Basirhat

Infobox Indian Jurisdiction
native_name = Basirhat | type = city | latd = 22.66 | longd = 88.89
locator_position = right | state_name = West Bengal
district = North 24 Parganas
leader_title =Municipality Chairman
leader_name =Jamini Bhusan Roy [ [http://north24parganas.nic.in/municipality.html Official District Administration site] ]
altitude = 6
population_as_of = 2001
population_total = 113,120| population_density =
area_magnitude= sq. km
area_total =
area_telephone =
postal_code =
vehicle_code_range =
sex_ratio =
unlocode =
website =
footnotes =

Basirhat (In Bengali: বসিরহাট)is a city and a municipality in North 24 Parganas district in the state of West Bengal, India. Basirhat is a river side subdivisional town.

History

Basirhat has a long history of farmer's movement like 'Tevaga Andolan'.

Freedom fighter Dinesh Chandra Majumder was born here in 1907. [ Sengupta, Subodh Chandra and Bose, Anjali (editors), (1976/1998), "Sansad Bangali Charitabhidhan" (Biographical dictionary) Vol I, Bn icon, p 207, ISBN 8185626650 ]

Basirhat was connected to Kolkata by a narrow-gage railway (the Martin company railway) for a long time; it is non-existent now.

Not far from Basirhat is Sikra-Kulingram the birhplace of Swami Brahmananda, the first president of Ramakrishna Mission.

Geography

Basirhat is located at coord|22.66|N|88.89|E|. [ [http://www.fallingrain.com/world/IN/28/Basirhat.html Falling Rain Genomics, Inc - Basirhat] ] It has an average elevation of 6 metres (19 feet).

Basirhat situated near the river Ichamoti which is a branch river of Ganges. It is well connected with Kolkata by rail (65 km) as part of the Kolkata Suburban Railway system and road. It is very near to Bangladesh. It is 42 km from Barasat on the Barasat-Basirhat-Hasnabad branch line of Eastern Railway. [ Eastern Railway time table. ]

Economics

Agriculture is the main source of income. Other industries like brick making and fisheries are also dominant in this area.Two other things are very popular from Basirhat1. Sweet called "Nolen Gurer Sandesh", also"patali" both from local date-palm syrup2. Hand made towel called "Gamcha"

Demographics

As of 2001 India census, [GR|India] Basirhat had a population of 113,120. Males constitute 51% of the population and females 49%. Basirhat has an average literacy rate of 74%, higher than the national average of 59.5%; with 54% of the literates being male and 46% being female. 10% of the population is under 6 years of age.

Education

There is Basirhat College, and two famous schools; Basirhat Town High School and Basirhat High School.

Healthcare

Basirhat 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]

Politics

Basirhat is part of Basirhat (Lok Sabha constituency). [cite web
url = http://archive.eci.gov.in/se2001/background/S25/WB_Dist_PC_AC.pdf
title = Assembly Constituencies - Corresponding Districts and Parliamentary Constituencies
accessdate = 2008-10-01
work = West Bengal
publisher = Election Commission of India ]

Nearby place

Bhabla

Bhabla (also spelt Bhyabla) near Basirhat is the place of birth and ancestral home of pioneering industrialist, Sir Rajen Mukherjee. He had contributed substantially for the development of Basirhat. [ Sengupta, Subodh Chandra and Bose, Anjali, p 470. ] [ [http://mookerjeesofbengal.4t.com/bhabla.html Bhabla] ] Bhyabla station is 2 km from Basirhat station.

References

See also

* Basirhat (Lok Sabha constituency)