Najafgarh

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Najafgarh
Najafgarh - Aerial View - New Delhi 2016-08-04 5775.JPG
Aerial view of western Najafgarh in 2016
Location map India Delhi EN.svg
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Najafgarh
Location in India
Coordinates: 28°36′45″N76°59′5″E / 28.61250°N 76.98472°E / 28.61250; 76.98472
CountryFlag of India.svg  India
State Delhi
District South West Delhi
Government
  BodyMunicipal Corporation of Delhi
Population
 (2011)
  Total1,365,152 [1]
Languages
  Official
  Additional official
Time zone UTC+5:30 (IST)
Lok Sabha constituencyWest Delhi
Vidhan Sabha constituency Najafgarh
Civic agency MCD

Najafgarh is a town in the South West Delhi district of National Capital Territory of Delhi, India. It is one of the three subdivisions of the Southwest Delhi district. [3] Najafgarh is located on outskirts of NCT Delhi in south western part of Delhi sharing its territory limits with Gurgaon and Bahadurgarh, in Haryana.

Contents

History

Mirza Najaf Khan, after whom Najafgarh is named Mughal amir horseback large c hi.jpg
Mirza Najaf Khan, after whom Najafgarh is named
The Battle of Najafgarh Battle of Najafgarh.jpg
The Battle of Najafgarh

Before the foundation of modern Najafgarh, the site was occupied by the town of Mas'ūdābād. [4] :10 Mas'ūdābād was listed in the Ain-i-Akbari as a pargana in sarkar Delhi. It was assessed at 2,809,156 dams in revenue and supplied a force of 30 cavalry and 30 infantry. It was described as having an old brick fort and a prominent Jat population. [5] :288

Najafgarh was named after Mirza Najaf Khan [6] [7] (1723–1782) the commander-in-chief of the Mughal Army under the Emperor Shah Alam II. [8] [9] He marched several kilometres from the capital of Shahjahanabad to establish a military outpost, which would guard Delhi against attacks by British, Rohillas and Sikhs. He built a strong fort, [10] in the suburbs beyond the capital city, and settled a small number of the Mughal here. That fort was later named Najafgarh. [11] After the death of Najaf Khan, Najafgarh later became a fortified stronghold of the Rohilla Afghan chieftain Zabita Khan. [12]

During the Indian Rebellion of 1857, and as a part of the Siege of Delhi, [13] the Battle of Najafgarh took place on 25 August 1857 [14] between Indian rebels and East India Company soldiers. [15] Approximately 800 people were killed. [16] After the defeat of the Mughal troops in 1857, Delhi came under the control of the British Empire in 1858. Najafgarh became a part of Delhi district [17] of the Delhi Division of Punjab Province. Delhi was transferred from the North-Western Provinces (later the United Provinces) to Punjab by the British Government in 1859. [18]

In 1861, the North-Western Provinces education system was abolished in Delhi, [19] :18 and a new system for schools modelled on the Punjab education system was introduced by W.M. Holroyd, the Inspector of Schools for the Ambala Division. [19] :47 New schools were opened at Narela, Najafgarh, Mehrauli and their suburbs. Several schools were opened in the following decades. The Delhi Normal School was shifted to Najafgarh from Kashmere Gate in 1911. [19] :71 [20] The Delhi Normal School, with a small attached Model School, [21] trained its teachers in closer accordance with European methods than any other Normal School in Northern India. [22]

In 1947, Najafgarh became a part of independent India and fell under the union territory of Delhi. Najafgarh Assembly Constituency was established in 1993 when the Delhi legislative assembly was re-established after the Constitution (Sixty-ninth Amendment Act, 1991) came into force. This declared the Union Territory of Delhi to be formally known as National Capital Territory of Delhi. [23] Najafgarh is now one of the most populous electoral regions in the National Capital Region of India (NCR). Najafgarh is surrounded by 70 villages bordering Haryana. The borders are 10 kilometres (6.2 mi) to 15 kilometres (9.3 mi) from the main Najafgarh Market.

