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Jamshedpur

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Jamshedpur
Jamshedpur (TataNagar)
Steel City/Green City
CITY
Population
 (2001)
 • Total1,134,788
Websitewww.jamshedpur.nic.in

Jamshedpur pronunciation (जमशेदपुर in Devanagari)(জামশেদপুর in Bengali)is the largest urban conglomeration in the state of Jharkhand (formerly in the state of Bihar) with a population of 1.1 million (as per 2001 census). Jamshedpur is the first well-planned industrial city of India, founded by the late Jamshedji Nusserwanji Tata and ranks 28th among the 35 million-plus cities and is also the 31st urban agglomeration in India according to the census 2001. Located in the East Singhbhum district of Jharkhand on the Chota Nagpur plateau, it is the district headquarters and is surrounded by the beautiful Dalma Hills. The rivers Subarnarekha and Kharkai border the North and West of the city, respectively.

Etymology

In 1919 Lord Chelmsford named the city Jamshedpur in honour of its founder, Jamshedji Nausherwanji Tata, whose birthday is celebrated on 3rd March as Founder's Day. J. N. Tata had written to his son Dorabji Tata about his vision of a great city in the area. On Founders Day, the 225-acre (0.91 km2) Jubilee Park is decorated with brilliant lightwork for about a week, attracting people from all parts of the nation.

The city has several nicknames including 'Steel City' (which was referenced during TATA Steel's 'Green City - Clean City - Steel City' campaign); 'Tatanagar' after the name of its railway station or simply 'Tata' in deference to the significant presence of Tata companies in the city and its adjoining areas.

History

File:Jamshedpur early years.jpg
A photograph of the TATASTEEL plant in the early 20th century

At the turn of the twentieth century, the Tatas wanted to build a steel plant in India. Jamshedji Tata went to Pittsburgh and asked geologist Charles Page Perin to help him find the site to build his dream—India's first steel plant. The search for a site rich in the resources needed for the plant, namely iron, coal, limestone and water began in April 1904 in today's Madhya Pradesh.

The prospectors, C. M. Weld, Dorab Tata and Shapurji Saklatvala, took nearly three years in a painstaking search across vast stretches of inhospitable terrain to find a suitable location. One day, almost by accident they came across a village called Sakchi, on the densely forested stretches of the Chhota Nagpur plateau, near the confluence of the Subarnarekha and Kharkai rivers. It seemed to be the ideal choice and the place was selected.

Early development work was undertaken by Durrell & Co, a civil engineering firm run by Lawrence Samuel Durrell, the father of the naturalist Gerald Durrell (who was born here) and the novelist Lawrence Durrell. Commissioned by the Tata family in 1920, Durrell was responsible for building a tinplate mill, a brick-making plant, an office building, a hospital and over 400 workers' houses.

Jamshedji's plan for the city was clear. He envisioned far more than a mere row of workers hutments. He insisted upon building all the comforts and conveniences a city could provide. As a result, many areas in the city are well planned and there are great public leisure places such as the Jubilee Park.

While building this beautiful city, Jamshedji Tata had said ...

"Be sure to lay wide streets planted with shady trees, every other of a quick growing variety. Be sure that there is plenty of space for lawns and gardens; reserve large areas for football, hockey and parks; earmark areas for Hindu temples, Mohammedan mosques and Christian churches."

What the city looks like today is a testament to his visionary plans. Jamshedpur is the only city in India without a municipality. The responsibility for its conservation and maintenance is entirely assumed by Tata Steel, very likely a unique situation in the world.

Legend has it that in the late 1980s when the state government proposed a law to end the Tatas' administration of Jamshedpur and bring the city under a municipality, the local populace rose in protest and defeated the government's proposal. In 2005, a similar proposal was once again put up by lobbying politicians. The target audience was the working class. A large majority of this sided with the government and set up protest meetings outside the East-Singhbhum Deputy Commissioner's office. However, the objective was never achieved and Jamshedpur remains without a municipality till date- and the quality services continue.

