigunj, Kanksa, Faridpur and Barakar. In 2006, Asansol subdivision has the following police stations: Chittaranjan, Salanpur, Barabani, Asansol (North), Asansol (South), Ranigunj, Jamuria, Hirapur and Kulti. In 1968, Durgapur subdivision was carved out of Asansol subdivision.
Previously, Additional Superintendent of Police was in overall charge of Police administration of Asansol being assisted by Dy. S.P (Hqrs), Dy.S.P (SR) and Dy.S.P, DEB Asansol. Asansol Police Lines which is located at the heart of the city is the head quarters of Asansol Police though the Police Office is located at Evelyn Lodge. Armed Police Inspector (API) Asansol was in charge of District Armed Police who are deployed at Asansol. Reserve Office looks after disposition, leave, transfer/promotional matters of police personnel. Apart from that District Intelligence Officer-II was entrusted with intelligence related matters.
Asansol subdivisional police has done pioneering work by introducing registered organisations like Disha Janakalyan Kendra, Lachhipur and Faiz-e-Aam Committee, Railpar, and Udichi Co-operative, and Gunjan Ecological Park, Nigha. Shri Soumen Mitra IPS, the then Addl.s.p, Asansol introduced this concept.
Recently, the State Government of West Bengal has developped a Police Commissionerate in Asansol including 8 Police Stations of both Asansol Subdivision and 9 Police Stations of Durgapur Subdivision. This has 3 working divisions: West, Central and East, headed by a DCP each. Besides, there are four more DCPs as DC (Traffic), DC (DD), DC (Hq) and DC (IB). The structure of the commissionerate is on the lines of Delhi Police. An official of IG rank, Mr. Ajay Nanda is posted in the commissionerate as the commissioner and the commissionerate is an independent organisation which reports to the Director General of Police.
Asansol is a corporation administered by the Asansol Municipal Corporation. In 1850, a union committee was formed to look after the civic needs of Asansol. The municipality was approved in 1885 but started functioning effectively in 1896. It has been upgraded to the status of a corporation in 1996.
(NH 2) runs across the subdivision. The highway has been broadened as part of the Golden Quadrilateral
project and now allows two lane traffic each way. A bypass enables highway traffic to avoid the congested areas of Asansol, Neamatpur, Kulti and Barakar. Asansol is connected to Kolkata by road with daily Volvo buses as well as non-ac government buses run by the South Bengal State Transport Corporation
which ply at half-an-hour interval duration and this 224 km distance is taking 4 to 4.5 hours approximately. The South Bengal State Transport Corporation also plies buses in various other routes such as Malda, Siliguri, Midnapur, Bankura, Burdwan, Kalna,Habra,Barackpore,Digha,Berhampore etc. Also there are many Private Operators which ply express and Super Fast as well as Deluxe Buses to various other towns of the State as well as Outside the State to places such as Dhanbad
, Bokaro Steel City
, Jamshedpur , Ranchi
, Giridih
, Hazaribag etc. Government Bus Service operators also includes the North Bengal State Transport Corporation which plies buses to towns of North Bengal such as Malda , Raiganj
, Siliguri
, Coochbihar etc. NH-60 connects Asansol with Orissa via. Raniganj- Mejia-Gangajalghati-Bankura-Bishnupur-Salboni-Kharagpur-Belda-Dantan-Jaleswar.
The railway track from Kolkata to Delhi passes through the subdivision and bifurcates into the main line and the grand chord line, at Sitarampur
railway junction, a little to the west of Asansol. Another railway track links Asansol with Adra and then to Jamshedpur via Purulia and Kharagpur
via Bankura. A branch line connects Andal with Sainthia on the Sahibgunj loop. Almost all of the trains linking Kolkata
with north India
connect Asansol with Kolkata
as well as with north India
. The Howrah – Indore Shipra Express
and the Howrah-Gwalior-Agra Cant. Chambal Express are the trains that connects the city to Indore
, Bhopal, Gwalior, Jhansi and other central Indian cities. Other trains like Asansol-Mumbai express, Asansol-Ahmedabad Express, connects Asansol with couple of other major cities of India. Asansol-Tata Express, Asansol-Gorakhpur Express and Asansol-Gonda Express are the three new trains introduced in 2011 Rail Budget.
An aerodrome is located at Burnpur
in Asansol. The state government has asked the Airports Authority of India to assess the possibility of setting up an airport at nigha in Asansol. Another airport will be constructed at Andal, (27 km from Asansol) within the next few years.
For movement within the city, there are various options available. One can easily find a Mini-bus or a Local town service bus from Asansol Railway Station via the City Bus Stand to various parts of the town. Auto-Rickshaws are also easily available. Nowadays there is an easy availability of the CNG auto-rickshaw services in Asansol which is the first of its kind in Eastern India.
, Bartaman
, Sangbad Pratidin
, Aajkaal
, and Ganashakti
are widely circulated in Asansol. Popular English language newspapers available in Asansol include The Times of India
, Hindustan Times
, The Indian Express
, The Statesman
, The Telegraph
and Asian Age
, the most popular ones being The Times of India
and The Telegraph
. Some major periodicals are Desh
, Sananda
, Unish Kuri, Anandalok
and Anandamela
.
In addition to All India Radio
, Asansol also has two private FM radio stations: Big FM 92.7 and Red FM 93.5.
Asansol receives almost all the television channels that are received by the rest of the country. Apart from the state-owned terrestrial network Doordarshan
, cable television also serves most of the homes in and around the city . Local news broadcasts, sporting events, and concerts are broadcast live or delayed via cable to many households. DTH services both by Government and private companies are also available like Tata Sky, Dish TV, Digital TV – Airtel, Digital TV – Reliance.
The city is serviced by major cell phone
companies and 3G networks are in place.
Internet is available in the city and adjoining areas and served through broadband
services. The DataOne
broadband
services are provided mainly by BSNL, and both dial-up and mobile broadband facilities are also operational.
Asansol has numerous banks, with branches of almost all major nationalized banks and also some private sector businesses.
was started in 1891. The students from this and other English medium schools provided the elite work force that was needed to operate the British Indian Railways, the British Indian Army,the Indian Civil Services and the coal mines.
Post independence, most of the Anglo-Indian community migrated to Canada and Australia. The community living in Asansol now is multicultural as there are a large number of Biharis,Punjabis, Marwaris, Gujaratis, Muslims and other non Bengalis.There is no Indian festival that is not celebrated in Asansol and the people of all communities take part in them with equal fervour.
to Ranigunj.
Some of the schools are Asansol Ramakrishna Mission, Dhadka NCL Vidyamandir, Asansol Arunoday High School
, Domohani Kelejora High School
, Umarani Gorai Mahilakalyan, Manimala Girls, Eastern Railways High School, St. Joseph's High School, St. Mary Goretti Girls' High School, Dyanand Anglo Vedic Higher Secondary School, St. Patrick's Higher Secondary School
, St. Vincent's High and Technical School
, Dayanand Anglo Vedic High School, Loreto Convent, Assembly of God Church School, and Chelidanga High School. There are a few schools run by IISCo authority, including Burnpur Boys High School, Burnpur Girls School, Burnpur Riverside School, and Chhotodighari Vidyapith.