Geography

Aerial View of Najafgarh Drain Najafgarh Drain - Aerial View - New Delhi 2016-08-04 5780.JPG
Aerial View of Najafgarh Drain

Najafgarh is located at 28°36′N76°59′E / 28.60°N 76.98°E / 28.60; 76.98 [24] in the South West Delhi district in the NCT of Delhi. Najafgarh is situated 29 kilometres (18 mi) Southwest of the New Delhi City Centre and 10 kilometres (6.2 mi) northwest to the district headquarters at Dwarka. It has an average elevation of 218 m (715 ft) above mean Sea Level. [25] Najafgarh Drain, the continuation of the Sahibi River and an elongation of the Najafgarh Lake is the Indian capital's most polluted body of water [26] due to the direct inflow of untreated sewage from surrounding populated areas. A January 2005 report by the Central Pollution Control Board classifies this drain, with 13 other highly polluted wetlands, under category ‘‘D’’ for assessing the water quality of wetlands in wildlife habitats. [27] [28]

Demographics

As of 2011 India census, the population of Najafgarh is 1,365,152. [1] Female sex Ratio is of 872 against Delhi's average of 868. Moreover, the Child Sex Ratio in Najafgarh is around 832 compared to Delhi's average of 871. [1] The literacy rate is 88.1%. [1] Schedule Caste (SC) constitutes 12.60% of total population in Najafgarh.

Government and politics

Delhi Legislative Assembly

The Najafgarh constituency of the Delhi Legislative Assembly was created in 2008 based on the recommendations of the Delimitation Commission of India constituted in 2002. [29]

Kailash Gahlot of the Aam Aadmi Party has been its representative since 2015, defeating Bharat Singh of the Indian National Lok Dal. The Najafgarh assembly constituency is part of the West Delhi (Lok Sabha constituency).

Transport

Indira Gandhi International Airport is the nearest international airport to Najafgarh.

The Najafgarh is well connected to Delhi Metro (Life line of Delhi), its metro station is located on the Grey Line of the Delhi Metro. It was opened for public on 4 October 2019.

As part of Phase III of Delhi Metro, Najafgarh is metro station of the Grey Line. As of July 2019, the construction work of the metro station was completed. Station was opened for public on 4 October 2019.[1] Najafgarh metro station is 288 meters long and is situated at a depth of 21 meters from the road level. The station is unique as it is only metro depot station to operate both Broad gauge and Standard gauge trains.

Delhi Urban Extension Road-II (UER-II) is pass through Najafgarh near Sai baba mandir as UER-II provides big relief to Najafgarh traffic as commercial as well as private vehicles earlier use Najafgarh as a bypass for NH-8, NH-10 which creates chaos in massive traffic jam. But Now, Najafgarh is traffic free zone.

Najafgarh is connected by roads with major destinations all over Delhi and Haryana. The DTC (Delhi Transport Corporation) and DIMTS (Delhi Multi-Model Transit System) provide bus services from Najafgarh Bus Terminal to the other parts of Delhi. In October 2019, a new metro line called the Grey Line was linked from Dwarka to Najafgarh, taking the rapid transit system to the area for the first time. The line was further extended to Dhansa Bus Stand in September 2021, thereby linking the interior rural areas of Najafgarh.

Landmarks

Notable People

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Delhi</span> National Capital Territory of India

Delhi, officially the National Capital Territory (NCT) of Delhi, is one of the 8 union territories of India containing New Delhi, the national capital. Straddling the Yamuna river, but spread chiefly to the west, or beyond its right bank, Delhi shares borders with the state of Uttar Pradesh in the east and with the state of Haryana in the remaining directions. Delhi became a union territory on 1 November 1956 and the NCT in 1995. The NCT covers an area of 1,484 square kilometres (573 sq mi). According to the 2011 census, Delhi's city proper population was over 11 million, while the NCT's population was about 16.8 million.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gurgaon</span> City in Haryana, India