Geography

Jamshedpur is located at 22°48′N 86°11′E / 22.8°N 86.18°E / 22.8; 86.18[1]. It has an average elevation of 135 metres (442 ft). Jamshedpur is located in a hilly region, and its terrain is quite uneven. Jamshedpur occupies about 2.03% of the total area of Jharkhand. Total geographical area of Jamshedpur is 230.59 km square.

Climate

Jamshedpur has a temperate climate. Summers start in mid-March and can be extremely hot in May and June. The temperature variation during summer is from 35º – 42º C although the city has witnessed temperatures higher than this in recent years. On the other hand the minimum temperature during winters is 8º C. In fact, the best time to pay a visit to the city is between October and April. During these months, the city even receives migratory birds. The climate of Jamshedpur is marked by south-west monsoon. Jamshedpur gets heavy rainfall from July to September and receives about 1200 mm of rainfall annually.

Climate data for Jamshedpur, India
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Source: Yahoo Weather[2]

Demographics

As of 2001 India census,[3] Jamshedpur had a population of 1,134,788 and ranks 28th among the 35 million-plus cities in India according to the census 2001. Males constitute 53% of the population and females 47%. Jamshedpur has an average literacy rate of 82%, higher than the national average of 59.5%. In Jamshedpur, 11% of the population is under 6 years of age.

The conversational language is Hindi. However tribal languages like Santhali and Ho are also spoken in some parts of the city. The population is cosmopolitan in nature owing to migration of people from all over the country to work in the numerous industries present in the city.

Apart from the native tribal population the other ethno-religious groups are Bengalis, Biharis, Punjabis, Oriyas, Gujaratis, Marwaris and Muslims . There is a small but significant number of South Indians as well, principally from Andhra Pradesh; Tamil Nadu and Kerala.

Major festivals celebrated include Makar Sakranti, Durga Puja, Deepavali, Holi, Christmas, Id-ul-Fitr, Id-uz-Zuha and Chhath.

Economy

Jamshedpur, as home to the first private Iron and Steel company of India(sixth largest in the world), Tata Steel, is commonly called "Tata Nagar" as a result of the company's significant presence. The areas surrounding Jamshedpur are rich in minerals, including iron ore, coal, manganese bauxite and lime.

It is a modern, industrial city; the main industries being iron and steel, truck manufacturing, tinplate production, cement and other small and medium scale industries revolving around these products. The largest factory is that of Tata Steel (the erstwhile Tata Iron and Steel Company or TISCO), and it is situated almost at the center of the city. Tata Steel is the largest iron and steel producing plant in India, as well as the oldest. Plans have been made for the expansion of Tata Steel's existing plant at Jamshedpur from 7 million tonnes per annum to 10 million tonnes per annum. It would then be the first plant in the world to have 10 million tonne capacity in a single campus.

File:Tata steel.jpg
Tata Steel plant in jamshedpur


The steel plant is large enough and still covers around a fourth of the land area of Jamshedpur, and has two inland water lakes.

The other major factory in the city is Tata Motors, which manufactures heavy vehicles and construction/earth moving equipment. Tata Motors was previously called The Tata Engineering and Locomotive Company (TELCO), as railway locomotives were once manufactured here.

Tata Tinplate (the erstwhile Tinplate Co. of India Ltd.) manufactures tinplate. It was originally a British company built in Golmuri, later on taken over by Tata. Another factory, located near Tata Motors, is the Indian Steel and Wire products (ISWP). ISWP was reopened after more than five years by Tata Steel after surmounting all legal impediments and BFIR-related hurdles. ISWP resumed production in its wire mill on January 2, 2004, after its takeover by Tata Steel, and has commenced its rod mill operations.

Several renowned industries, such as TRF Limited (Tata Robins Fraser), which manufactures bulk material handling and processing machines and other engineering goods, are located in Jamshedpur. Agrico, a subsidiary of Tata Steel, manufactures agricultural implements. Tata Yodogawa Ltd manufactures rolls and dies for rolling mills. Praxair and British Oxygen Company (BOC), are producers of liquefied oxygen, nitrogen and other gases, they both have plants adjacent to the steel mill.