There are three general degree colleges - Banwarilal Bhalotia College, Bidhan Chandra College and Asansol Girls' College. Asansol Engineering College offers undergraduate courses in its eponymous field., while Gupta College of Technological Sciences is Pharmacy College offers pharmacy-related courses.
The two polytechnic colleges are Asansol Polytechnic and Kanyapur Polytechnic, while Bengal Homoeopathic Medical College and Hospital is situated in Ismile, Asansol.
West Bengal State Council of Vocational Education & Training provides vocational training through the two polytechnics and the Kanyapur Industrial Training Centre.
Srijan Developers along with Avani Group has built a shopping mall at Burnpur Road opposite Chitra Cinema in the heart of the city. Major major retail outlets trade from it. The total area of Galaxy is three lakh square feet having six levels including basement, lower ground, ground, and the total investment in developing the property is close to Rs.80 crore. The Big Bazaar store opened on 8 December 2010.
West Bengal
West Bengal is a state in the eastern region of India and is the nation's fourth-most populous. It is also the seventh-most populous sub-national entity in the world, with over 91 million inhabitants. A major agricultural producer, West Bengal is the sixth-largest contributor to India's GDP...
after Kolkata
Kolkata
Kolkata , formerly known as Calcutta, is the capital of the Indian state of West Bengal. Located on the east bank of the Hooghly River, it was the commercial capital of East India...
and the 19th largest urban agglomeration in India. Asansol is located in the western part of the Burdwan District of West Bengal. It has a large workforce, moderately high per capita income, educational establishments, good transport connections, several housing complexes, and land suitable for industry, institutions, transport and commerce. Its hinterland is Bankura and Purulia districts and North Bengal, linked to parts of Orissa and Jharkhand states. According to a report released by International Institute for Environment and Development
International Institute for Environment and Development
The International Institute for Environment and Development is a London-based policy research centre and think tank.- History :IIED was established by the economist Barbara Ward in 1971...
, a UK-based policy research non-governmental body, Asansol is among the 11 Indian cities in the list of 100 fastest growing cities in the world with a rank of 42. The name Asansol is derived from two different names, Asan tree (a species of tree found on the banks of river Damodar
Damodar River
Damodar River originates near Chandwa village, Palamau district, on the Chota Nagpur Plateau in the Jharkhand state in eastern India, and flows eastward for about 592 km through the states of Jharkhand and West Bengal to the estaury of the River Hooghly...
) and Sol-Bhumi/Sol-land (the land rich in minerals).
Overview
The stretch from AndalAndal, Bardhaman
Andal is a census town and police station in Durgapur subdivision of Bardhaman district in the Indian state of West Bengal.-Geography:Andal is located at . It has an average elevation of 76 metres ....
to Barakar
Barakar
Barakar is a town in Asansol subdivision of Bardhaman district in the state of West Bengal. It is situated at the border of the states of Jharkhand and West Bengal. The Grand Trunk Road passes through Barakar. The town is located on the banks of Barakar River....
covering Raniganj
Raniganj
Raniganj is a city and a municipality in Bardhaman district in the Indian state of West Bengal.-Geography:Raniganj is located at . It has an average elevation of 91 metres ....
, Jamuria
Jamuria
Jamuria is a city and a municipality in Asansol subdivision of Barddhaman district in the Indian state of West Bengal.-Geography:Jamuria is located at . It has an average elevation of 111 metres ....
, Asansol, Burnpur
Burnpur
Burnpur is an important industrial city in Asansol sub-division in the state of West Bengal, India . It is located in Bardhaman District, in the heart of the mining-industrial belt in the western periphery of the state....
, Neamatpur
Neamatpur
Neamatpur is a town in Asansol subdivision of Bardhaman district in the Indian state of West Bengal. It is around from Barakar and around from Asansol . It is under the Kulti Police Station and under the Kulti Municipality.-Geography:...
, Kulti
Kulti
Kulti is a city and a municipality in Bardhaman district in the Indian state of West Bengal.-Geography:Kulti is located at latitude 23°43'60N and longitude 86°50'60E at an elevation of 114 meters. The Asansol-Durgapur region is composed of undulating latterite soil. This area lies between two...
and Barakar
Barakar
Barakar is a town in Asansol subdivision of Bardhaman district in the state of West Bengal. It is situated at the border of the states of Jharkhand and West Bengal. The Grand Trunk Road passes through Barakar. The town is located on the banks of Barakar River....
, composed of about 40 kilometres along Grand Trunk Road
Grand Trunk Road
The Grand Trunk Road also formerly known as Uttarapatha, Shah Rah-e-Azam or Sadak-e-Azam or Badshahi Sadak is one of South Asia's oldest and longest major roads...
forms one urban agglomeration, all of which falls within Asansol subdivision area. The gaps between the contiguous urban centres are filled with collieries and small settlements. The Chittaranjan
Chittaranjan
Chittaranjan is a census town in Asansol subdivision of Burdwan District in the state of West Bengal, India. This is famous for Chittaranjan Locomotive Works, a Indian Government railway factory.-Geography:...
– Rupnarayanpur urban centre are also closely linked. For the purposes of planning the entire stretch from Panagarh
Panagarh
Panagarh is a small town in India, located in Kanksa police station of Durgapur subdivision in Bardhaman District of West Bengal. Both the Indian Army and Air Force have their establishment here. An airport is also located here which is extensively used by Indian Air Force.-Geography:Panagarh is...
to Barakar
Barakar
Barakar is a town in Asansol subdivision of Bardhaman district in the state of West Bengal. It is situated at the border of the states of Jharkhand and West Bengal. The Grand Trunk Road passes through Barakar. The town is located on the banks of Barakar River....
is overseen by the Asansol Durgapur Development Authority (ADDA).
Being the central city of the coal belt, Asansol is heavily industrialised though many of the industries have fallen on hard times in the recent years, leading to its transformation into a trading town that utilises its position as the transport centre. The largest employers in the area are Eastern Coalfields (a subsidiary of Coal India Limited
Coal India Limited
Coal India Limited is an Indian state-controlled coal company headquartered in Kolkata, West Bengal, India and the world's largest coal miner with revenue exceeding 60,245 Crore . It was formerly owned entirely by the Union Government of India, under the administrative control of the Ministry of...
) and IISCO
IISCO
IISCO Steel Plant of Steel Authority of India Limited is located at Burnpur, near Asansol. The turbulent history of the plant, starting from its pioneering days, has found it a place in industrial history....
Steel Plant of Steel Authority of India Limited
Steel Authority of India Limited
Steel Authority of India Limited from 116950 The company's current chairman is C.S Verma. With an annual production of 13.5 million metric tons, SAIL is the 14th largest steel producer in the world....
. Other major industries are Chittaranjan Locomotive Works, Hindustan Cables Ltd., Disergarh Power Supply, Damodar Valley Corporation
Damodar Valley Corporation
The Damodar Valley Corporation, popularly known as DVC, is the first multipurpose river valley project of independent India. The corporation came into being on July 7, 1948 by an Act of the Constituent Assembly of India . It is modelled on the Tennessee Valley Authority of the USA. Jawaharlal...
