Palghar district

This article is about the district. For its eponymous subdistrict (taluka), see Palghar.

Palghar District पालघर जिल्हा
District Of Maharashtra
Location in Maharashtra
Country	India
State	Maharashtra
Divisions of Maharashtra	Konkan division
Headquarters	Palghar
Government
• Body	District Council
Area
• Total	5,344 km2 (2,063 sq mi)
Population  (2011 Census)
• Total	2,990,116
• Density	560/km2 (1,400/sq mi)
Languages
• Official	Marathi
Time zone	UTC+5:30 (IST)
ISO 3166 code	IN-MH
Vehicle registration	MH-04 (Thane RTO), MH-48 (Palghar District RTO)

Palghar District is a district in the state of Maharashtra in Konkan Division. On 1 August 2014, the Maharashtra State government announced the formation of the 36th district of Maharashtra, when a new Palghar District was carved out of the old Thane district; it comprised the talukas of Palghar, Vada, Vikramgad, Jawhar, Mokhada, Dahanu, Talasari and Vasai-Virar. At the 2011 Census, the talukas now comprising the district had a population of 2,990,116.

Palghar has an urban population of 1,435,210, that is 48% of total population is living in Urbanized Area. The district is bounded by Thane and Nashik Districts on the east and northeast, and by Valsad District of Gujarat state and Union Territory of Dadra and Nagar Haveli on the north. The Arabian Sea forms the western boundary, while Vasai-Virar is part of Mumbai Metropolitan Region.

History

Until 1 August 2014, the talukas now comprising Palghar District formed a part of Thane District. After a struggle and demand for almost 25 years, for bifurcation, the creation of the new district was approved by the Cabinet of Maharashtra on 13 June 2014 and the new district of Palghar came into existence on 1 August. Abhijit S. Bangar was the first Collector of the district.

Geography

The district is the northernmost part of the Konkan lowlands of Maharashtra. It comprises the wide amphitheatre like Ulhas basin on the south and hilly Vaitarna valley on the north together with plateaus and the slopes of Sahyadri. From the steep slopes of the Sahyadri in the east, the land falls through a succession of plateaus in the north and centre of the district to the Ulhas valley in the south. The distance from the parts of different palaces to headquarters Palghar by road is as follows: Khodala 138 km, Mokhada 112 km, Jawhar 75 km, Vikramgad 60 km.

The main river flowing through the district is the Vaitarna. The river has many tributaries; the most important of them are Barvi and Bhatsa, Pinjal, Surya, Daherja and Tansa. Vaitarna, the largest of Konkan Rivers rises in the Tryambak hills in Nashik district, opposite to the source of Godavari. The river flows across Shahapur, Vada and Palghar talukas and enter the Arabian Sea through a wide estuary off Arnala. Vaitarna River is 154 km long and has a drainage area that practically covers the entire northern part of the district.

Ulhas river which flows to Arabian see is Vasai creek, district's southern border.

Arnala Island is located in Vasai taluka, at the entrance to the Vaitarna estuary.

Climate

Palghar
Climate chart (explanation)
J F M A M J J A S O N D     0.6     31 12     1.5     31 15     0.1     33 21     0.6     33 24     13     33 26     574     32 26     868     30 25     553     29 25     306     30 24     63     33 23     15     33 19     5.6     32 10 █ Average max. and min. temperatures in °C █ Precipitation totals in mm Source: Indian Meteorological Department
Imperial conversion J F M A M J J A S O N D     0     87 54     0.1     88 59     0     91 69     0     92 75     0.5     92 78     23     89 78     34     86 77     22     85 76     12     86 75     2.5     91 74     0.6     92 65     0.2     90 50 █ Average max. and min. temperatures in °F █ Precipitation totals in inches

Divisions

Palghar has an urban population of 1,435,210, that is 48% of total population is living in Urbanized Area. Palghar District comprises 8 talukas. The talukas, with their populations at the 2001 and 2011 Censuses are as follows:

Taluka	Population Census 2001	Population Census 2011
Vasai-Virar	795,863	1,343,402
Palghar	454,635	550,166
Dahanu	331,829	402,095
Talasari	121,217	154,818
Jawhar	111,039	140,187
Mokhada	67,319	83,453
Vada	142,753	178,370
Vikramgad	114,254	137,625

Palghar has one municipal corporation (Vasai-Virar) and three municipal councils (Jawhar, Dahanu and Palghar). At present, there are six Vidhan Sabha constituencies in Thane district, grouped into one Lok Sabha constituency; Dahanu (ST), Vikramgad (ST), Palghar (ST), Boisar (ST), Nalasopara and Vasai constituencies are part of Palghar Lok Sabha constituency.

Transportation

The Western Railway network passes through Vasai, Palghar and Dahanu talukas of the district.

Economic

Palghar has India's first atomic power plant located at Tarapur. The industrial town of Boisar is also home to one of Maharashtra's largest industrial areas at Tarapur MIDC. Maharashtra's largest fishing port is Satpati; Dahanu, Arnala, Vasai and Datiware are also major fishing ports. Dahanu and Palghar are the best known for their chickoo production in the whole of India. A special Chickoo festival is also hosted in Palghar and Dahanu.