Koraput district
Koraput district | |
|---|---|
 Sunset at Koraput | |
 Location in Odisha, India | |
| Coordinates: 18°48′30″N 82°42′30″E / 18.8083°N 82.7083°E | |
| Country |  India |
| State |  Odisha |
| Headquarters | Koraput |
| Government | |
| • Collector & District Magistrate | Madhusudhan Mishra, OAS (SAG) |
| • Superintendent of Police | Mukesh Bhamoo, IPS |
| Area | |
| • Total | 8,807 km2 (3,400 sq mi) |
| Population (2011) | |
| • Total | 1,379,647 |
| • Density | 140.58/km2 (364.1/sq mi) |
| Languages | |
| • Official | Odia, English |
| • Other Local Language | Kui, Kuvi, Gutob |
| Time zone | UTC+5:30 (IST) |
| PIN | 764 020 |
| Vehicle registration | OD-10 |
| Sex ratio | 1.038 ♂/♀ |
| Literacy | 49.21% |
| Lok Sabha constituency | Koraput(ST) |
| Vidhan Sabha constituency | 5
|
| Climate | Aw (Köppen) |
| Precipitation | 1,522 millimetres (59.9 in) |
| Avg. summer temperature | 38 °C (100 °F) |
| Avg. winter temperature | 12 °C (54 °F) |
| Website | www |
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Koraput is a district of India in southern Odisha, with headquarters at Koraput. The district is located in the Eastern Ghats and is known for its hilly terrain, rich and diverse types of mineral deposits and its indigenous culture and traditions. The district headquarters of Koraput and its largest city, Jeypore are major centres of trade and commerce for South Odisha and fall on an important road connecting Vishakhapatnam to Raipur.
Etymology
The district of Koraput derives its name from its headquarters, the present town of Koraput. According to Mr. R.C.S. Bell, the name of the town is ‘Kora-Putti’ or “the hamlet of the Nux-vomica".[1]
Some opine that the word is derived from "Khora," a tribal people who still inhabit nearby villages. According to the second theory, Koraput is a corrupted form of ‘Karaka-Pentho’. Karaka literally means ‘hail-stone’. Another opinion is often found that the term Kora was the name of a Sun God who was worshipped by the local tribals in ancient times. Hence the town was so named.
It is also believed that one ‘Khora Naiko’ laid foundation of the village during the time of Nandapur kings. He hailed probably from Ranpur and served under the Nandapur kings in the Militia, and for his faithful and meritorious services he was permitted to establish this village which was named after him as Khora Putu, and later on the name has been abbreviated to ‘Koraput.
Location
Koraput district is located between 18 degree 13’ and 19 degree 10’ North Latitudes and 82 degree 5’ and 83 degree 23’ East Longitudes. It shares its borders with Nabarangpur district and Kalahandi District of Odisha on the north, with Bastar District of Chhattisgarh on the west, with Malkangiri District of Odisha on the south and with Vizianagaram district, Vishakhapatnam District and Srikakulam district of Andhra Pradesh on the east. Its area is 8,807 km2, making it the third largest district of Odisha after Mayurbhanj and Sundargarh.
History
The early history of the district is obscure owing to the absence of written records. Its location in the hills, isolation from means of communication and the dense forests all around served to keep the district politically separate from the nearby plains on both sides. The earliest event that can be fixed with certainty is the acquisition of the tract by the Kingdom of Jeypore sometime in the 15th century. Before this, it was probably ruled by the Silavamsi Dynasty. Ruins of 10th century Jain temples in the district point to a presence of that sect as well. The Jeypore Rajas became tributaries to the Qutb Shahi Dynasty of Hyderabad by 1580. This suzerainty later passed to the Mughals, the Nizam of Hyderabad and finally descended to the East India Company when the Northern Circars were ceded to them by Emperor Shah Alam in 1765.
