Dalkhola

Dalkhola (Bengali: ডালখোলা) is a municipality located in the Uttar Dinajpur district of the state of West Bengal, India.

History

Dalkhola was originally in the state of Bihar in India. After 1959, Dalkhola was located in the state of West Bengal. The town expanded around the Dalkhola village panchayats and developed into an important centre for trade and commerce due to the available railway station and rail connections. It is the leading centre of the jute and oil trade in Uttar Dinajpur. It is an important centre for the trade of maize, which is produced in the neighboring state of Bihar.

Politics

Dalkhola became a municipality in 2003. In the Dalkhola municipal area, there are 14 Wards. In last election, the Congress party won 9 seats out of 14, and the Communist Party of India (Marxist) won the other 5 seats. It is one of the four municipalities in the district. And now 3 nirdalya party join cpi(m) and municipality convert to cpim.

Development

In Dalkhola a national level power grid was established in 1973, which expanded the availability of electricity to the municipality. Other developments include a flour mill well, and maize processing companies which use the crops produced by local farmers.

Planned road projects in Dalkhola include a bypass road and bridge overpass to reduce traffic congestion near Sri Priyaranjan Das munshi.

Geography

Dalkhola has an average elevation of 23 metres (75 feet) and is located at 25.85°N 87.85°E / 25.85; 87.85. It is the second-largest area in the Uttar Dinajpur district, with a length 13 km from east to west, 18 km from north to south. Dalkhola is divided in the following 14 wards:

1. Muhammadpur
2. Patti mill
3. Bhusamani
4. Mithapur
5. Dalkhola bazar
6. High school para
7. Dalkhola basti
8. Subhaspally
9. Farsara
10. Bidhan pally
11. Uttar dalkhola
12. Purnea more
13. Sikarpur
14. Nichitpur

Climate

The cooler months in Dalkhola begin in December and end in February. The temperature generally peaks at about 35 °C. The annual low temperature is usually near 10 °C. The monsoon season starts in June and runs through September.

Schools

The schools in Dalkhola include:

• Dalkhola High School
• Dalkhola Girls High School
• Uttar Dalkhola High School
• Hindi High School (JR)
• Middle School
• Frsara F.P School
• Nazarpur F.P School
• Javahar Navadya Vidyalaya
• Holy Cross School
• St. Mary's School
• St. Stephen's School
• St. Xvier's School
• Dalkhola Public School(D.P.S)
• Iqra Public School
• Children's Acadamy

Demographics

In the 2001 India census, Dalkhola had a population of 13,891. In 2008, the population grew to approximately 19,000. Males constituted 54% of the population and females 46%. The literacy rate in Dalkhola of 69% was greater than the national average of 59.5%; male literacy was 70% and female literacy was 63%. In Dalkhola, 18% of the population was under 6 years of age.

Decadal growth for the period 1991 to 2001 was 30.41% in Dalkhola, compared to 28.72% in the Uttar Dinajpur district. Decadal growth in West Bengal was 17.84%.

Transport

NH 34 cuts through the middle of the town to meet NH 31.

There are two airports near Dalkhola. The Bagdogra airport is 100 km away, and the Balurghat airport is 150 km from Dalkhola. The largest railway station in the district is located in Dalkhola. This railway connects to several major cities, including Siliguri, Kolkata, Katihar, and Patna. Bus transportation runs from Dalkhola to Siliguri, Raiganj, Kishanganj, Kaliaganj, Balurghat, and Malda.

Festivals

Many religious festivals are observed in Dalkhola. The three largest festivals are Durga puja, Eid and Diwali. Other festivals include Holy, Kurbani, Chhat Puja, Muharram, Saraswati Puja, Kali Puja, Dushera, Christmas, and Bishwakarama Puja.