(DVC), Burn Standard, Reckitt and Coleman, couple of cement plants such as Burnpur Cement, Asansol Cement,Lafarge Cement India Pvt. Ltd., iCore Cement and refractory units such as Kabita Refractories.
Geography
Asansol is located in the Burdwan District of West Bengal. While most of Bengal is flat alluvial plain Asansol subdivision lies on exposed Gondwana rocks and consists mostly of undulating laterite soil. It forms the lower edge of the Chota Nagpur plateau, which occupies most of Jharkhand. It is located between two mighty rivers, Damodar and Ajay. Another river, Barakar, joins the Damodar near Dishergarh. A small rivulet, Nunia, flows past Asansol.While Dhanbad district lies on the western side, Durgapur sub division of Bardhman district lies on the eastern side. To the south, across the Damodar river are the Purulia and Bankura districts. To the north are Dumka and Birbhum districts. Dhanbad district across the Barakar river in Jharkhand is also a major mining area and has close links with Asansol. Both lie in the Damodar valley.
History
Initially people of DravidianDravidian peoples
Dravidian peoples is a term used to refer to the diverse groups of people who natively speak languages belonging to the Dravidian language family. Populations of speakers of around 220 million are found mostly in Southern India. Other Dravidian people are found in parts of central India, Sri Lanka,...
and Austroloid
Proto-Australoid
The Proto-Australoids are a hypothesized group of ancient hunter-gather people descended from the first major wave of modern humans to leave sub-Saharan Africa ~100,000 years ago...
stock inhabited this region. Around two thousand five hundred years ago, it became an area of significant Jain activity. According to some, the last Tirthankar of Jain religion, Mahavira Vardhamana
Mahavira
Mahāvīra is the name most commonly used to refer to the Indian sage Vardhamāna who established what are today considered to be the central tenets of Jainism. According to Jain tradition, he was the 24th and the last Tirthankara. In Tamil, he is referred to as Arukaṉ or Arukadevan...
, used to live and work in the area. The district and headquarters town thus came to be known as Bardhaman. Some identify the spread of Jainism in West Bengal with the Aryanisation of the region. Evidence of major Jain activity exists in the Jain temples on Parasnath Hills
Parasnath Hills
Parasnath Station is on the Asansol-Gaya section of the Grand Chord and serves the town of Isri in Giridih district in the Indian state of Jharkhand. The Pareshnath Hill, located nearby, with a height of is the highest mountain in the state of Jharkhand. The word Parasnath comes from the 23rd...
a.k.a. Pareshnath Hill in neighbouring Jharkhand. There is an old Jain temple at Begunia on the bank of the Barakar river and temples in neighbouring Bankura district also bear evidence of major Jain activity in the region.
There is a Jain Temple in Asansol devoted to Vasupujya
Vasupujya
Vasupujya Swami was the twelve Jain Tirthankar of the present age . According to Jain beliefs, he became a siddha, a liberated soul which has destroyed all of its karma. Vasupujya was born to King Vasupujya Raja and Queen Jaya Devi Rani at Champapuri in the Ikshvaku clan...
,12th Tirthankara in Mehta Road in Durga mandir and a Jain Bhawan.
Later, the area was possibly part of the Vishnupur kingdom, where the Malla dynasty ruled for around a thousand years till the advent of the British. There is a Vishnupur style temple in Chhotodighari village providing a clue to its links with Vishnupur. The local dialect and culture of the region has closer affinities with those of Bankura and Vishnupur than the other neighbouring areas.
Coal and railways
In 1774, Suetonius Grant HeatlySuetonius Grant Heatly
Suetonius Grant Heatly was judge employed by the British East India Company and, with John Sumner, established what is considered to be the first coal mine in India.-Early life:...
and John Summer of the British East India Company
East India Company
The East India Company was an early English joint-stock company that was formed initially for pursuing trade with the East Indies, but that ended up trading mainly with the Indian subcontinent and China...
discovered coal in the area, and mining started. The early exploration and mining operations were carried out in a haphazard manner and demand was limited. Regular mining operations started in 1820, led by an agency house, Alexander and Co. In 1835, Prince Dwarkanath Tagore
Dwarkanath Tagore
Dwarkanath Tagore , was one of the first Indian industrialists and entrepreneurs, was the founder of the Jorasanko branch of the Tagore family, and is notable for making substantial contributions to the Bengal Renaissance.-Childhood:...
bought over the collieries and Carr and Tagore Co. led the field. For the entire 19th century and a major part of the 20th century, Ranigunj coalfields in the Asansol region was the major producer of coal in the country.
At the behest of William Princep, Carr and Tagore Co. joined hands with Gilmore Hombray and Co. in 1843 to form Bengal Coal Co., which opened up the coal mining activities. Their headquarters was at Sanctoria
Dishergarh
Dishergarh is a town under the Kulti Police Station in Asansol subdivision of Bardhaman district in the state of West Bengal. It is situated at the border of the Puruliya district and Bardhaman district in West Bengal. The Purulia - Barakar State Highway passes through Dishergarh...
. Other mining companies included Birbhum Coal Co., Equitable Coal Co., Madhu Roy and Prasanna Dutta Co., Bird and Co., South Barakar Coal Co., Andrew Yule and Company Ltd.
Andrew Yule and Company Ltd.
Andrew Yule & Co. Ltd. is an Indian manufacturing and industrial conglomerate, primarily owned by the Indian Government. It is the main company owned by the Yule Group. It is currently headquartered in Kolkata , and has offices in the main Indian cities...
and Balmer Lawrie
Balmer Lawrie
Balmer Lawrie & Co. Ltd is a Government of India Enterprise which manufactures barrels and drums, greases and lubricants, performance chemicals, functional additives and marine freight containers.It also undertakes tea exports and trading, travel, tours, and cargo and engineering services such as...
.
The discovery of coal brought in the railways. In India, the first operational railway track was between Mumbai and Thane in 1853. In the eastern sector, the first train ran from Howrah to Hughli in 1854. It was officially opened in 1855 up to Ranigunj (194 km). It was extended through the Sahibganj loop up to Varanasi in 1862 and to Delhi in 1866. The line to Mumbai via Allahabad was opened in 1870. The present main line via Patna was opened in 1871. The Grand Chord
Grand Chord
Grand Chord- also known as The Life line of India is a section of the Indian Railways and is one of the two parts of the main Delhi-Howrah route. It acts as a link between Sitarampur, and Mughal Sarai, Uttar Pradesh, and covers a stretch of 450 km...
via Gaya came in 1906. The Howrah-Bardhaman chord was opened in 1917.