After cession, the district formed a part of the Madras Presidency but was largely left in the hands of the local Zamindars owing to its remote location. For administrative purposes, the entire area from the foothills of the Eastern Ghats to the boundaries of Bastar State was added to the Vishakhapatnam District. This included the present day Rayagada, Malkangiri and Nabarangpur districts as well. The Collector of the District functioned in an additional capacity as Agent to the Governor of Madras in this area and exercised significant powers of criminal justice, revenue and civil law. The usual Civil and Criminal procedure codes of British India were not applied and the tract was known as the Agency. In 1863, two Assistant Agents were appointed at Jeypore and Parvatipuram to aid the Agent in his duties.
Except for a short-lived experiment of clubbing Agency areas of Ganjam, East Godavari District and Vishakhapatnam under a Commissioner in 1920, the administrative system remained unchanged till 1st April, 1936 when almost all of the Agency areas of Vishakhapatnam District along with the associated zamindaris were clubbed together to form the undivided Koraput District. The district, along with the coastal districts of Ganjam, Balasore, Puri, Cuttack and Angul together constituted a new Orissa Province of British India. It was the first linguistic province of India and Koraput became its largest district in size. A District Magistrate was appointed who was assisted by two Sub Divisional Magistrates at Rayagada and the headquarters. The district had a total of 8 Talukas- later replaced by Tahsils and Blocks. Nabarangpur subdivision was created in 1941, followed by Gunupur and Malkangiri subdivisions in 1962 and Jeypore some years later. Finally, the district was divided into four new districts in 1992 - the Jeypore and Koraput subdivisions together constituted the new truncated district of Koraput.
The district was severely affected by Naxalism after 2000, though instances of violence have come down after 2014. It is currently a part of the Red Corridor and has extensive deployment of police and paramilitary forces at sensitive places.[2]
Geography and Climate
Koraput comes under the Eastern Ghat Highland Agro climatic Zone. It is composed of two separate plateaus at an average elevation of 3000 and 2000 feet respectively which are separated from each other and the surrounding plains by a ring of hills.
The 3000 feet plateau forms the boundary of the district with Andhra Pradesh and part of Rayagada district. A line of hills marks its outer boundary to the east reaching a height of 5486 feet at Deomali, the highest peak of Odisha, near Pottangi and 5316 feet at Sinkaram Gutta near Araku on the Andhra Pradesh border. Most of the hills have been denuded of forests due to generations of shifting cultivation and lack any major wildlife. The rainfall averages approximately 160 cm and falls in the Monsoon months of July-August. The plateau itself is marked by undulating hills and valleys through which numerous streams run down to join the Indravati to the north and the tributaries of the Godavari to the south. Most of the land is given over to the cultivation of paddy, ragi and flax. Narayanapatna and Bandhugaon blocks of the district are located before the ring of hills as noted above and geographically form a part of the Nagavali River valley, being located at a significantly lower altitude. The district headquarter town of Koraput is located on this plateau, as are most of the industrial areas of the district.
The Jeypore subdivision is a part of the 2000 feet plateau and forms approximately the western third of the district. It is divided from the 3000 feet plateau by a range of hills that runs from the Malkangiri border to the Indravati river. Low hills, some of them reaching to about 3000 feet mark this plateau. They are occasionally covered with jungle but most of the land is given over to paddy cultivation. The plateau gradually slopes west towards Bastar and falls through another ring of hills to the lower plains of Malkangiri to the south. The rainfall is slightly higher and averages about 190 cm annually.
The district overall has a warm and humid type of climate, though significantly more pleasant than the rest of Odisha. Mean Maximum summer temperature is 34.1 C and Mean Minimum Winter temperature is 10.4 C. The temperature on the 3000 feet plateau is often much lower and can approach close to freezing during peak winter at certain places.
