Bangaon

Infobox Indian Jurisdiction
native_name = Bangaon | type = city | latd = 23.07 | longd = 88.82
locator_position = right | state_name = West Bengal
district = North 24 Parganas
leader_title_1 =Municipality Chairman
leader_name_1 =Kanu Bala
leader_title_2 =MLA
leader_name_2 = Saugata Roy
altitude = 7
population_as_of = 2001
population_total = 102,115| population_density =
area_magnitude= sq. km
area_total =
area_telephone =
postal_code =
vehicle_code_range =
sex_ratio =
unlocode =
website = north24parganas.nic.in/
footnotes =

Bangaon ( _bn. বনগাঁ) is a city and a municipality in North 24 Parganas district in the state of West Bengal, India. Bangaon is one of the five sub-divisions of the District Of North 24 Parganas. Other sub-divisions are Barasat, Barrackpore, Basirhat and Bidhan Nagar.

Geography

Bangaon is located at coord|23.07|N|88.82|E|. [ [http://www.fallingrain.com/world/IN/28/Bangaon.html Falling Rain Genomics, Inc - Bangaon] ] It has an average elevation of 7 metres (22 feet). It is the last station on the Sealdah-Bangaon section of Eastern Railway, 77 km from Sealdah Station. [ Eastern Railway time table. ] It is part of the Kolkata Suburban Railway system. The Sealdah – Bangaon railway was built between 1882 and 1884. [Chaudhuri, Sukanta, "The Railway Comes to Calcutta", in "Calcutta, the Living City", Vol. I, edited by Sukanta Chaudhuri, p. 239, Oxford University Press, ISBN 978-0-19-563696-3.]

Geo-political significance

Bongaon has border with Bangladesh. In Bongaon it is called Petrapole and in the Bangladesh side it is called Benapole. It is the most favoured road check post. The Indian Railway has started a weekly goods rail transport of 35 wagons, Sonar Bangla, from Bongaon. It was started by the then Railway Minister Mamata Banerjee under the NDA government. The route was established in 1884 and the Barisal Express operated passenger services till 1947. After the partition, a mixed service (passenger and goods) continued till the Indo- Pakistan war of 1965. With the creation of Bangladesh, the goods train service was reintroduced for two years from 1972 but again closed for lack of goods. India and Bangladesh signed an agreement in July last to re- establish the train link. This was in line with the initiatives of the previous BNP Government, which formed a committee in 1994 to assess the feasibility. Officials said the route would cut short 63 km compared to the Darshana-Gethe track to Dhaka and facilitate smooth traffic of 7 lakh metric tonnes of expected import-export items in a year. According to the agreement, goods train from both sides would be allowed at Benapole and Petrapole from where the Bangladesh Railway and the Indian Railway would take wagons of their counterparts to the destination.Petrapole Border is the most Profitable Border among the whole Indo-Bangladesh border. Most Business of Bangladesh come from this Bordeer. [ [http://www.thehindubusinessline.com/2006/06/18/stories/2006061802970300.htm The Hindu Business Line 18 June 2006] ]

Climate

*Rainfall - 1,579mm(normal)
*Temperature - Max 41 °C in May and Min 10 °C in January
*Relative Humidity - Between 50% in March & 90% in July
*Soil Status - varies from sandy to clay loam
*Ratio of Land - High:Medium:Low = 17:44:39

Demographics

As of 2001 India census, [GR|India] Bangaon had a population of 102,115. Males constitute 51% of the population and females 49%. Bangaon has an average literacy rate of 76%, higher than the national average of 59.5%; with 55% of the males and 45% of females literate. 10% of the population is under 6 years of age.

Politics

Bongaon is one of the State Assembly Constituency ( No-085 ). Present Member of Legislative Assembly is Mr. Saugata Roy ( M.L.A ) a All India Trinamool Congress candidate. [ [http://www.indiaenews.com/politics/20060919/22918.htm Byelection result] ] The Municipality is presently headed jointly by the Trinamool Congress and Indian National Congress Party. and the current / working chairman of Bongaon municipality is MR PRASANTA KR BALA. He has been elected from T.M.C.

Bangaon is part of Barasat (Lok Sabha constituency). [cite web | url = http://archive.eci.gov.in/se2001/background/S25/WB_ACPC.pdf
title = General election to the Legislative Assembly, 2001 – List of Parliamentary and Assembly Constituencies | accessdate = 2007-09-19
last = | first = | work = West Bengal | publisher = Election Commission of India]

Education

Among the schools, the Bongaon High School for boys (phone number - 03215 255144) and Kumudini Girls School for girls are one of the most sought after by students, though there are other good schools.By the Way the another high school Bongaon kabi kesheblal vidyapith for Boys also has a good educational background. Bongaon has a college named Dinabandhu Mahavidyalaya Undertacking Of Calcutta University (Phone Number - 03215 255044).

Arsenic contamination

Bangaon is one of the areas where ground water is affected by arsenic contamination. [cite web | url = http://www.soesju.org/arsenic/wb2.htm
title = Groundwater Arsenic contamination in West Bengal-India (19 years study ) | accessdate = 2007-08-24 | last = | first = | work = Groundwater arsenic contamination status of North 24-Parganas district, one of the nine arsenic affected districts of West Bengal-India | publisher = SOES]

River

"ICCHAMATI" river goes through the Bongaon Subdivision.

Road

National Highway No-34 goes through the Bongaon Subdivision. "Chakdah Road" is the connector/Bypass between NH-34 and NH-35.

Sports

In sports side Bongaon is very cultural. Here are many Play ground like 1. Stadium 2. Prataphgarh 3. Subash Pally's Math 4. BDO office's Play ground. Football and Cricket are the key game of Bongaon. Stadium is the main ground of Bongaon. Here both cricket and Football game takes place. Other Fields are the Cricket Ground. Prataphgarh is main Cricket Ground. which is situated opposite of Bongaon Sub divisional Hospital.

Healthcare

Bongaon has a Government aided Hospital namely Dr. J. R. Dhar Sub Divisional Hospital, Phone & Fax No.-03215 255073.It has 200 beds and 30 doctors. As most of the people of this region are Below Poverty Line they get free treatments here. Some leading doctors of Bongan are Dr. Ashim Kr. Kundu(MD), Dr. Joydeb Mukherjee(MD), Dr. Nitish Biswas(MD), Dr. Tushar Kanti Biswas (DA,Presently he is in a hospital of North Bengal, also practicing in Bongaon for 1 week of every month),Dr. M N Roy(MS), Dr. U P Das(MD) and many more. There are some private Nursing Homes in Bongaon.

Main Festible

"Durga Puja" is the most favourite festible in Bongaon. otherwise "Kali puja","Biswakarma Puja","Lokenath Puja", "Saraswati Puja" also take place here.

References

See also