Asansol became an important centre of railway activity, and the railway settlements grew with the growth of the locomotive shops. It also brought in the European and Anglo-Indian communities, who were to play a pivotal role in the life of Asansol. Durand Institute (now renamed Swami Vivekananda Institute), reputed to be the oldest railway institute in Asia, was a major centre of European and Anglo-Indian
Anglo-Indian
Anglo-Indians are people who have mixed Indian and British ancestry, or people of British descent born or living in India, now mainly historical in the latter sense. British residents in India used the term "Eurasians" for people of mixed European and Indian descent...
activity. There is an imposing structure of tall column (memorial tower)in front of Durand Institute commemorating the memories of the supreme sacrifice of those European soldiers and commanders who laid down their lives in the First World War (1914–1918).It is as good as a landmark of Asansol, reminder of the European legacy of the place and it is so high that it is easily visible from the railway station. The old churches of Asansol and the leading schools were built to cater primarily to these communities. It was much later that Indians were allowed into the schools. There were a handful of Armenian businessmen. Old timers still recall the shops of Gregory at Asansol and Johannes at Burnpur. While Asansol emerged as an important centre of East Indian Railway, ultimately becoming the divisional headquarters in 1925, Adra emerged as a major centre of Bengal Nagpur Railway. It is now the headquarter of Divisional Railway Manager (DRM) Asansol, the post previously designated as Divisional Superintendent (DS).
Development of industries
The extensive growth of railways in the country led to the development of the iron and steel industry. In 1870, James Erskine set up the Bengal Iron Works, also known as Barakar Iron Works. Some sources attribute the development to Hoare Miller and Co. of Kolkata. It is possible that James Erskine was an employee of that company. The first blast furnaceBlast furnace
A blast furnace is a type of metallurgical furnace used for smelting to produce industrial metals, generally iron.In a blast furnace, fuel and ore and flux are continuously supplied through the top of the furnace, while air is blown into the bottom of the chamber, so that the chemical reactions...
using coal instead of charcoal went into production at Kulti in 1875. In those days, the place was more easily identified as Kendwa. Kulti was a smaller village than Kendwa. It utilised low-grade iron ore available locally.
In 1901 the country’s first iron ore mine was developed at Pansiraburu in Singhbhum district (then in Bengal, now in Jharkhand), as part of Manoharpur Ore Mines and linked to Kulti. In 1904, Kulti is credited with having produced steel from open hearth furnaces. However, with stiff competition from imported material, the steelmaking facilities were closed down. The ownership of the pioneering plant changed hands many times. The farsighted control of the plant by Sir Rajendranath Mookerjee
Rajen Mookerjee
Sir Rajen Mookerjee, KCIE, KCVO was a pioneering Indian industrialist.-Early life:...
, who had founded Martin and Co. with Sir Acquin Martin, kept it going.
Burn and Co promoted The Indian Iron and Steel Co. Ltd. in 1918. G.H. Fairhurst is credited with having founded the plant at Burnpur (then better known as Hirapur). Sir Rajendranath Mookerjee and T. Leslie Martin were also associated with it. Sir Biren Mookerjee
Biren Mookerjee
Sir Biren Mookerjee was a leading industrialist who established the IISCO steel plant at Burnpur and other industrial establishments...
joined a little later and played a major role in the development of the plant. Iron production started at Burnpur in 1922. Kulti Works of Bengal Iron was merged with IISCO in 1936. Steel Corporation of Bengal (SCOB) set up the steelmaking facilities at Burnpur in 1939. SCOB was merged with IISCO in 1952 and Martin Burn was then the managing agent of the company. Indian Standard Wagon (ISW) (later renamed Burn Standard) set up its wagon factory at Burnpur.
Another major development of the colonial culture was the establishment of clubs. The British are credited with the formation of such clubs as Asansol Club, Burnpur Club, Kulti Club and Dishergarh
Dishergarh
Dishergarh is a town under the Kulti Police Station in Asansol subdivision of Bardhaman district in the state of West Bengal. It is situated at the border of the Puruliya district and Bardhaman district in West Bengal. The Purulia - Barakar State Highway passes through Dishergarh...
Club. In the early days, these clubs did not admit Indians, who had their own organisations such as Hirapur Indian Association (later renamed Bharati Bhaban). Subsequently, Indians gained admission into the British clubs.
The growth and development of trade unions was a corollary of industrial development. Labour wages were low but the conditions of the rural areas were so pitiable that the area witnessed considerable influx of population not only from the neighbouring districts but also from Bihar and Uttar Pradesh (then the United Provinces). The countryside was weighed down by excessive land revenue and lack of development. Famines were a regular feature.Coal theft is common practice in this region.
Independence and industrialisation
The independence of the country in 1947 ushered in the next major economic change. Damodar Valley Corporation, the first multipurpose river valley project in the country, had a major presence at the edge of the area with dams at Maithon and Panchet (at both places the river forms the border with Jharkhand). The artificial lakes behind the dams have added considerably to the natural beauty of the area and are centres of picnicking.With the nationalisation of the railways East Indian Railway became Eastern Railway and Bengal Nagpur Railway became South Eastern Railway. Asansol became divisional head quarters of Eastern Railway. Andal has the largest marshalling yard in Asia. The diesel locomotiveo shed at Andal can accommodate 101 locomotives and the electric locomotive shed at Asansol can accommodate 118 locomotives.
Chittaranjan Locomotive Works (CLW) was the first locomotive workshop in India, named after the freedom fighter, leader and statesman Deshbandhu Chittaranjan Das
Chittaranjan Das
Chittaranjan Das was an eminent Bengali lawyer and a major figure in the Indian independence movement.-Personal life:...
. It initially produced steam locomotives. The production activity started on 26 January 1950 the day when India became a Republic. The first steam locomotive Deshbandhu was dedicated to the nation by Dr. Rajendra Prasad, the first President of India. With the roll out of first CLW built WAG-9 electric locomotive Navyug on 14 November 1998, India joined the five countries which can manufacture electric locomotives with 3-phase technology. In 2006, CLW produced Dr Silver, a 6000 hp three-phase locomotive with remote diagnostic system. Until 31 March 2006 CLW has produced 3380 electric locomotives.
Sen Raleigh Industries started production in their cycle factory at Kanyapur, near Asansol, in 1949. Pilkington set up a glass factory in Asansol. The Jaykay group established an aluminium plant at Jaykaynagar, near Asansol. The Dhakeswari textile mill was set up at Suryanagar on the banks of the Damodar. Bengal Paper Mill was established at Ballabhpur, Ranigunj. Hindustan Cables Ltd. set up their plant at Rupnarayanpur.
The Sen-Raleigh cycle factory was located in the outskirts called Kanyapur. Later the company was taken over by government and renamed to CCIL. Models from the factory included Raleigh, Humber, Balaka, Rudge, Arjun and Swathi. Another major industry was Hindustan Pilkington Glass with a factory located in a prime area of the city.
A steel plant was set up in neighbouring Durgapur and the plant at Burnpur was expanded. There also was considerable expansion of townships and other facilities. Nehru Park
Nehru Park, Burnpur
Nehru Park is located on the banks of the Damodar River in Burnpur in Bardhaman district in the Indian state of West Bengal.-Etymology:The park was formally named Riverside Park when laid out by a German general manager of IISCO named F.W.A.Lahmeyer. So wide was the appreciation that the common...
(formerly Lahmeyer Park) was built utilising the natural contour of the terrain on the banks of the Damodar. The airstrip at Burnpur can handle small aircraft. Along with the expansion of the steel plant at Burnpur the outdated open top blast furnaces of Kulti were closed and the Kulti Works emerged as the pioneer and later as the largest producer of spun pipes in the country. It also produced foundry products.