Administrative setup
The 14 Tahasils in Koraput district under two sub-divisions are listed in the following table.
| # | Koraput Sub-Division | Jeypore Sub-Division |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Koraput | Jeypore |
| 2 | Bandhugaon | Boipariguda |
| 3 | Dasamantapur | Boriguma |
| 4 | Laxmipur | Kotpad |
| 5 | Machhakund | Kundura |
| 6 | Nandapur | |
| 7 | Narayanpatna | |
| 8 | Pottangi | |
| 9 | Similiguda |
The 14 Blocks in Koraput district under two sub-divisions are listed in the following table.
| # | Koraput Sub-Division | Jeypore Sub-Division |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Koraput | Jeypore |
| 2 | Bandhugaon | Boipariguda |
| 3 | Dasamantapur | Boriguma |
| 4 | Laxmipur | Kotpad |
| 5 | Lamataput | Kundura |
| 6 | Nandapur | |
| 7 | Narayanpatna | |
| 8 | Pottangi | |
| 9 | Similiguda |
Culture
Parab (tribal culture and dance festival)
Places Of Interest
- Subai Jain temple : Subai Jain temple complex is consist of 5 temples built in 4th century. One of the temples houses the image of Rishabhanatha surrounded by tirthankaras. The temple is famous for the rare images in the temple.[3] There is an idol of four-armed Tara, Jain yakshi in temple complex is also noteworthy. Parab festival is organised by temple mangement every year.[4]
People
Koraput is an Adivasi district, known for high concentration of Adivasi communities (tribes). As many as 51 are found in undivided Koraput district. These tribals have been grouped into three major classes[5]
- Dravidian peoples represented by Kondh. Poraja, Gond and Koya, forming the major part of the population.
- Austro-Asiatic peoples (Munda or Kolarian peoples): the Savara, Gadaba and Bondas, one of the most primitive tribes.
Apart from these three, there are many others like Omanatya and Bhumia, whose origin is not clearly known.Each community has its own language, hailed as a great repository of ecological knowledge.[by whom?] These communities have been practicing their own indigenous religions, but are termed as 'Hindus' by the constitution of India. This paves the way for their assimilation into the 'Hindu Mainstream'. Adivasi religion thus faces an onslaught from both Hinduism as well as evangelical Christianity. [1] [2] [3]
Economy
In 2006 the Ministry of Panchayati Raj named Koraput one of the country's 250 most backward districts (out of a total of 640).[6] It is one of the 19 districts in Odisha currently receiving funds from the Backward Regions Grant Fund Programme (BRGF).[6]
Agriculture
The district economy mainly depends on agriculture and which mainly depends on rainfall. The rainfall depends on South-West monsoon. Out of total cropping area of 296000ha in Koraput, irrigation potential in Kharif is 30.71% and in Rabi is 21.51%. Generally crops grown during Rabi like Paddy, Wheat, Maize, Ragi, Mung, Biri, Groundnut, Mustard, Field Pea, Sunflower etc. needs assured irrigation.[1]
Jeypore tract of the Koraput district is known as one of the centres of origin of rice. The people of Koraput district, notably the adivasis have generated and conserved many indigenous cultivars of rice that are suitable for both dryland and wetland cultivation. The Food and Agricultural Organisation (FAO) in 2012 recognised the service of the communities of Koraput in ensuring food security by declaring the Koraput district as a Global Agricultural Heritage Site
Major Industries
There are only five Large Scale industries located in the district manufacturing & Processing Alumina, Paper, Cement, Aeronautical Engine & hydro electricity. The general pattern of non-agricultural employment, however, leans heavily towards small-scale and household industries
- Hindustan Aeronautics Limited(HAL) - Sunabeda
- NALCO-Damanjodi
- BILT PAPERMILL-Jeypore
- Kolab Hydroelectric Power Station
- Macha kunda Hydroelectric power station Under Lamptaput Block
- Kodingamali bauxite mines
Minerals
The principal economic mineral deposits of Koraput district are Limestone & Bauxite, besides this, occurrence of China clay, Nepheline Synite, Gold, Black & Multi colored rocks named as Decorative Stone are also found in this district.[1] The principal mines in the district are
- Panchpatmali Bauxite Mines of M/s. National Aluminum & Co. Ltd.
- Maliparbat Bauxite Mines of M/s. Hindalco Industries Ltd.,
- Ampavally Limestone Mines of M/s. Odisha Mining Corporation Ltd. and M/s. Industrial Development Corporation of Odisha Ltd.
