North Bihar

Last updated

North Bihar
Geographic Region
North Bihar.gif
Bihar Government Banner.png
Seal
North Bihar
Coordinates: 26°04′N85°27′E / 26.07°N 85.45°E / 26.07; 85.45
CountryFlag of India.svg  India
State Bihar
Time zone UTC+5:30 (IST)
Lok Sabha 21
Vidhan Sabha 127+2
Districts21
Main Languages Bhojpuri, Maithili and Hindi
Emerging towns Samastipur, Supaul, Araria, Madhepura, Samastipur, Madhubani, Bettiah, Gopalganj, katihar, saharsa, sitamarhi
Emerged towns Muzaffarpur, Darbhanga, Motihari, Purnea, Begusarai
Industrial and Financial capital Begusarai
Website Official Website

North Bihar is a term used for the region of Bihar, India, which lies north of the Ganga river.

Contents

Towns and cities

38 Districts of Bihar Divisions of Bihar.svg
38 Districts of Bihar
  1. Naugachia is a sub-division in the Bhagalpur district. It is famous for Banana farming, and known as Kelanchal of Bihar. [1]
  2. Purnia is the headquarters of the Purnia division and Purnia district. It is the 2nd largest city in North Bihar by population. It is also known as "Mini Darjeeling" due to its humid climate. This city is called the Gateway of North East India in Bihar. NH27-IN.svg NH 27 also passes through the city that connects North East to the whole of India. Purnia Junction is the major railway of this city. Gulabbagh agriculture market is the biggest maize market in Asia.
  3. Katihar is the headquarters of the Katihar district. Katihar is known for Jute production. [2]
  4. Kishanganj is the headquarters of the Kishanganj district. It is the easternmost district of Bihar. A part of this district is known as the chicken neck region of India.
  5. Araria is the headquarters of the Araria district. NH 27 (Old NH57) connects Araria to other parts of the state.
  6. Madhepura is the headquarters of the Madhepura district. This district was curved out from the Saharsa district. This is a flood-prone district of the Kosi region.
  7. Supaul is the headquarters & chief town of the Supaul district. Supaul is set to get India's largest road bridge sharing some parts with the Madhubani district. The construction site of the bridge is 6 to 8 miles away from Supaul. A bridge on the mighty kosi river was built in 2012 near Nirmali in Supaul. After the inauguration of the koshi mega bridge. The bridge which was already a part of the eastern-western corridor became operational & hence completing the whole circuit of the 3507 km long Porbandar-Silchar highway, and providing direct road connectivity to cities like Lucknow & Kanpur [3]
  8. Saharsa is the headquarters of the Saharsa district and the Kosi division. Saharsa is located in the Mithila region, one of the earliest centers of Brahminical civilization in India. Saharsa is considered the heart of the whole Mithila region. It's the birthplace of many legends like Mandana Misra, Laxminath Gosain, Ubhai Bharti, etc. The region of Bangaon and Mahisi is one of the most civil servants producing areas.
  9. Khagaria is the headquarters of the Khagaria district. Two major rivers of the North Bihar Ganga river and the Kosi river flows through the district. [4]
  10. Begusarai is the industrial and financial capital of Bihar, and headquarters of the Begusarai district. Barauni and Begusarai are the main industrial hub of Bihar. Barauni is one of the important railway junctions of Bihar. It is the land of great people like Ramdhari Singh Dinkar and Shri Krishna Sinha.
  11. Samastipur is the headquarters of the Samastipur district. The Dr. Rajendra Prasad Central Agriculture University, India's first-ever Imperial Agriculture Research Institute, is located in Pusa, Samastipur district.
  12. Darbhanga is the headquarters of the Darbhanga district and Darbhanga division. Darbhanga is the cultural capital of Bihar. It is considered the Medical Capital of North Bihar. It has DMCH & second AIIMS Hospital in the State after Capital Patna.
  13. Madhubani is the headquarters of the Madhubani district. Jainagar in the Madhubani district connects North Bihar to Janakpurdham in Mithila region of Nepal.
  14. Hajipur [5] is the headquarters of the Vaishali district, located on the northern bank of Ganga river, opposite Patna, on the southern bank. It is the headquarters of the East Central Railway zone of the Indian Railways. [6] [7]
  15. Muzaffarpur [8] [9] is the financial capital of North Bihar. It is the headquarters of the Muzaffarpur district and Tirhut division. All the important roadways (like NH 27, NH 28, NH 57, NH 77, NH 102) and railways (like Muzaffarpur-Hajipur, Muzaffarpur-Motihari, Muzaffarpur-Sitamarhi, Muzaffarpur-Samastipur) have their junction in the city. [10]
  16. Sitamarhi is the headquarters of the Sitamarhi district. It has Vedic importance as Goddess Sita is believed to be unearthed here. [11]
  17. Sheohar is the headquarters of the Sheohar district, the smallest district of North Bihar. It was carved out from Sitamarhi District. [12]
  18. Motihari is the headquarters of the East Champaran district. Mahatma Gandhi launched a non-cooperation movement there. It has been announced to establish a Central University in Motihari. This would be the first nationalized University in North Bihar. [13]
  19. Bettiah is the headquarters of the West Champaran district. It is the westernmost district of North Bihar, and the Northernmost district of Bihar state. [14]
  20. Chhapra is the headquarters of the Saran district.
  21. Siwan is the headquarters of the Siwan district.
  22. Gopalganj is the headquarters of the Gopalganj district.