Economy
The city's economy is based on the coal and steel industries. Situated in the Damodar RiverDamodar River
Damodar River originates near Chandwa village, Palamau district, on the Chota Nagpur Plateau in the Jharkhand state in eastern India, and flows eastward for about 592 km through the states of Jharkhand and West Bengal to the estaury of the River Hooghly...
valley, the city has evolved and expanded over time to a population of one million, ranking it 23rd in India. It is located about 200 km from Kolkata.Asansol is the 42nd Fastest growing city in the world and 10th in the India.
Industrial decline and revival
Technological obsolescence proved to be a bane for the Asansol industrial belt. As the British industrialists left, the Indian trading community, which took over the British-owned industries and mines, failed to handle the situation properly, leading to labour trouble and industrial decline. The government the IISCO Steel Plant of SAIL, the area is looking up again.Coal country
Asansol is in the heart of the coal country. Ranigunj coalfields cover an area of 1530 km². Although it is spread over four districts of West Bengal – Bardhaman, Birbhum, Bankura and Purulia – and a part of Dhanbad district (Jharia coalfields are also in that district) of Jharkhand, the heart of Ranigunj Coalfields lies in the Asansol region. PandaveswarPandaveswar
Pandabeswar is an administrative division in Durgapur subdivision of Bardhaman district in the Indian state of West Bengal. Andal and Pandabeswar police stations serve this block. Headquarters of this block is at Pandabeswar...
, Kajora
Kajora
Kajora is a census town under Andal police station of Durgapur subdivision in Barddhaman district in the Indian state of West Bengal.-Geography:Kajora is located at ....
, Jhanjra Bankola, Kenda
Kenda
Kenda is a census town under Jamuria police station of Asansol subdivision in Barddhaman district in the Indian state of West Bengal.-Geography:...
, Sonepur, Kunustoria, Satgram,Ningha, Sripur, Sodepur and Salanpur
Salanpur
Salanpur is an administrative division in Asansol subdivision of Bardhaman district in the Indian state of West Bengal. Chittaranjan and Salanpur police stations serve this block. Headquarters of this block is at Rupnarayanpur Bazar...
are the major coal areas around Asansol. Kasta Coalfields, north of the Ajay river in Birbhum district, Mejia and Parbelia, across the Damodar in Bankura and Purulia district respectively, and Mugma, across the Barakar river in Dhanbad district, are adjacent to Asansol. Only small patches intrude into Durgapur subdivision. Coal in India was first mined in Narayankuri near Ranigunj. Sitarampur
Sitarampur
Sitarampur , a small township just off the Asansol-Dhanbad stretch of the Grand Trunk Road, was one of the early hubs of coal mining activity. Coal was found in abundance around Sitarampur in the early years of the 19th century and mining started at this place in a big way...
boasts of the first Mines Rescue Station, Directorate of Mines Safety and explosive manufacturing unit now defunct but the former two still in operation.
The region sits on seams of coal. Reserves of coal in West Bengal (mostly in Asansol) are estimated to be 22.62 billion tonnes. ECL has 107 operating mines, a majority of them in Asansol. Superior quality non-coking coal is mined in the region. With around two centuries of coal mining in the region, most of the coal in the upper seams have been exhausted and underground mining has been extending to deeper seams. However, substantial volumes of coal are available in the pillars and walls of coal left behind to support the roofs of underground mines. Coal remaining in the surface seams can be mined by open cast methods.
The use of heavy duty earth-moving equipment has led to the development of large open cast mines. ECL’s total coal production of 27.25 million tonnes in 2004–05, is expected to rise to 46 million tonnes by 2011–12. Out of this 32.84 million tonnes is expected to be from the open cast mines. The annual production of Sonepur Bazari open cast project, a major project in the area, is proposed to be raised from the level of 3 million tonnes in 2004–05 to 8 million tonnes by 2011–12.
Underground coal mining brings with it the problem of subsidence. By law, when coal is taken out from an underground mine it is to be filled in with sand. However, the laws were not there in earlier days and even when it was there, private mine owners had violated this for decades and left behind big gaps beneath the surface. At places, the surface is subsiding and creating havoc in the area.
In 1952, 12 people were killed in a roof collapse in Dhemo Main colliery. In 1954, 63 people were killed in Newton Chikli, near Ranigunj, as a result of inundation. In 1956, 28 people were killed in Baro Dhemo colliery because of inundation. In 1958, 175 people were killed at Chinakuri because of explosion of fire damp. In 1994, 55 people were killed in New Kenda, near Jamuria, as a result of fire/suffocation by gases.
The Baro Dhemo colliery accident, where a large number of people were rescued the mine was inundated with water, provided the inspiration for a theatrical production in Bengali, Angar (1959), directed by Utpal Dutta
Utpal Dutta
Utpal Datta is a National Film Award-winning film critic, long associated with Bismoi, a entertainment Assamese magazine, and works with the All India Radio Guwahati, where his book 24 Frames , an anthology of articles on Indian cinema was released as a radio program. -Personal life:Utpal Datta ...
. The lighting effects by Tapash Sen, which recreated the flooding of a mine on the stage at Kolkata, were notable.
The Head Quarters of the Eastern Coalfields Limited (a subsidiary of Coal India Limited
Coal India Limited
Coal India Limited is an Indian state-controlled coal company headquartered in Kolkata, West Bengal, India and the world's largest coal miner with revenue exceeding 60,245 Crore . It was formerly owned entirely by the Union Government of India, under the administrative control of the Ministry of...
) is situated at Sanctoria
Dishergarh
Dishergarh is a town under the Kulti Police Station in Asansol subdivision of Bardhaman district in the state of West Bengal. It is situated at the border of the Puruliya district and Bardhaman district in West Bengal. The Purulia - Barakar State Highway passes through Dishergarh...
which is just 20 kilometres from Asansol.
Administration
Bardhaman became a major administrative centre for the Muslim rulers and the subdivision was a part of the Muslim kingdoms in the region. It later became a part of the Bardhaman RajBardhaman Raj
The Bardhaman Raj was a zamindari estate that flourished from about 1657 to 1955, first under the Mughals and then under the British in the province of Bengal in India...
functioning under the Mughals. When Mir Kassem, then Nawab of Sube Bangala, ceded Bardhaman along with Medinipur and Chittagong to East India Company in 1760 (three years after the Battle of Plassey), it was the beginning of an eventful chapter for the region. Till that time the area was a wilderness of forest and jungle, dotted at long intervals with tiny settlements. The countryside was ravaged and plundered by outlaws.
Administrative changes started taking place with the advent of the British. While Badhaman Raj continued to function under British tutelage, changes were made to suit the requirements of British administration. One major change was that of parganas (administrative division) to thana (police station).