Demographics
| Year | Pop. | ±% p.a. |
|---|---|---|
| 1901 | 297,440 | — |
| 1911 | 357,588 | +1.86% |
| 1921 | 346,438 | −0.32% |
| 1931 | 408,568 | +1.66% |
| 1941 | 484,348 | +1.72% |
| 1951 | 544,286 | +1.17% |
| 1961 | 593,300 | +0.87% |
| 1971 | 715,139 | +1.89% |
| 1981 | 858,506 | +1.84% |
| 1991 | 1,029,577 | +1.83% |
| 2001 | 1,180,637 | +1.38% |
| 2011 | 1,379,647 | +1.57% |
| source:[7] | ||
According to the 2011 census Koraput district has a population of 1,379,647,[8] roughly equal to the nation of Swaziland[9] or the US state of Hawaii.[10] This gives it a ranking of 356th in India (out of a total of 640).[8] The district has a population density of 156 inhabitants per square kilometre (400/sq mi) .[8] Its population growth rate over the decade 2001-2011 was 16.63%.[8] Koraput has a sex ratio of 1031 females for every 1000 males,[8] and a literacy rate of 49.21%. Scheduled Castes make up 14.21% of the population and 50.6% are from Scheduled Tribes.[8]
Languages
At the time of the 2011 Census of India, 78.19% of the population in the district spoke Odia, 10.21% Kui, 3.46% Telugu, 2.81% Kuvi, 2.10% Gutob and 1.49% Bhatri as their first language.[11]
As regards the tribal dialects of Koraput district in Orissa, it may be noted that no proper survey has ever been made. But attempts have been made by different individuals to make a study of the various tribal languages of the district.
The percentage of people speaking tribal language in Koraput district has reduced from 37 percent in 1931 census to 22.86 percent in 1971 census. Thus, a large number of tribals of the district have adopted non-tribal languages during the past four decades. Most of the people speak Desia Oriya, but the manner and the accent with which tills is spoken in Koraput is very different from other parts of Orissa. Most tribals have their own dialects. The intermixing of Telugu and Oriya is spoken in Jeypore sub division. Since some Telugus from Srikakulum and Vijayanagar have migrated to these areas centuries back and other come for business. Languages include Bhatri, which falls within the Odia language group but only shares about 60% lexical similarity with Oriya, spoken by about 600 000;[12] and Bhunjia, spoken by approximately 7000 Bhunjia Adivasis.[13]
Languages of Koraput district in 2011 census
Naxalism
Naxalism is a serious matter of concern in south Odisha, including Koraput district, since around 2000. Earlier, the naxalite activities were confined to districts such as Malkangiri, which share its borders with the neighboring states. With time, the naxal activities has spread to Koraput as well as other districts like Rayagada or Nabarangpur. The inaccessible hilly terrain, dense forests, lack of development, grievances of the tribals and poor, and the absence of administration have been conducive to the spread of left-wing extremism in Odisha. The seriousness of the problem was underlined by a co-ordinated Naxalite attack on the District Headquarters and armoury at Koraput on February 6, 2004.[14]
Naxal group, namely People's War Group (PWG), has carried out numerous operations (attacks on rich farmers, police, bureaucrats and politicians, loots from godowns) within last few years in Koraput as well as in its neighboring districts.[15]
Transport
Koraput railway station is a junction station on Kirandul-Visakhapatnam railway line that branches towards Rayagada railway station on the other side. many trains like Kirandul Vskp passenger, Jagdalpur-Howrah, Jagdalpur-Bhubaneswar Hirakhand Exp halt for 10–25 minutes at Koraput. Other main railheads include Jeypore, Kotpad Road Station, Damanjodi, and Lakshmipur Road. Koraput District is served by NH-26, from Raipur to Visakhapatnam. One can go to nearby Malkangiri through Jeypore Road.