Gurgaon, officially named Gurugram, is a satellite city of Delhi and administrative headquarters of Gurgaon district, located in the northern Indian state of Haryana. It is situated near the Delhi–Haryana border, about 30 kilometres (19 mi) southwest of the national capital New Delhi and 268 km (167 mi) south of Chandigarh, the state capital. It is one of the major satellite cities of Delhi and is part of the National Capital Region of India. As of 2011, Gurgaon had a population of 876,969.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kashmiri Gate, Delhi</span> Gate in Old Delhi, India

Kashmiri Gate or Kashmere Gate is a gate located in Old Delhi in UT of Delhi, India. it is the northern gate to the historic walled city of Old Delhi. Built by the Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan, the gate is so named because it was at the start of a road that led to Kashmir.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bahadurgarh</span> City in Haryana, India

Bahadurgarh is a city and municipal council within Jhajjar district in the Indian state of Haryana and Part of National Capital Region or NCR of Delhi.The city comprises 31 wards and is approximately 21 km from National Capital Territory (NCT) of Delhi and 31 km from Jhajjar, the district headquarter.

Patparganj is a locality situated in East Delhi District of the National Capital Territory of Delhi, India, and is located near the border with Uttar Pradesh.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ballabhgarh</span> Town in Haryana, India

Ballabgarh, officially Balramgarh, is a large town, nearby Faridabad city and a tehsil (subdistrict) in Faridabad district of Haryana, India, and is part of the Delhi National Capital Region or Delhi NCR.

Dwarka is a neighbourhood located in Southwestern edge of Indian Capital New Delhi in South West Delhi district of the NCT of Delhi. The district court that functions under the Delhi High Court for South West Delhi is located in Dwarka.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Delhi Sarai Rohilla railway station</span> Railway station in Delhi, India

Delhi Sarai Rohilla railway station is situated about 4 kilometres from old Delhi railway junction in India. It is managed by Delhi Division of Northern Railway zone. Many trains from Delhi to Haryana, Jammu and Kashmir, Punjab, Rajasthan, Karnataka, Gujarat and Maharashtra stop at this station. More than twenty trains including Duronto and AC trains originate at this station.

Rania is a town and a municipal committee in Sirsa district located on the upper bank of Ghaggar River in the Indian state of Haryana. Rania Town is a grain market in Sirsa district. Nearby cities to Rania includes Sirsa and Ellenabad. It shares its RTO office with Ellenabad which is also has its headquarters in Ellenabad. Earlier it was a part of Ellenabad subdivision but later carved out separately as a subdivision in Sirsa district of Haryana. It is at a distance of 22 km each from Sirsa and Ellenabad in opposite direction on Haryana State Highway 32A i.e. Bhambhoor-Jiwan Nagar Road which connects to Haryana State Highway 32 in Jiwan Nagar on one end and Haryana State Highway 23 in Bhambhoor on the other end.

The Western Peripheral Expressway (WPE) or Kundli–Manesar–Palwal Expressway, is an operational 6-lane, 135.6 km (84.3 mi)-long Expressway in the Haryana state of India. Along with the Eastern Peripheral Expressway, the Western Peripheral Expressway is expected to divert more than 50,000 heavy vehicles away from Delhi, which will help to maintain good air quality in Delhi. Western Peripheral Expressway along with Eastern Peripheral Expressway completes the largest Ring Road around Delhi. There are 10 tolled entries and exits, from north to south - Kundli, Kharkhoda, Bahadurgarh, Badli, Fartukhnagar, Panchgaon, Manesar, Taoru, Sohna & Palwal. Toll rate notified in December 2018 is INR1.35 per km for cars, INR2.18 per km for light motor vehicles, INR4.98 per km for trucks and buses, and two wheelers are not permitted on the expressway.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Battle of Najafgarh</span>

The Battle of Najafgarh was a subsidiary engagement of the Siege of Delhi during the Indian Rebellion of 1857. A large Indian force sortied from Delhi, intending to attack the rear of the British force besieging the city. A detachment from the besiegers marched to intercept them, and defeated them while they were disordered by difficult terrain and by quarrels among their commanders.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Najafgarh drain</span> Northernmost end of River Sahibi