In 1837 when Bankura district was formed, the Asansol-Ranigunj area was part of Bankura district. In 1847, Ranigunj subdivision was formed with three police stations –Ranigunj, Kanksa and Neamatpur and it was made a part of Bardhaman district. In 1906 the subdivisional headquarters was shifted to Asansol and the subdivision renamed accordingly. In 1910, the police stations in Asansol subdivision were Asansol, Ranigunj, Kanksa, Faridpur and Barakar. In 2006, Asansol subdivision has the following police stations: Chittaranjan, Salanpur, Barabani, Asansol (North), Asansol (South), Ranigunj, Jamuria, Hirapur and Kulti. In 1968, Durgapur subdivision was carved out of Asansol subdivision.
Previously, Additional Superintendent of Police was in overall charge of Police administration of Asansol being assisted by Dy. S.P (Hqrs), Dy.S.P (SR) and Dy.S.P, DEB Asansol. Asansol Police Lines which is located at the heart of the city is the head quarters of Asansol Police though the Police Office is located at Evelyn Lodge. Armed Police Inspector (API) Asansol was in charge of District Armed Police who are deployed at Asansol. Reserve Office looks after disposition, leave, transfer/promotional matters of police personnel. Apart from that District Intelligence Officer-II was entrusted with intelligence related matters.
Asansol subdivisional police has done pioneering work by introducing registered organisations like Disha Janakalyan Kendra, Lachhipur and Faiz-e-Aam Committee, Railpar, and Udichi Co-operative, and Gunjan Ecological Park, Nigha. Shri Soumen Mitra IPS, the then Addl.s.p, Asansol introduced this concept.
Recently, the State Government of West Bengal has developped a Police Commissionerate in Asansol including 8 Police Stations of both Asansol Subdivision and 9 Police Stations of Durgapur Subdivision. This has 3 working divisions: West, Central and East, headed by a DCP each. Besides, there are four more DCPs as DC (Traffic), DC (DD), DC (Hq) and DC (IB). The structure of the commissionerate is on the lines of Delhi Police. An official of IG rank, Mr. Ajay Nanda is posted in the commissionerate as the commissioner and the commissionerate is an independent organisation which reports to the Director General of Police.
Asansol is a corporation administered by the Asansol Municipal Corporation. In 1850, a union committee was formed to look after the civic needs of Asansol. The municipality was approved in 1885 but started functioning effectively in 1896. It has been upgraded to the status of a corporation in 1996.
Police Commissionerate
On and from 01.09.2011 Asansol-Durgapur Police Commissionerate created by bifurcating the existing Burdwan Police District into Asansol-Durgapur Police Commissionerate and Burdwan Police District in the Burdwan District. As per the provisions of Section 7 of the CrPC, a Commissionerate is almost equivalent to a metropolitan area. The Asansol-Durgapur commissionerate will cover 15 police station areas of the Burdwan District. Areas and boundaries of 15 police stations namely Asansol (South) Police Station, Asansol (North) Police Station, Hirapur Police Station, Kulti Police Station, Salnpur Police Station, Chittaranjan Police Station, Baraboni Police Station, Raniganj Police Station, Jamuria Police Station, Durgapur Police Station, New Township Police Station, Cokoven Police Station, Andal Police Station, Faridpur Police Station and Pandabeswar Police Station. In a year's time, the coverage will be increased to 30 police stations. Mr. Ajay Kumar Nanda, IPS is the first commissioner (CP) of the Asansol-Durgapur police. Two Assistant CPs are Ms. Anjali Ahuja, IPS and Mr. Sunil Kumar Yadav, IPSTransport
The Grand Trunk RoadGrand Trunk Road
The Grand Trunk Road also formerly known as Uttarapatha, Shah Rah-e-Azam or Sadak-e-Azam or Badshahi Sadak is one of South Asia's oldest and longest major roads...
(NH 2) runs across the subdivision. The highway has been broadened as part of the Golden Quadrilateral
Golden Quadrilateral
The Golden Quadrilateral is a highway network connecting India's four largest metropolises: Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai and Kolkata, thus forming a quadrilateral of sorts. Four other top ten metropolises: Bangalore, Pune, Ahmedabad, and Surat, are also served by the network...
project and now allows two lane traffic each way. A bypass enables highway traffic to avoid the congested areas of Asansol, Neamatpur, Kulti and Barakar. Asansol is connected to Kolkata by road with daily Volvo buses as well as non-ac government buses run by the South Bengal State Transport Corporation
South Bengal State Transport Corporation
South Bengal State Transport Corporation is a West Bengal state government undertaken transport corporation. It plys buses in South Bengal and other parts of West Bengal to Kolkata...
which ply at half-an-hour interval duration and this 224 km distance is taking 4 to 4.5 hours approximately. The South Bengal State Transport Corporation also plies buses in various other routes such as Malda, Siliguri, Midnapur, Bankura, Burdwan, Kalna,Habra,Barackpore,Digha,Berhampore etc. Also there are many Private Operators which ply express and Super Fast as well as Deluxe Buses to various other towns of the State as well as Outside the State to places such as Dhanbad
Dhanbad
Dhanbad features climate that is transitional between a humid subtropical climate and a tropical wet and dry climate. Summer starts from last week of March and ends in mid-June. Peak temperature in summer can reach 47oC. Dhanbad also receives heavy rainfall...
, Bokaro Steel City
Bokaro Steel City
Bokaro Steel City is one of the largest Industrial city situated in the State of Jharkhand, in India. Bokaro is the 48th cleanest city in India and second in Jharkhand after Jamshedpur and one of the best cities to live in India...
, Jamshedpur , Ranchi
Ranchi
-Climate:Ranchi has a humid subtropical climate. However, due to its position and the forests around the city, it is known for its pleasant climate. Its climate is the primary reason why Ranchi was once the summer capital of the undivided State of Bihar...
, Giridih
Giridih
Giridih is headquarters of the Giridih district of Jharkhand state, India. The literal meaning of Giridih is the land of hills & hillocks - giri, a Hindi word, means hills and dih, another word of the local dialect, indicates upland...
, Hazaribag etc. Government Bus Service operators also includes the North Bengal State Transport Corporation which plies buses to towns of North Bengal such as Malda , Raiganj
Raiganj
Raiganj is a city and a municipality in Uttar Dinajpur district in the Indian state of West Bengal. It is the headquarters of a district as well as a subdivision.-Geography:...
, Siliguri
Siliguri
Siliguri is a city in the Indian state of West Bengal. It is located in the Siliguri Corridor or Chicken's Neck - a very narrow strip of land linking mainland India to its north-eastern states. It is also the transit point for air, road and rail traffic to the neighbouring countries of Nepal,...
, Coochbihar etc. NH-60 connects Asansol with Orissa via. Raniganj- Mejia-Gangajalghati-Bankura-Bishnupur-Salboni-Kharagpur-Belda-Dantan-Jaleswar.