Languages

Economy

Agricultural economy

Agriculture is the main economic activity of the region.

The industries have generated considerable employment and have also been helpful in establishing a number of small industries, including a few cottage industries. The most important item that is manufactured in Muzaffarpur city is the railway wagon. Barauni is the prominent industrial town of North Bihar, and Bihar state, having Barauni Refinery, Barauni Fertilizer, Barauni Carbons, a railway yard, and the Barauni thermal power station. Hajipur is also a new emerging industrial area due to its proximity with Patna leading to the development of an industrial area.

North Bihar was also home to majority of sugar production of Bihar and more than 20 sugar industries are located in Bihar but about a third of it is operational mostly in Champaran belt, Gopalganj, Darbhanga, Sitamarhi, etc. [15]

Rivers and floods

There are several rivers flowing through this region from north to south and merge in the Ganges river. [16] These rivers, along with floods, bring fertile soil to the region on a yearly basis. However, sometimes government sponsored floods [17] causes loss of thousands of lives. Major rivers of North Bihar are Mahananda, Gandak, Kosi, Bagmati, Kamala, Balan, Budhi Gandak. [18]

Natural floods

Since the beginning of human civilization, rivers have been an important part of human life. North Bihar has 7 major rivers and several tributaries to them. North Bihar districts are vulnerable to at least five major flood-causing rivers during the monsoon – Mahananda River, Koshi River, Bagmati River, Burhi Gandak River and Gandak – which originate in Nepal. [19] All these rivers receive water from the Himalayas, so these rivers always have an adequate water supply. Every year, these rivers bring valuable floods for the people of North Bihar. Flood waters used to enter the agricultural land, leave their quite fertile silt and recede to the river. This pattern of humane flood was beneficial for North Bihar, making the land perfectly fertile. However, there are no more natural floods as of today.

Man-made floods

Soon after independence, the Congress Government of Bihar made several attempts to domesticate these rivers. High barriers or Bandhs were made on their both banks. This resulted in inhumane and destructive floods. Bandhs caused deposition of silts in the bottom of rivers, because of which, depth of rivers decreased, and so their water holding capacity also decreased. This is the reason these rivers bring more frequent floods now. With flood water, sand comes in force and gets deposited on the land. This way the land of the region in turning barren. Floods, once a boon for North Bihar, has now become a curse.

Kosi flood 2008,

2008 Kosi flood
Flooded Bihar.JPG
Flooded North Bihar
Date18 August 2008
LocationNorth Bihar
Deaths434 [20] (Dead bodies were found until 27 November 2008)

The 2008 Kosi flood was one of the most disastrous floods in the history of North Bihar, an impoverished and densely populated region in India. A breach in the Kosi embankment near the Indo-Nepal border (at Kusha in Nepal) occurred on 18 August 2008. The river changed course and inundated areas which were not flooded in decades. [21] The flood affected over 2.3 million people in North Bihar. [22]

The flood killed 250 people and forced nearly 3 million people from their homes in North Bihar. [23] More than 300,000 houses were destroyed and at least 340,000 hectares (840,000 acres) of crops were damaged. [23] Villagers in North Bihar ate raw rice and flour mixed with polluted water. Hunger and disease were widespread. The Supaul district was the worst-hit; surging waters swamped 1,000 square kilometers (247,000 acres) of farmlands, destroying crops. [24]