Lafarge Cement, earlier Tata Cement, is located near Tata Motors. Along with the smokestacks of Tata Power, a coal fired captive power station that supplies a great deal of the city's electricity, it can be conspicuously seen from the railway tracks while coming to Jamshedpur by rail.

The presence of other companies like ABB, TCS, L&T, S&L, SMS, Danielle, Italiam Pianti are a privilege for the city people.

Most of the Small Medium Enterprises (SMEs) are located in the 'Adityapur Industrial Estate' which prior to NOIDA was Asia's largest Industrial hub.

Transport

File:Tatanagar railway station.jpg
Tatanagar Railway Station

The city is well connected via Rail and Road services.

Railways

Tatanagar (Jamshedpur) is an important railway junction & a model station on the South Eastern Railway and is the most important railway junction of the state as it is connected directly to all the major cities of India, viz., Kolkata, Mumbai, Delhi, Chennai, Bangalore, Ahmedabad, Amritsar,Raipur, Patna, Nagpur, Kanpur, Ranchi, Pune, Jammu, Vishakapatnam, Guwahati, Bhubaneshwar etc. The main railway station of the city is known as Tatanagar Junction, others are Adityapur , Gamahria and Govindpur.

Roadways

Jamshedpur is well connected to other parts of India through national and state highways. The major highways are:

  • National Highway 33 (NH 33) touches the city and joins the NH32, which connects Kolkata with Delhi.
  • National Highway 32 (NH 32) connects Jamshedpur to Govindpur via Dhanbad, Bokaro.

Regular bus services are available from Jamshedpur to Ranchi (131 km), Patna, Gaya, Kolkata (300 km) via Baharagora, Hazaribagh, Puri, Bhubaneshwar, Asansol, Bokaro, Dhanbad etc. Also, the 4 Lane expressway which will be (one of its kind in the whole Eastern Region) connecting the industrial town of Adityapur to the city will be completed by the end of 2009.

Local Transport

For local transport, the commuters have options of buses and auto-rickshaws. Auto rickshaws are the popular mode of local commuting. Jamshedpur City Ride Bus is a newly introduced road transport system run by JUSCO(Jamshedpur Utilities & Services Company, a Tata Enterprise)[1]. It was launched on 3 March, 2009 on Founder's Day. The fleet comprises of Tata Star Buses. It is an extensive service with routes servicing most areas of the city. Each bus is equipped with GPS, elecronic sign boards and computerized vending machines. The State government has also plans of introducing as many as 50 buses under the new JNNURM scheme[2], it is in the final stages of implementation and would be a run public-private partnership.

Airport

The city's airport is located at Sonari. The airport is only large enough to accommodate small ATR aircrafts. Until recently the Airport was served by Kingfisher Red and MDLR Airlines with Kingfisher Airlines operating two flights every day to Kolkata and MDLR offering a hopping flight to New Delhi via Ranchi. The airport is usually used for chartered flights by Tata Steel Officials. With the growing population of the city and the needs of the citizens the government along with Tata Steel is mulling building a new airport in the near future. The nearest commercial airports are Kolkata and Ranchi.

Education

Jamshedpur has a high literacy rate, comparable to the best in the country. The Steel City has as many as 183 schools and 13 colleges. Of these, 25 schools and one inter-college are managed by JUSCO Education Department. They cater to over thirty thousand children, with fees at a concessional rate. Tata Steel also endows various scholarships, enabling talented students to pursue higher studies. These include the Golden Jubilee scholarship, which is awarded to deserving students who are studying in various colleges.

The most reputed institutes in Jamshedpur include XLRI (Xavier Labour Relations Institute), a management institute rated among the best in the country, and National Institute of Technology, Jamshedpur, an Institute of National Importance in the field of Engineering/Technology

Schooling in Jamshedpur is considered to be among the best in India, as it has some of the best schools in India. See also Educational institutions in Jamshedpur for a list of the schools and colleges in the city.