The railway track from Kolkata to Delhi passes through the subdivision and bifurcates into the main line and the grand chord line, at Sitarampur
Sitarampur
Sitarampur , a small township just off the Asansol-Dhanbad stretch of the Grand Trunk Road, was one of the early hubs of coal mining activity. Coal was found in abundance around Sitarampur in the early years of the 19th century and mining started at this place in a big way...
railway junction, a little to the west of Asansol. Another railway track links Asansol with Adra and then to Jamshedpur via Purulia and Kharagpur
Kharagpur
Kharagpur is an industrial city in India. It is located in the Midnapore West district of the state of West Bengal.Kharagpur was chosen as the location of the first campus of the prestigious Indian Institutes of Technology . The IITs are the premier technical education institutes in India and...
via Bankura. A branch line connects Andal with Sainthia on the Sahibgunj loop. Almost all of the trains linking Kolkata
Kolkata
Kolkata , formerly known as Calcutta, is the capital of the Indian state of West Bengal. Located on the east bank of the Hooghly River, it was the commercial capital of East India...
with north India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
connect Asansol with Kolkata
Kolkata
Kolkata , formerly known as Calcutta, is the capital of the Indian state of West Bengal. Located on the east bank of the Hooghly River, it was the commercial capital of East India...
as well as with north India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
. The Howrah – Indore Shipra Express
Kshipra Express
The Shipra Express is a daily express train of Indian Railways, which runs between Indore Junction railway station of Indore, the largest city & commercial hub of Central Indian state Madhya Pradesh and Howrah, the commercial...
and the Howrah-Gwalior-Agra Cant. Chambal Express are the trains that connects the city to Indore
Indore
Indore is one of the major city in India, the largest city and commercial center of the state of Madhya Pradesh in central India. Indore is located 190 km west of the state capital Bhopal. According to the 2011 Indian census, Indore city has a population of 1,960,631...
, Bhopal, Gwalior, Jhansi and other central Indian cities. Other trains like Asansol-Mumbai express, Asansol-Ahmedabad Express, connects Asansol with couple of other major cities of India. Asansol-Tata Express, Asansol-Gorakhpur Express and Asansol-Gonda Express are the three new trains introduced in 2011 Rail Budget.
An aerodrome is located at Burnpur
Burnpur
Burnpur is an important industrial city in Asansol sub-division in the state of West Bengal, India . It is located in Bardhaman District, in the heart of the mining-industrial belt in the western periphery of the state....
in Asansol. The state government has asked the Airports Authority of India to assess the possibility of setting up an airport at nigha in Asansol. Another airport will be constructed at Andal, (27 km from Asansol) within the next few years.
For movement within the city, there are various options available. One can easily find a Mini-bus or a Local town service bus from Asansol Railway Station via the City Bus Stand to various parts of the town. Auto-Rickshaws are also easily available. Nowadays there is an easy availability of the CNG auto-rickshaw services in Asansol which is the first of its kind in Eastern India.
Media and Public Services
Bengali language newspapers like Anandabazar PatrikaAnandabazar Patrika
Anandabazar Patrika is an Indian Bengali language daily newspaper published in Kolkata, New Delhi and Mumbai by the ABP Group. According to the Audit Bureau of Circulations, it has a circulation of 1.28 million copies making it the largest circulation for a single-edition, regional language...
, Bartaman
Bartaman
Bartaman Patrika is an Indian Bengali language daily newspaper published in Kolkata by Bartaman Pvt. Ltd. Apart from the Kolkata edition, the newspaper has four other simultaneous editions, published daily from four major towns of West Bengal -- Siliguri, Burdwan, Malda and Midnapore...
, Sangbad Pratidin
Sangbad Pratidin
Sangbad Pratidin is an Indian Bengali newspaper published from Kolkata, India. It started publishing from 9 August 1992, owned by Swapan Sadhan Basu....
, Aajkaal
Aajkaal
Aajkaal is a Bengali newspapers in Kolkata, India. The newspaper was started in 1981 by Abhik Kumar Ghosh, and was part of the transformation of the Indian newspaper industry in the 1980s...
, and Ganashakti
Ganashakti
Ganashakti Patrika is the official mouthpiece of the Communist Party of India West Bengal State Committee, which first appeared as a fortnightly in 1967...
are widely circulated in Asansol. Popular English language newspapers available in Asansol include The Times of India
The Times of India
The Times of India is an Indian English-language daily newspaper. TOI has the largest circulation among all English-language newspaper in the world, across all formats . It is owned and managed by Bennett, Coleman & Co. Ltd...
, Hindustan Times
Hindustan Times
Hindustan Times is an Indian English-language daily newspaper founded in 1924 with roots in the Indian independence movement of the period ....
, The Indian Express
The Indian Express
The Indian Express is an Indian English-language daily newspaper. It is published in Mumbai by Indian Express Group. After Ramnath Goenka's death in 1991, the group was split in 1999 among his family members into two with the southern editions taking the name The New Indian Express, while the old...
, The Statesman
The Statesman
The Statesman is an Indian English-language broadsheet daily newspaper founded in 1875 and published simultaneously in Kolkata, New Delhi, Siliguri and Bhubaneswar. The Statesman is owned by The Statesman Ltd., its headquarters at Statesman House, Chowringhee Square, Calcutta and its national...
, The Telegraph
The Telegraph (Kolkata)
The Telegraph is an Indian daily newspaper founded and continuously published in Kolkata since 1982. It is published by the ABP Group and the newspaper vies with the Times of India for the position of having the widest widest circulation of any newspaper in Eastern India.According to the Audit...
and Asian Age
Asian Age
The Asian Age is an Indian daily newspaper with editions in four major cities in India and one in London. The newspaper was launched in February 1994, simultaneously in Delhi, Mumbai and London. At present, it has editions in Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, Bangalore and London. The Asian Age brings out...
, the most popular ones being The Times of India
The Times of India
The Times of India is an Indian English-language daily newspaper. TOI has the largest circulation among all English-language newspaper in the world, across all formats . It is owned and managed by Bennett, Coleman & Co. Ltd...
and The Telegraph
The Telegraph (Kolkata)
The Telegraph is an Indian daily newspaper founded and continuously published in Kolkata since 1982. It is published by the ABP Group and the newspaper vies with the Times of India for the position of having the widest widest circulation of any newspaper in Eastern India.According to the Audit...
. Some major periodicals are Desh
Desh magazine
Desh is a Bengali language literary magazine published by Anadabazar Patrika Limited from India. This magazine, which is in publication since 1933, has been edited by editors like Sagarmoy Ghosh in the past. The present editor is Harsha Dutta...
, Sananda
Sananda
Sananda is a Bengali magazine published by Ananda Publishers from Kolkata, India. The magazine is a women's magazine. The periodocal is usually published on 15th and 30th of every month....
, Unish Kuri, Anandalok
Anandalok
Anandalok is a Bengali magazine published by Ananda Publishers from Kolkata, India. The magazine is a filmy magazine. The periodocal is usually published on 15th and 30th of every month.Anandalok started in 25 January 1975, and was edited by Rituparno Ghosh...
and Anandamela
Anandamela
Anandamela or, Anondamela, or, Anonodomela is a children's periodical in the Bengali language published by ABP Limited from Kolkata, India...
.
In addition to All India Radio
All India Radio
All India Radio , officially known since 1956 as Akashvani , is the radio broadcaster of India and a division of Prasar Bharati. Established in 1936, it is the sister service of Prasar Bharati's Doordarshan, the national television broadcaster. All India Radio is one of the largest radio networks...
, Asansol also has two private FM radio stations: Big FM 92.7 and Red FM 93.5.