2017 North Bihar Floods

2017 North Bihar Flood
DateAugust 2017
LocationNorth Bihar, India
Deaths514

The 2017 North Bihar Floods affected 19 districts of North Bihar causing death of 514 people. [25] [26] [27] [28] [29] This flood was result of sudden increase in water discharge through the Gandak, Burhi Gandak, Bagmati, Kamla, Kosi and Mahananda Rivers due to heavy rain in the catchment areas of the major rivers of north Bihar in Nepal. [30] Araria district accounted for 95 deaths alone, [31] followed by Sitamarhi (34), West Champaran (29), Katihar (26), East Champaran (19) while 22 have died in Madhubani, Supaul (13) and Madhepura (15). 11 deaths were reported in Kishanganj, while Darbhanga accounted for 19 deaths, Purnea (9), Gopalganj (9), Sheohar (4), Muzaffarpur (7), Samastipur (1) and Saharsa (4) registered four deaths each while Khagaria and Saran accounted for 7 deaths each. Nowadays, around 1.71 people on average are affected by floods alone. [32] [33] [34] [35]

See also

Related Research Articles

Madhepura is a municipality in Madhepura district in the Indian state of Bihar. It stands at the centre of Kosi ravine, It was called Madhyapura- a place centrally situated which was subsequently transformed as Madhipura into present Madhepura. It is surrounded by Araria and Supaul districts in the north, Khagaria and Bhagalpur districts in the south, Purnia district in the east and Saharsa district in the West.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Purnia</span> Urban Agglomeration in Bihar, India

Purnia is the fourth largest city of Bihar and is emerging as the largest economic hub in North Bihar. It serves as the administrative headquarters of both Purnia district and Purnia division in the Indian state of Bihar. It is well known for its favourable climate like Darjeeling and has an abundance of resources for human settlements and economic activities.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Saharsa</span> City and municipal corporation in Bihar, India

Saharsa is a city and municipal corporation in the Saharsa District in the eastern part of the state of Bihar, India. It is situated near the eastern banks of the Kosi River. It serves as the administrative headquarters for the Saharsa District and is also the Divisional headquarters of the Kosi Division.

Supaul is a town and a municipality that is headquarters of Supaul district in the Indian state of Bihar. Supaul is the administrative headquarters of this district. There Are 11 block under the Supaul district Supaul, Kishanpur, Saraigarh-Bhaptiyahi, Pipra, Triveniganj, Raghopur, chhatapur, Nirmali, Marauna, Basantpur and pratapganj.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">East Central Railway zone</span> Indian railway zone

The East Central Railway is one of the 19 railway zones in India. It is headquartered at Hajipur and comprises Sonpur, Samastipur, Danapur, Pt. Deen Dayal Upadhyaya, and Dhanbad divisions.

Nirmali is a town and a notified area in Supaul district in the Indian state of Bihar.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Geography of Bihar</span>

Bihar is located in the eastern region of India, between latitudes 24°20'10"N and 27°31'15"N and longitudes 83°19'50"E and 88°17'40"E. It is an entirely land–locked state, in a subtropical region of the temperate zone. Bihar lies between the humid West Bengal in the east and the sub humid Uttar Pradesh in the west, which provides it with a transitional position in respect of climate, economy and culture. It is bounded by Nepal in the north and by Jharkhand in the south. Bihar plain is divided into two unequal halves by the river Ganges which flows through the middle from west to east. Bihar's land has average elevation above sea level of 173 feet.

The 2007 Bihar flood occurred in August 2007 in the east Indian state of Bihar. It was described by the United Nations as the worst flood in the living memory of Bihar. Although annual floods are common in Bihar, heavier than usual rainfall during the monsoon season that year led to increasing water levels. By 3 August, the estimated death toll was 41 people, and 48 schoolgirls were marooned in a school in the Darbhanga district. By 8 August, the flooding had impacted an estimated 10 million people in Bihar. Army helicopters delivered food packets to residents, and 180 relief camps were established. By 10 August, aid workers in Bihar reported a dramatic increase in people with diarrhea and by 11 August, flood-related deaths were still occurring. The total number of deaths recorded in the 2007 Bihar floods was more than 1,3050, the highest death toll in the state since the 1987 Bihar floods, in which more than 2,500 deaths were reported.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bihar State Milk Co-operative Federation</span> Dairy cooperative in India

The Bihar State Milk Co-Operative Federation Ltd is a state government cooperative under the ownership of Ministry of Cooperation, Government of Bihar, India. It was established in 1983 as a state government cooperative of the Government of Bihar. It markets its products under the label "Sudha Dairy". The co-operative facilitates the procurement, processing, and marketing of dairy products. It provides education to the unions on efficient dairy processing, and assists them with animal care including artificial insemination, vaccination, and feeding.