Most of the schools follow the ICSE/ISC pattern, while others are affiliated to CBSE board.

Sports

Sports is 'a way of life' at Tata Steel and Jamshedpur's reputation as the sports capital of Jharkhand is a consequence of this philosophy. Under the close supervision of skilled coaches, training is imparted to sports persons to excel at national and international level competitions. The initiative is mainly taken by the city's corporate houses.

It has been a constant effort by Tata Steel to promote sporting activities. Jamshedpur's numerous private clubs provide opportunities for a variety of sporting activities, such as golf, tennis, squash, billiards, horse ridding, water scootering, etc.

JRD Tata Sports Complex

Various academies and stadiums in Jamshedpur are:

JRD Tata Sports Complex- This magnificent complex has an international standard football ground and an eight-lane monosynthetic track. Facilities for other sports, viz., handball, tennis, volleyball, hockey, basketball, boxing, and table tennis, as well as a modern gymnasium, are available at the complex, which was the first of its kind in India.

Keenan Stadium- With the backdrop of the Dalma Hills and the chimneys of Tata Steel factories, The Keenan Stadium provides a picturesque setting for cricket. The stadium has been named after John Lawrence Keenan, a former general manager at Tata Steel. The Stadium hosted its 1st International One Day Cricket match on December 7,1983 in which India lost to the touring West Indies Team. Many other International matches have been played here in which India has won only one match against South Africa in 1999-2000.Yuvraj Singh scored his first class highest score of 358 against Bihar at this ground before being selected for the National Team to play the ICC Knock Out Trophy in 2000.

Keenan Stadium

Tata Football Academy (TFA) - The Academy was started in 1987 to nurture budding Indian footballers in a scientific way and raise the overall standard of Indian football.

Tata Archery Academy - Archery is a sport indigenous to the tribal people of Chhotanagpur and Santhal Pargana. Tata Steel has pursued and nurtured the local tribals and provided them with necessary facilities and training to bring them up to international competition standards in Archery.

Jamshedpur has two golf courses namely, the Beldih Golf Course and the Golmuri Golf Course. Both of these courses which are in the heart of the city are well maintained. The bigger among them is the Beldih Golf Course which is around 600 yards. The Golmuri Golf Course although smaller is also challenging.They together hold the prestigious annual Tata Open Golf Tournament which is an event held under the support of the Professional Golf Tour of India. The tournament was first started in 2002.

Media

A number of Hindi, Bengali, Urdu and English newspapers are published from the city. Out of these, Hindustan, Dainik Jagran ,Prabhat Khabar and The Telegraph happen to be among the most popular in terms of readership.

City centric TV programming is provided by the 24 hour news channel Sahara Samay and several other video magazines telecast by local cable operators.

Jamshedpur has the following FM Radio Stations that play music 24x7 -

Besides these, Vividh Bharati (All India Radio) is also broadcasted on 100.8 FM.

