Canning, South 24 Parganas
Canning | |
|---|---|
City | |
 Canning railway station | |
  Canning Location in West Bengal, India  Canning Canning (India) | |
| Coordinates: 22°18′37″N 88°39′28″E / 22.3104°N 88.6579°E | |
| Country |  India |
| State | West Bengal |
| District | South 24 Parganas |
| Area | |
| • Total | 10.20 km2 (3.94 sq mi) |
| Elevation | 4 m (13 ft) |
| Population (2011) | |
| • Total | 31,920 |
| • Density | 3,100/km2 (8,100/sq mi) |
| Languages | |
| • Official | Bengali, English |
| Time zone | UTC+5:30 (IST) |
| PIN | 743329 |
| Telephone code | +91 3218 |
| Vehicle registration | WB-19, WB-20, WB-22, WB-22U |
| Lok Sabha constituency | Jaynagar (SC) |
| Vidhan Sabha constituency | Canning Paschim (SC) |
| Website | www |
Canning is a city in the South 24 Parganas district of the Indian State of West Bengal. It is the headquarters of the Canning subdivision and also the seat for the Sub-Divisional Court of South 24 Parganas.
Etymology
The place is named after Lord Canning, the former Governor General of India from 1856 to 1858, and Governor General and Viceroy from 1858 to 1862.[1]
History
H. E. A. Cotton writes, "The year 1864… It witnessed also the speculative mania over an unlucky scheme for the reclamation of the Sunderbans, of which nothing remains but the deserted wharves of Port Canning, but which resulted in ruin to many".[2] The idea of developing a major port at the city faded with the choking of the Matla River as a result of inadequate headwater supply.[3]
Lord Canning had wanted to build a port that would be an alternative to Kolkata and a rival to Singapore. What no one heeded were the warnings of a lowly shipping inspector Henry Piddington, who had lived in the Caribbean and knew all about hurricanes and storms. He wanted the mangroves to be left alone, as they were Bengal’s defensive barrier against nature’s fury and absorbed the initial onslaught of cyclonic winds, waves and tidal surges. The settlement was built with a strand, hotels and homes, but in 1867 the Matla River surged and reduced the town to a "bleached skeleton".[4]
In 1862, the Calcutta and South-eastern Railway opened a southward line from what was then known as Beliaghata station to Port Canning. In the same year, the East Bengal Railway had opened its line from Sealdah to Kushtia. It also opened its own southern line to Diamond Harbour. The Railway was taken over by the government in 1863. East Bengal Railway was taken over by the government in 1887. Services on the eastern side of Hooghly River were unified under the Eastern Bengal State Railway and after further amalgamation in 1942, the Bengal Assam Railway.[5]
Geography
Canning is located at 22°18′37″N 88°39′28″E / 22.3104°N 88.6579°E.[6] It has an average elevation of 4 m (13 ft). It is gateway to the Sundarbans.[7] It is situated on the south bank of the Matla River. It is part of the Kolkata Suburban Railway system and is connected to Sealdah (South) station and is also connected to Kolkata by road. One can cross the Matla River and then proceed to Basanti for a boat to the interior of the Sundarbans or hire a motor launch for travel to Sundarbans at the city itself. The first watch tower at Sajnekhali is about 5 hours away.[8]
The Matla River is so silted up that during the dry season, boats cannot come to the jetties. They have to be stationed 500 yards away. During the monsoons, the river becomes so turbulent that boats cannot ferry people across the river. The Sunderban Development Authority decided to build a bridge on the River at an estimated cost of Rs. 290 million.[9]
. The 644 m road bridge was inaugurated by Buddhadeb Bhattachajee, Chief Minister, in January 2011. It links the city with Basanti.[10][11]
Education
Canning has four secondary schools: David Sassoon High School, Dwarikanath Valika Vidyalaya, and Raibaghini High School, and St. Gabriel School. Bankim Sardar College which is affiliated to University of Calcutta is the only college in the city. An ITI college is situated beside Bankim Sardar College.
Economy
Fish centre
Canning is a major market for supply of fish to Kolkata. The fishermen of the area bring their catch to the all-night fish market at the city. Here the commission agents receive the fish and auction them. It is bought by the wholesalers and transported to Kolkata for sale to retailers, who sell it in the different markets.[7]
Festivals and Fairs
Canning is a host to many festivals and fairs.[citation needed] Most of them are timed during winter season. "Sunderban Mela" is the biggest fair of the city. This fair is conducted by the "Bandhumahal Club" from 3 to 12 January every year. Another festival is "Sunderban Utsav."
Transport
Canning is well connected with state capital Kolkata by train and bus. EMU Trains run toward Canning from Sealdah.
- Private Bus
- SD33 Baruipur — Jharkhali
- SD41 Amlamethi Ghat — Jamtala
- SD63 Baruipur — Gadkhali
- SD64 Baruipur — Chunakhali
- SD85 Moukhali — Dhamakhali
- Mini Bus
- Express Bus
- Gadkhali – Digha
References
- ^ Edwardes, Michael, A History of India, paper back edition 1967, p.326, The New English Library.
- ^ Cotton, H.E.A., Calcutta Old and New, 1909/1980, p. 183, General Printers and Publishers Pvt. Ltd.
- ^ Ray, Animesh, The Calcutta Port, in Calcutta, the Living City, Vol. II, edited by Sukanta Chaudhuri, p. 124, Oxford University Press, ISBN 0-19-563697-X.
- ^ Bhimani, Rita (16 July 2004). "Sunderbans shadow lines". The Telegraph. Calcutta, India. Retrieved 30 September 2007.
- ^ Sukanta Chaudhuri, The Railway Comes to Calcutta, in Calcutta, the Living City, edited by Sukanta Chaudhuri, Vol. I, p. 239, Oxford University Press, ISBN 978-0-19-563696-3.
- ^ Falling Rain Genomics, Inc - Canning
- ^ a b Bandopadhyay, Raghab, Calcutta’s Markets, in Calcutta, the Living City, Vol. II, pp. 118-121.
- ^ "A Rendezvous with Sundarban". The Journey…. Chilli Breeze. Retrieved 30 September 2007.
- ^ "Bridge on the river Matla". The Statesman, 24 December 2005. Retrieved 30 September 2007.
{{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in:|publisher=(help) [dead link] - ^ Saha, Sambit (9 January 2011). "Didi on Singur mind, not CM". See photo caption. Calcutta, India: The Telegraph, 9 January 2011. Retrieved 30 September 2011.
- ^ "Canning bridge inaugurated, CM rolls sops for locals". The Statesman, 9 January 2011. Archived from the original on 14 June 2012. Retrieved 30 September 2011.
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