The Barauni–Katihar, Saharsa and Purnia sections of the Barauni–Guwahati line connects Barauni, Saharsa, Purnia and Katihar in the Indian state of Bihar.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Uttar Bihar Gramin Bank</span> Italian regional rural bank

Uttar Bihar Gramin Bank is a regional rural bank (RRB) in the State of Bihar, India. It is under the ownership of Ministry of Finance, Government of India. It is one of the largest regional rural banks in India in terms of branch network, staff strength and area of operation.

Purnea Junction railway station, is the railway station serving the city of Purnea in the Purnea district in the Indian state of Bihar. It is a A category railway station of Katihar railway division in Northeast Frontier Railway.

The Muzaffarpur–Gorakhpur line is a set of three lines connecting Muzaffarpur in the Indian state of Bihar with Gorakhpur in Uttar Pradesh. The lines run in an east–west direction between the Gandak and India–Nepal border, covering North Bihar west of the Kosi river and eastern Uttar Pradesh. The southernmost of the three lines connects via Hajipur Junction, Sonpur Junction and Chhapra. The central line connects via Motihari and Sugauli. The northern line connects via Sitamarhi and Raxaul. The lines have interconnections between them and the northern line has extensions to places near the India–Nepal border.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Purnia Court railway station</span> Railway station in Purnia, Bihar

Purnia Court railway station,, is a railway station serving the city of Purnea in Bihar. This station is managed by the East Central Railway under the Samastipur railway division. Earlier it was a MG line which has now been converted to standard BG line and lies on the Purnea–Banmankhi–Saharsa section. The BG line was inaugurated by the Railway Minister of India Suresh Prabhu on 10 June 2016.

Sagauli Junction railway station is a junction railway station in East Champaran district, Bihar. Its code is SGL. It is on the Delhi–Muzaffarpur–Gorakhpur main line

Saharsa Junction railway station is a main railway station in Saharsa district, Bihar. Its code is SHC. It serves Kosi Division area. The station consists of 5 platforms.This railway junction has been certified by ISO:14001:2015 for environmental management. Due to less railway facility, less expansion of rail network in Supaul & Madhepura district's people used to catch trains from Saharsa instead of their own stations. It is the main railway junction of Kosi division.

2017 Bihar floods affected 19 districts of North Bihar causing death of 514 people. 2,371 panchayats under 187 blocks of 19 districts of Northern Bihar have been affected in the flood. Around 1.71 crore people were hit by the floods. Over 8.5 lakhs of people have lost their homes, with Araria district alone accounting for 2.2 lakh homeless people. 2017 Flood has broken 9-Year record of deaths In Bihar. Bihar is India's most flood-prone State, with 76% of the population in the North Bihar living under the recurring threat of flood devastation. Devastating flood was caused due to excess heavy rainfall in monsoon season.

The 2019 Bihar floods affected 13 districts of North Bihar, India, causing 130 deaths by the end of July. 1269 panchayats under 92 blocks of 13 districts of Northern Bihar were severely affected in the flood. Around 88.46 lakhs people were affected.

Koshi Flood 2024 is a big flood caused by the release of approximately 6.61 lakh cusecs of water from the Birpur Barrage of the Koshi river.