Places of Interest

File:Park jsr.jpg
Jubilee Park
  • Tata Steel : The very foundation of this city, the steel company believed to be only one east of Red Sea during the World War 1,now stands as the World's sixth largest producer of Iron and Steel, known for its immaculate quality and planning, this organisation serves as a social guardian to many of its employees.
  • Jubilee Park: This park was a gift by Tata Steel to the citizens of Jamshedpur on the completion of its 50 years. It was inaugurated by Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru, the first Prime Minister of India in 1956. This 225-acre (0.91 km2) park has a special rose garden and a lake. It has an avenue of specially trimmed Ashok trees and fountains and water cascades which run during the night. It is a favourite with morning walkers, joggers, cyclists and anglers. There are also a few recreational areas inside or attached to Jubilee park.
  • Tata Steel Zoological Park: The well kept zoo is tucked in a corner of the Jubilee Park. The 'Safari Park' in the zoo enables visitors to take a drive through a wooded area where animals roam free and uncaged. A visit to the Nature Education Centre, a boat ride in the Jubilee Lake or a walk along the Nature Trail are unique outlets for relaxation. The co-existence of wildlife in close proximity to the Steel Plant is evidence of the excellent balance of industry with nature.
  • Jubilee Nicco Amusement Park: The park has redefined entertainment in the Steel City. A special gift to the children of Jamshedpur, the amusement park provides entertainment that was earlier the privilege of metro cities only. The green hillocks and the waterbody provide a wonderful ambience for an outing where rides like whirling in the wind, dashing cars, rolling till the moon, derby riding, caterpillar ride and a 75-meter slide can be enjoyed.
  • Dimna Lake: Nestling at the foot of the Dalma hills, Dimna Lake is an artificial reservoir and one of the main sources for the city's drinking water. The Lake has facilities for water sports like jetskiing, rowing and water scooting.
Dimna Lake
  • Rivers Meet: 'Domuhani' - the scenic confluence of Kharkai and Subarnarekha rivers. Domuhani, situated at the extreme North-West point of the city, is a popular picnic spot.
  • Dalma Hills: North of Subarnarenkha river, the Dalma Hills stretch 16 km from east to west. Accessible by road. Famous for herds of wild elephants. Facilities for trekking and mountain climbing.
  • Hudco Lake: In Telco Colony, a beautiful park and picnic spot with an artificial waterfall and man-made lake. The hillock nearby provides a panoramic view of the surrounding areas.
  • Sir Dorabji Tata Park: Near Keenan Stadium. Hosts Jamshedpur's annual flower show in December. Manicured lawns, flower beds and brilliantly lit fountains provide a delightful touch of colour to the park.
  • Bhatia Park: Situated at Shastri Nagar along the banks of the Subernareka river. Located at Uliyaan, Kadma.
Russi Mody Centre for Excellence
  • Russi Mody Centre for Excellence (RMCE): A unique structure, just outside the Jubilee Park, designed by the famous architect, Hafeez Contractor, is home to the many professional associations of Jamshedpur. It also houses the Tata Steel Archives, where one can see artifacts relating to the history of the evolution of Tata Steel and the city as a whole.
  • Gol Pahari Mandir: Situated just outside the city, Gol Pahari is famous for the Pahari Mandir, where Pahari Maa is the reigning deity. The temple (mandir) is built on a hill near the Tatanagar Railway Station. An annual festival is organised at the Railway Loco Colony to worship Pahari Maa.
  • Bhuvaneshwari Mandir: Located at Telco colony near VBCV school. Situated on top of a hill and looking down on the South-Eastern stretch of the city unviels a beautiful.
  • Ghatshila: A township famous for copper factory is situated 37 km far west of Jamshedpur. A beautiful town famous for its scenic beauty.
  • Pardih KALI MANDIR: a Temple of Goddess Kali in Pardih on way to NH-33.

