Panchanandapur

Panchanandapur
Village
Nickname:  Pagla Ghat
Panchanandapur Location in West Bengal, India Show map of West Bengal Panchanandapur Panchanandapur (India) Show map of India
Coordinates: 24°56′38″N87°58′39″E / 24.9440°N 87.9776°E / 24.9440; 87.9776
Country	India
State	West Bengal
District	Malda
Area
• Total	23.0187 km2 (8.8876 sq mi)
Population  (2011)
• Total	26,358
• Density	1,100/km2 (3,000/sq mi)
Languages
• Official	Bengali, English
Time zone	UTC+5:30 (IST)
PIN	732207
STD/ Telephone code	03512
Lok Sabha constituency	Maldaha Dakshin
Vidhan Sabha constituency	Mothabari
Website	malda.nic.in

Panchanandapur (also known as Pagla Ghat) is the largest village in the eastern side of Ganga River in the Kaliachak II CD block in the Malda Sadar subdivision of Malda district in the state of West Bengal, India.

History

Panchanandapur is located in the border area along the river Ganges flowing between Jharkhand and West Bengal. It is also known for flooding and is a very poor area in Malda district. ^[1] The area is also known as Pagla Ghat because 1998 Ganga Rivers flood was very madly affected the area and damaged many houses.

Geography

8km
5miles

B

A

N

G

L

A

D

E

S

H

J

H

A

R

K

H

A

N

D

Birodhi

CT

Kalindri
River

Tangon River

Ganges River

Mahananda
River

Gauda

H

Sultanganj

R

Sattari

R

Pubarun

R

Panchanandapur

R

Mathurapur

R

Mothabari

R

Manikchak

R

Mahadipur
checkpoint

R

Kaliachak

R

Dariapur

R

Bhutni

R

Bedrabad

RV

Bangitola

R

Baisnabnagar

R

Farakka Barrage

F

Old Malda

M

Malda

M

Sonatala

CT

Silampur

CT

Nazirpur

CT

Milki

CT

Krishnapur

CT

Karari Chandpur

CT

Jalalpur

CT

Jagannathpur

CT

Jadupur

CT

Chhota
Suzapur

CT

Chaspara

CT

Bara Suzapur

CT

Bamangram

CT

Alipur

CT

Baliadanga

CT

Bagbari

CT

  

Cities, towns and locations in the southern portion of Malda district (including Kaliachak I, Kaliachak II, Kaliachak III, Manikchak and English Bazar CD blocks)
M: municipal town, CT: census town, R: rural/ urban centre, F: Facility, H: historical centre
Owing to space constraints in the small map, the actual locations in a larger map may vary slightly

Location

Panchanandapur is located at 24°56′38″N88°58′39″E / 24.9440°N 88.9776°E / 24.9440; 88.9776 Malda district, West Bengal. It has an average elevation of 17 metres (56 feet). It is on the eastern bank of the river Ganges.As in much of Bengal, the weather is usually extremely humid and tropical. Temperatures can reach as high as 46 °C during the day in May and June and fall as low as 4 °C overnight in December and January.

The Panchanandapur area is vulnerable to floods from the adjoining Ganges. ^[2]

Area overview

The area shown in the adjoining map is the physiographic sub-region known as the diara. It "is a relatively well drained flat land formed by the fluvial deposition of newer alluvium." The most note-worthy feature is the Farakka Barrage across the Ganges. ^[3] The area is a part of the Malda Sadar subdivision, which is an overwhelmingly rural region, but the area shown in the map has pockets of urbanization with 17 census towns, concentrated mostly in the Kaliachak I CD block. ^{[4] [5]} The bank of the Ganges between Bhutni and Panchanandapur (both the places are marked on the map), is the area worst hit by left bank erosion, a major problem in the Malda area. ^[6] The ruins of Gauda, capital of several empires, is located in this area. ^[7]

Note: The map alongside presents some of the notable locations in the area. All places marked in the map are linked in the larger full screen map.

River bank erosion

Main article: River bank erosion along the Ganges in Malda and Murshidabad districts

Upstream of the Farakka Barrage, Kaliachak II CD block is one of the areas badly affected, over three decades prior to 1999, by the left bank erosion of the Ganges. The river stretch between Bhutnidiara and Panchanandapur, is the worst hit area. "Even 40 years back (from 1999), Panchanandapur was a flourishing river-port and trading centre. Apart from block headquarter, high school, sugar mill it had a regular weekly market where traders used to come by large boats from Rajmahal, Sahebganj, Dhulian. Today’s Panchanandapur has shifted to Chethrumahajantola after going through the eroding process of 5/6 years." A survey by the Nagarik Committee has estimated the loss of 750 km² in the Kaliachak-Manikchak area, in 30 years prior to 1999. ^[8]

Demographics

According to the 2011 Census of India, Panchanandapur had a total population of 26,358, of which 13,512 (51%) were males and 12,486 (49%) were females. Population in the age range 0–6 years was 4,370. The total number of literate persons in Panchanadapur was 13,578 (61.75% of the population over 6 years). ^[9]

References

1. "Two Dolphins found dead in West Bengal, one rescued". The Times of India . Retrieved 30 January 2020.
2. "Foreword" (PDF). Areas vulnerable in respect of floods. Malda district administration. Retrieved 16 August 2021.
3. "District Census Handbook Maldah, Series 20, Part XII A" (PDF). Census of India 2011, Pages 13-15: Physiography. Directorate of Census Operations, West Bengal. Retrieved 9 November 2018.
4. "District Statistical Handbook 2014 Malda". Table 2.1, 2.2, 2.4b. Department of Statistics and Programme Implementation, Government of West Bengal. Retrieved 9 November 2018.
5. "C.D. Block Wise Primary Census Abstract Data(PCA)". West Bengal – District-wise CD Blocks. Registrar General and Census Commissioner, India. Retrieved 9 November 2018.
6. Banerjee, Manisha. "A Report on the Impact of Farakka Barrage on the Human Fabric, November 1999" (PDF). The social impact of erosion, pp 13-14. South Asia Network On Dams, Rivers and People, New Delhi: 110 088 India. Archived from the original (PDF) on 8 August 2017. Retrieved 16 August 2021.
7. "District Human Development Report, Malda". pages 3-4: Malda in Historical Perspective. Department of Planning, Statistics and Programme Monitoring, Government of West Bengal. Retrieved 6 November 2018.
8. Banerjee, Manisha. "A Report on the Impact of Farakka Barrage on the Human Fabric, November 1999" (PDF). The social impact of erosion, pp 13-14. South Asia Network On Dams, Rivers and People, New Delhi: 110 088 India. Archived from the original (PDF) on 8 August 2017. Retrieved 16 August 2021.
9. "District Census Handbook, Maldah, Series 20, Part XII B" (PDF). Rural PCA-C.D. blocks wise Village Primary Census Abstract, location no. 313628, page 296-297. Directorate of Census Operations West Bengal. Retrieved 16 August 2021.