The Najafgarh drain or Najafgarh nalah, which also acts as Najafgarh drain bird sanctuary, is another name for the northernmost end of River Sahibi, which continues its flow through Delhi, where it is channelized, and then flows into the Yamuna. Within Delhi, due to its channelization for flood control purposes, it is now erroneously called "Najafgarh drain" or "Najafgarh nullah." It gets this name from the once famous and huge Najafgarh Jheel (lake) near the town of Najafgarh in southwest Delhi and within urbanized Delhi. It is the Indian capital’s most polluted water body due to direct inflow of untreated sewage from surrounding populated areas. A January 2005 report by the Central Pollution Control Board classifies this drain, with 13 other highly polluted wetlands, under category ‘‘D’’ for assessing the water quality of wetlands in wildlife habitats.

Najafgarh Lake, Najafgarh Marsh or Najafgarh Jheel, fed by Sahibi River, used to be a vast lake in the south west of Delhi, near the town of Najafgarh, from which it takes its name. It was connected to the river Yamuna by a natural shallow nullah or drain called the Najafgarh nullah. However, after the 1960s the Flood Control Department of Delhi kept widening the Najafgarh drain. The reason provided by the department was saving Delhi from floods. This widening led to the eventually drainage of, the once huge and ecologically rich, Najafgarh lake. Rainwater accumulating in the Najafgarh lake or jheel basin had been recorded to have occupied more than 300 square kilometres (120 sq mi) in many years before its draining.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Najafgarh drain bird sanctuary</span>

Najafgarh drain bird sanctuary(proposed)and wetland ecosystem is composed of the wetland ecosystem and wildlife habitat on several kilometres of the Najafgarh drain or nullah which passes through rural southwest Delhi in India's capital territory. It includes the portion draining the depression or basin area that formed the once famous but now completely drained Najafgarh lake or Najafgarh jheel.

Haryana Environment Protection Council (HEPC) is an advisory committee formed in 2006 to advise the Ministry of Environment, Govt. of Haryana on environment issues. It is headquartered at Chandigarh. The committee was scheduled to be reconstituted in year 2011.

Chhawla or Najafgarh drain city forest consists of forestry plantations near the town of Chhawla on both embankments of Najafgarh drain, which is the delhi-end of Sahibi River originating from Aravalli range mountain in Rajasthan, flowing along the border of Haryana state and south west Delhi in India before converging with Yamuna. It provides refuge to local and migratory wildlife specially waterfowl and other water birds. The area is a subset of the entire Najafgarh drain in rural south west Delhi with forested plantations on both its embankments which has been proposed as the Najafgarh drain bird sanctuary.

Palam is a major residential colony located in South West Delhi. It is one of 70 Vidhan Sabha constituencies of the Delhi National Capital Territory in northern India.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sahibi River</span> River in India

The Sahibi river, also called the Sabi River, is an ephemeral, rain-fed river flowing through Rajasthan, Haryana and Delhi states in India. It originates in the eastern slopes of the Saiwar Protected Forest (PF) hills in Sikar District, enters Jaipur district near the foot of these hills, and after initially flowing southeast and east turns northeastwards near Shahpura and continues further till it exits Rajasthan to enter Haryana and further drains into Yamuna in Delhi, where its channeled course is also called the Najafgarh drain, which also serves as Najafgarh drain bird sanctuary. It flows for 300 km of which 157 km is in Rajasthan 100 km is in Haryana and 40 km in Delhi.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wazirabad barrage</span> Dam in Wazirabad, Delhi

The Wazirabad barrage or Wazirabad bridge, built in 1959 is a 1,491 ft long weir across Yamuna River, in north Delhi. ITO barrage and Okhla barrage are 2 downstream barrages in Delhi and are managed by Haryana and UP respectively, whereas the Wazirabad barrage is under the management of Delhi govt.

Bharawas is a village in Rewari tehsil of Rewari district in the Indian state of Haryana. It lies on NH15 south of Rewari at about 8 kilometres (5.0 mi) on the Rewari-Bawad road.

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