Sections of the city

  • Sakchi: The heart of the city, with the main markets and a few residential areas. It is a residential cum market area. The oldest part of the city has many buildings having older architectural styles, but also houses the bigger merchandises' showrooms. The village at which Jamshedpur was founded was originally called Sakchi.
  • Parsudih: Situated in the southern part of Jamshedpur, is one of the largest residential area of the city. Home to Golpahari Temple, the oldest temple in Jamshedpur, is also the most visited temple.
  • Mango : Situated across the Subarnarekha River, it's a huge and growing residential area. Once a suburb, thanks to construction entrepreneurs, Mango is now a real estate hotbed. Locations around Lake Dimna offer the most scenic views in the City.
  • Bistupur: An upmarket commercial area and residential township, which caters more to the middle/upper-middle class. Most of the city's showrooms, shopping complexes, popular restaurants and high luxury hotels are situated here on the high street. Bistupur commands the highest real estate prices.
  • Kadma: A quiet residential locality next to Sonari, probably one of the biggest residential areas in the city. Situated here are living houses for Tata Steel employees like Professional Flats, Dindli Enclave and the exotic Kaiser bungalows.
  • Namda Area : Residential area at center of the city.
  • Sonari: Houses residential layouts and the city airport, close to Rivers Meet (Karkhai and Subarnarekha). Home to the Bharat Seva Ashram. A regional Indian Army camp is located here.
  • Telco: This township is owned and maintained by Tata Motors. Telco officials and employees enjoy all facilities ranging from medical to entertainment all within this area itself, including health care, sports and education. There is also a 'Telco Club' with a swimming pool and a good cricket ground next to it.
  • Bari Nagar: This is a Muslim populated area next to Radhika Nagar and touches the boundary of Telco Campus. Most of the population are employed in Tata Motors.
  • Kailash Nagar  : People are staying here from decades after the closure of TATA FOUNDARY buying the land from owners of that company, Located next to the NML Pilot Plant[4] and close to Tata's Tubes Division[5].
  • Govindpur: Close to Tata Motors, Sumant Mulvakar Park, the Tata Power plant, and the Lafarge Cement plant, Govindpur lies on the way to the Rakha Copper Project and Jadugora Uranium Mines.
  • Jugsalai: The area adjacent to the Tatanagar railway station, known as Jugsalai, has a large wholesale market for clothes, grocery, etc.
  • Sidhgora: A residential area for Tata Steel employees. The biggest water storage tank of the city is located here.
  • Golmuri: The residential and market areas of Golmuri include the city's biggest wholesale grain markets. The Doordarshan television tower is located here, beside a maidan where touring circuses often pitch their tents. Home to the colossal Akash Deep Plaza shopping complex.
  • Birsanagar: Named after freedom fighter Birsa Munda, who fought against the British during India's freedom struggle, Birsanagar is the biggest residential area in Jamshedpur. It started out as a huge squatter settlement that was later legalised. The building pattern in this area is irregular, as the residences were privately constructed.
  • Adityapur: Connected to the Steel City by Kharkai Bridge, at one time held the status of Asia's largest industrial estate. Most of the ancillary businesses catering to Tata Motors and Tata Cummins are located here. Though situated in a district (Saraikela-Kharsawan) other than that in which Jamshedpur is located (East Singhbhum), it is considered a part of the city. An All India Radio High Power broadcasting station is located here.It houses more than 800 small scale industries and prior to noida was the largest industrial belt in asia.
  • Nildih: Home to the Tubes division of Tata Steel and the bungalows of employees working there.
  • Bhalubasa: A residential area with private housing. Its major landmark is the flyover connecting Sakchi to the Agrico area.
  • Dhatkidih: Close to Bistupur, Kadma and Sakchi. Very famous for its bakeries.
  • Aambagaan: A huge open ground. Hosts most of the seasonal fairs and exhibitions. Situated adjacent to Sakchi and Baradwari, it's central location is a big advantage.
  • Pardih: Situated just beyond the city near National Highway 33. Has recently seen increases in development activity and population as the city expands further north of the Subernarekha.It is witnessing a real estate boom in recent times.
  • Azadnagar: Also known as Azad Bastie or meaning subdivision, is situated in Mango , is a predominently Muslim area.Prime source of foreign remittance to the city,its residents, believed to be thousands in numbers work in Middle east and Africa to send Millions as Precious foreign Remittance to the city.Devoid of any basic infrastructure and amenities.
  • Gamharia: It is an industrial hub and is connected to Jamshedpur by the river Kharkhai. It comes under Saraikela-Kharsawan district but considered to be a part of Jamshedpur. Two big ancillaries of Tata Steel- Tayo Rolls and Tisco Growth Shop, companies like Usha Martin, Internationally famed Caparo Group of Industries and many other industries are located here.

List of notable people from Jamshedpur


UN Selection for Pilot Project

Jamshedpur was chosen to be one of the six cities to participate in the UN Global Compact Cities pilot programme. The other five cities are Melbourne (Australia), Porto Alegre (Brazil), Tianjin (PRC), Nairobi (Kenya) and San Francisco (USA).

Jamshedpur represented south Asia. Tata Steel’s exceptional record in the field of community development and its close involvement in providing services to the steel city has been the reason behind Jamshedpur being nominated for the international pilot project.[6]

See also

References