Asansol receives almost all the television channels that are received by the rest of the country. Apart from the state-owned terrestrial network Doordarshan
DoorDarshan
Doordarshan is an Indian public service broadcaster, a division of Prasar Bharati. It is one of the largest broadcasting organizations in India in terms of the infrastructure of studios and transmitters. Recently, it has also started Digital Terrestrial Transmitters. On September 15, 2009,...
, cable television also serves most of the homes in and around the city . Local news broadcasts, sporting events, and concerts are broadcast live or delayed via cable to many households. DTH services both by Government and private companies are also available like Tata Sky, Dish TV, Digital TV – Airtel, Digital TV – Reliance.
The city is serviced by major cell phone
Mobile phone
A mobile phone is a device which can make and receive telephone calls over a radio link whilst moving around a wide geographic area. It does so by connecting to a cellular network provided by a mobile network operator...
companies and 3G networks are in place.
Internet is available in the city and adjoining areas and served through broadband
Broadband
The term broadband refers to a telecommunications signal or device of greater bandwidth, in some sense, than another standard or usual signal or device . Different criteria for "broad" have been applied in different contexts and at different times...
services. The DataOne
DataONE
Data Observation Network for Earth is a project supported by the National Science Foundation under the DataNet program. DataONE will provide scientific data archiving for ecological and environmental data produced by scientists worldwide. DataONE's stated goal is to preserve and provide access to...
broadband
Broadband
The term broadband refers to a telecommunications signal or device of greater bandwidth, in some sense, than another standard or usual signal or device . Different criteria for "broad" have been applied in different contexts and at different times...
services are provided mainly by BSNL, and both dial-up and mobile broadband facilities are also operational.
Asansol has numerous banks, with branches of almost all major nationalized banks and also some private sector businesses.
Demographics of Asansol Municipal Area (Census 2011)
- Total Population: 5,64,491
- Male: 2,93,748
- Female: 2,70,743
- Sex Ratio: 922
- Literacy Rate: 84.82%
- Male Literacy Rate: 89.52%
- Female Literacy Rate: 79.73%
- Child Sex Ratio (0-6): 908
- Child (0-6) Population: 56,014 (9.92%)
Demographics of Asansol Urban Agglomeration (Census 2011)
- Total Population: 12,43,008
- Male: 6,47,831
- Female: 5,95,177
- Sex Ratio: 919
- Literacy Rate: 80.00%
- Male Literacy Rate: 86.31%
- Female Literacy Rate: 73.13%
- Child Sex Ratio (0-6): 920
- Child (0-6) Population: 1,32,560 (10.66%)
Language
Although Asansol is predominantly a Bengali speaking city today, Asansol has mixed population of Bengali, Hindi and Urdu speaking people, English is the language of business communication and once widely spoken. After the railway works came, there was a substantial British and Anglo-Indian population. English medium schools started to impart education in English from as early as 1877. The first Christian Brother School in India St. Patrick's SchoolSt. Patrick's Higher Secondary School
St. Patrick's Higher Secondary School or SPS is one of the oldest schools in eastern India. It is a kindergarten through 12th grade school of secondary education, located in Asansol, in the western part of West Bengal, about 200 km from Kolkata .-Founding:St...
was started in 1891. The students from this and other English medium schools provided the elite work force that was needed to operate the British Indian Railways, the British Indian Army,the Indian Civil Services and the coal mines.
Post independence, most of the Anglo-Indian community migrated to Canada and Australia. The community living in Asansol now is multicultural as there are a large number of Biharis,Punjabis, Marwaris, Gujaratis, Muslims and other non Bengalis.There is no Indian festival that is not celebrated in Asansol and the people of all communities take part in them with equal fervour.
Culture
The two cultural hubs are Rabindra Bhavan in Asansol and Bharati Bhawan at Burnpur. Another cultural center of Asansol City is Sarat Mancha, located at Asansol Police Lines.Education
Asansol is an educational hub, acting as the educational centre for the coal belt from DhanbadDhanbad
Dhanbad features climate that is transitional between a humid subtropical climate and a tropical wet and dry climate. Summer starts from last week of March and ends in mid-June. Peak temperature in summer can reach 47oC. Dhanbad also receives heavy rainfall...
to Ranigunj.
Some of the schools are Asansol Ramakrishna Mission, Dhadka NCL Vidyamandir, Asansol Arunoday High School
Asansol Arunoday High School
Asansol Arunoday High School is a co-education school. It is situated in Domohani Rly. Colony, Asansol, West Bengal, India.This school was established in 1958.Medium of education is in Hindi and Bengali....
, Domohani Kelejora High School
Domohani Kelejora High School
Domohani Kelejora High School is a school in Asansol, West Bengal, India, established in 1938. Now the school is implementing welfare education among poor students under the leadership of the present head Dipankar Mazumdar. The school is a vocational educational institution....
, Umarani Gorai Mahilakalyan, Manimala Girls, Eastern Railways High School, St. Joseph's High School, St. Mary Goretti Girls' High School, Dyanand Anglo Vedic Higher Secondary School, St. Patrick's Higher Secondary School
St. Patrick's Higher Secondary School
St. Patrick's Higher Secondary School or SPS is one of the oldest schools in eastern India. It is a kindergarten through 12th grade school of secondary education, located in Asansol, in the western part of West Bengal, about 200 km from Kolkata .-Founding:St...
, St. Vincent's High and Technical School
St. Vincent's High and Technical School
St. Vincent’s High and Technical School is one of the oldest schools in eastern India. It is a kindergarten through 12th grade school of secondary education, located in Asansol, in the western part of West Bengal, about 200 km from Kolkata .- HISTORY :On the grounds that the school now stands...
, Dayanand Anglo Vedic High School, Loreto Convent, Assembly of God Church School, and Chelidanga High School. There are a few schools run by IISCo authority, including Burnpur Boys High School, Burnpur Girls School, Burnpur Riverside School, and Chhotodighari Vidyapith.
There are three general degree colleges - Banwarilal Bhalotia College, Bidhan Chandra College and Asansol Girls' College. Asansol Engineering College offers undergraduate courses in its eponymous field., while Gupta College of Technological Sciences is Pharmacy College offers pharmacy-related courses.
The two polytechnic colleges are Asansol Polytechnic and Kanyapur Polytechnic, while Bengal Homoeopathic Medical College and Hospital is situated in Ismile, Asansol.
West Bengal State Council of Vocational Education & Training provides vocational training through the two polytechnics and the Kanyapur Industrial Training Centre.
Developments
Development in Asansol is carried out by Asansol Durgapur Development Authority. ADDA promotes industrial estates, housing schemes, urban infrastructure development for industrialisation of this region, to provide solutions to industries and entrepreneurs. Its projects include roads, bridges, drainage, transport, water supply, irrigation. It develops schools, colleges and amusement parks.- Galaxy Mall
Srijan Developers along with Avani Group has built a shopping mall at Burnpur Road opposite Chitra Cinema in the heart of the city. Major major retail outlets trade from it. The total area of Galaxy is three lakh square feet having six levels including basement, lower ground, ground, and the total investment in developing the property is close to Rs.80 crore. The Big Bazaar store opened on 8 December 2010.