References

  1. ↑ "Naugachia". Archived from the original on 12 October 2012. Retrieved 10 October 2012.
  2. ↑ TOI. "Katihar Jute". The Times Of India. Archived from the original on 31 December 2017. Retrieved 31 December 2017.
  3. ↑ Shoumojit Banerjee (9 February 2012). "Mithilanchal gets back its lifeline". The Hindu. Chennai, India. Archived from the original on 10 May 2018. Retrieved 31 December 2017.
  4. ↑ "Rivers near Khagaria". Archived from the original on 31 December 2017. Retrieved 31 December 2017.
  5. ↑ East Central Railway (PDF). Indian Railway. p. 2. Archived (PDF) from the original on 29 May 2012.
  6. ↑ "Official Website of Sonpur Division of East Central Railway". Government of India. Archived from the original on 6 May 2012. Retrieved 27 April 2012.
  7. ↑ "Zones and their Divisions in Indian Railways" (PDF). Indian Railways. Archived from the original (PDF) on 19 March 2015. Retrieved 13 January 2016.
  8. ↑ "BJP MP poser to Nitish". The Times of India . 29 November 2011. Archived from the original on 3 January 2013. Retrieved 31 December 2017.
  9. ↑ AAHSKK: ALPSANKHYAK AVAM HARIJAN SAMAJ KALYAN KENDRA. "An AGO in Muzaffarpur". Archived from the original on 14 August 2014. Retrieved 21 September 2012.
  10. ↑ District - Muzaffarpur (PDF). Patna, India: Road constructor Department, Government of Bihar. p. 1. Archived (PDF) from the original on 4 March 2016.
  11. ↑ "Sitamarhi district". Sitamarhi Temple. Archived from the original on 23 June 2012. Retrieved 10 October 2012.
  12. ↑ "Sheohar district". Bihar News Information Portal. Archived from the original on 31 December 2017. Retrieved 31 December 2017.
  13. ↑ "Central University at Motihari in Bihar, says govt". The Times of India . PTI. 18 August 2012. Archived from the original on 19 August 2012. Retrieved 31 December 2017.
  14. ↑ "West Champaran". Brand Bihar. Archived from the original on 10 September 2013. Retrieved 31 December 2017.
  15. ↑ "Sugar mills in North Bihar: उत्तर बिहार में दम तोड़ रहीं चीनी मिलें, 16 में से नौ बंद हो चुकी - 16 sugar mills used to run in North Bihar but now nine of them have been closed". Jagran (in Hindi). Retrieved 14 September 2024.
  16. ↑ "Bihar's scary new flood".
  17. ↑ Kumar, Sudhir (22 July 2022). "Flood: राहत बंटवारे में घोटाला उजागर, 25 के नाम पर एक ने किया दस्तखत; सीओ को शोकॉज". Hindustan. Retrieved 14 September 2024.
  18. ↑ "Rivers of Bihar | Bihar Articles". Bihar.ws. Archived from the original on 23 July 2012. Retrieved 4 May 2012.
  19. ↑ Sone%2C%20Punpun%20and%20Falgu%20rivers. "Bihar gears up to fight annual floods". The Times of India . 9 June 2020.{{cite news}}: Check |url= value (help)
  20. ↑ A report by the Department of disaster management, Government of Bihar
  21. ↑ "A Dalit watch report on the flood camps in Bihar". India Water Portal. 22 June 2011. Archived from the original on 31 December 2017. Retrieved 31 December 2017.
  22. ↑ "Half of Bihar under water, 30 lakh suffer". CNN IBN. 1 September 2008. Archived from the original on 3 September 2008. Retrieved 31 December 2017.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
  23. 1 2 Michael Coggan in New Delhi (29 August 2008). "Death toll rises from Indian floods - Just In (Australian Broadcasting Corporation)". ABC. Archived from the original on 5 November 2017. Retrieved 31 December 2017.
  24. ↑ Sunil Kataria (29 August 2008). "Bihar villagers desperate as floods spread". Reuters . Archived from the original on 31 December 2017. Retrieved 31 December 2017.
  25. ↑ Abhay Singh (29 August 2017). "Floods in state not man-made, says minister". Times of India. TNN. Archived from the original on 31 December 2017. Retrieved 31 December 2017.
  26. ↑ "Flood Situation Improves In Bihar, Number Of Dead At 514". NDTV. 28 August 2017. Archived from the original on 31 December 2017. Retrieved 31 December 2017.
  27. ↑ "Flood situation worsens in Bihar, death toll rises to 253". Times of India. PTI. 20 August 2017. Archived from the original on 31 December 2017. Retrieved 31 December 2017.
  28. ↑ "Bihar floods: 119 dead; bridge collapse caught on camera". Times of India. 18 August 2017. Archived from the original on 27 October 2017. Retrieved 31 December 2017.
  29. ↑ "Bihar floods: Death toll rises to 202 in 18 districts; thundershowers likely to continue today". 20 August 2017. Archived from the original on 25 August 2017. Retrieved 31 December 2017.
  30. ↑ "Alert sounded in north Bihar plains". Times of India. TNN. 12 August 2017. Archived from the original on 31 December 2017. Retrieved 31 December 2017.
  31. ↑ "Death toll in Bihar floods mounts to 304; situation grim in UP". Times of India. PTI. 21 August 2017. Archived from the original on 31 December 2017. Retrieved 31 December 2017.
  32. ↑ "Bihar Flood Deaths Rise To 440; Prime Minister Announces Rs. 500 Crore Relief". NDTV. 27 August 2017. Archived from the original on 19 September 2017. Retrieved 31 December 2017.
  33. ↑ "Bihar floods' death toll touches 440, 1.71 crore people still affected". 26 August 2017. Archived from the original on 27 August 2017.
  34. ↑ "Bihar floods cost 39 more lives, UP staggers". 25 August 2017. Archived from the original on 10 May 2018.
  35. ↑ "Bihar floods: Death toll rises to 304, 1.38 crore people still battling deluge in 18 districts". The Hindu Business Line . PTI. 21 August 2017. Archived from the original on 28 August 2017. Retrieved 31 December 2017.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.