Politics
Vidhan sabha constituencies
The following is the 5 Vidhan sabha constituencies[16] of Koraput district and the elected members of that area
| No. | Constituency | Reservation | Extent of the Assembly Constituency (Blocks) | Member of 16th Assembly | Party |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 141 | Lakshmipur | ST | Lakshmipur, Dasamanthapur, Bandhugaon, Narayanpatana | Mr. Prabhu Jani | BJD |
| 142 | Kotpad | ST | Kotpad (NAC), Kotpad, Kundra, Borigumma (part), Boipariguda (part) | Smt. Padmini Dian | BJD |
| 143 | Jeypore | None | Jeypore (M), Jeypore, Borigumma (part) | Mr. Tara Prasad Bahinipati | INC |
| 144 | Koraput | SC | Koraput (NAC), Sunabeda (NAC), Lamptaput, Koraput(PART), Boipariguda (part) | Mr. Raghu Ram Padal | BJD |
| 145 | Pottangi | ST | Pottangi, Semiliguda, Nandapur, Koraput (part) | Mr. Pitam Padhi | BJD |
References
- ^ a b c "Home: District Portal of, Odisha, India". www.ordistricts.nic.in. Retrieved 2016-09-11.
- ^ "83 districts under the Security Related Expenditure Scheme". IntelliBriefs. 2009-12-11. Retrieved 2011-09-17.
- ^ https://koraput.nic.in/tourist-place/subai/
- ^ https://www.newindianexpress.com/states/odisha/2019/dec/14/ancient-jain-monastery-left-to-crumble-in-odisha-2075947.html
- ^ "Gazetteer | Gopabandhu Academy Of Administration". gopabandhuacademy.gov.in. Retrieved 2016-09-11.
- ^ a b Ministry of Panchayati Raj (September 8, 2009). "A Note on the Backward Regions Grant Fund Programme" (PDF). National Institute of Rural Development. Archived from the original (PDF) on April 5, 2012. Retrieved September 27, 2011.
- ^ Decadal Variation In Population Since 1901
- ^ a b c d e f "District Census 2011". Census2011.co.in. 2011. Retrieved 2011-09-30.
- ^ US Directorate of Intelligence. "Country Comparison:Population". Retrieved 2011-10-01.
Swaziland 1,370,424
- ^ "2010 Resident Population Data". U. S. Census Bureau. Archived from the original on October 19, 2013. Retrieved 2011-09-30.
Hawaii 1,360,301
- ^ 2011 Census of India, Population By Mother Tongue
- ^ M. Paul Lewis, ed. (2009). "Bhatri: A language of India". Ethnologue: Languages of the World (16th ed.). Dallas, Texas: SIL International. Retrieved 2011-09-28.
- ^ M. Paul Lewis, ed. (2009). "Bhunjia: A language of India". Ethnologue: Languages of the World (16th ed.). Dallas, Texas: SIL International. Retrieved 2011-09-30.
- ^ "Maoists in Orissa Growing Tentacles and a Dormant State".
- ^ "Naxalite Consolidation In Orissa".
- ^ Assembly Constituencies and their EXtent
Bibliography
Berger, Peter (2002). The Gadaba and the 'non-ST' Desia of Koraput, Orissa. Article
Burrow, T. and S. Bhattacharya (1961). Some notes on the Kui dialect as spoken by the Kuttia Kandhas of North-east Koraput. Indo-Iranian Journal. 5 (2): 118-135
Franco, Merlin F. and D. Narasimhan (2012). Ethnobotany of Kondh, Poraja, Gadaba and Bonda of the Koraput region of Orissa, India. D.K. Printworld. ISBN 978-81-246-0619-3
Franco, Merlin F and D. Narasimhan (2009). Plant names and uses as indicators of knowledge patterns. Indian Journal of Traditional Knowledge. 8: 645-648 Article
Franco, Merlin F., D. Narasimhan and W. Stanley (2009). Relationship between Four Tribal Communities and their Natural Resources in the Koraput Region. Ethnobotany Research & Applications 6: 481-485
Franco, Merlin F and D. Narasimhan (2008). Ecological elements in the songs of the Poraja and the ancient Tamils. Indian Journal of Eco-criticism 1, 49-54
Thusu, Kidar Nath and Jha, Makhan (1972). Ollar Gadba of Koraput. Anthropological Survey of India, Kolkata
Thusu, Kidar Nath (1977). Pengo Parajas of Koraput. Anthropological Survey of India, Kolkata
External links
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