Social,
Environmental & Economic Sustainability
Our analysis of the rank of the district
Backwardness : Does not figure in list of 447 backward
districts
Sex Ratio Rank : 90
(Rank one is least sex ratio - Cenus 2001)
HIV Category District : C
(HIV Sentinel Surveillance 2004 - 2006)
Disability : 17 (Census 2001)
Literacy Ratio : 322 (Census 2001)
Minority : Does not figure in MCD
Water : Occurrence of High Arsenic in Ground Water
Challenges of the district : Our research with local communities
With a population of above 35 lakh in the district
following are the main challenges
Outreach of various facilities and benefits of different schemes
made for the development women and children is not good.
Children in the rural part of the district do not receive proper
medical facilities, primary education and nutritious food. Drop
rate is high among the children.
Being a capital of Bihar, migration from other districts is another
issue that needs to be tackled fast. Migration has led to rise in
problems like poverty, availability of food, unemployment and even
crime.
Brief About Patna District
The history and tradition of Patna go back to the earliest dawn
of civilization. The original name of Patna was Pataliputra or
Patalipattan and its history makes a start from the century 600
B.C. Patna covers area of 42 sq km. The name Patna has undergone
many changes at its earliest stages like Pataligram, Kusumpur,
Patliputra, Azimabad, etc., ultimately terminating to the present
one. Chandragupta Maurya made it his capital in the 4th century
A.D. Thereafter the city lost its importance until Sherkhan Suri
rose into power in the early 16th century A.D. Another version
that comes to focus is that there existed a village named Pattan
or Patthan, which later turned into Patna.It has been said that
Pataliputra was founded by Ajatashatru. Patna, therefore, has
become inextricably bound up with the ancient Pataliputra. The
ancient village was named ‘Patali’ and the word ‘Pattan’ was added
to it. Greek history mentions ‘Palibothra’ which perhaps is Pataliputra
itself......
History of Patna .....Ajatashatru had to adopt
certain security measures in order to protect Patna from the repeated
Lichchavi invasions. He had got a natural riverine fort protected
by three rivers. Ajatashatru’s son had moved his capital from
Rajagriha to Pataliputra and this status was maintained during
the reign of the Mauryas and the Guptas. Ashoka the Great, administered
his empire from here. Chandragupta Maurya and Samudragupta , valliant
warriors, they took Pataliputra as their capital. It was from
here Chahandragupta sent forth his army to fight the Greeks of
the western frontier and Chandragupta Vikramaditya repelled the
Shakas and the Huns from here. It was there that the Greek ambassador
Megasthenes stayed during the reign of Chandragupta Maurya. The
famous traveler Fa-Hien in the 3rd century and Hiuen-Tsang in
the 7th century inspected the city. Many noted scholars like Kautilya
stayed here and works like ‘Arthashastra’ were written from this
place. This city was the fountainhead of the spring of knowledge
and wisdom in ancient times. Prince Azim-us-Shan, the grandson
of Aurangzeb came as the Governor of Patna in 1703. Earlier than
that Sher Shah had removed his capital from Biharsharif to Patna.
It was prince Azim-us-Shan who tried to turn Patna into a beautiful
city and it was he who gave it the name ‘Azimabad’. The common
people however went on calling it ‘Patna’. The old Patna or the
modern Patna City had at one time a wall all round, the remains
of which can still be seen at the entrance of old Patna.
Geographical and Physical features :
The district can be divided into two natural
comprising :- A narrow strip of somewhat high land about 8 kms.
in width along the southern bank of the Ganges having very fertile
soil. The Site Of Ganga Alluvial fertlie plains in the remaining
portions. After creation of the new district of Patna does not
contain any hilly region. It has an entirely alluvial and flat
region. The land in the district is too fertile to be left for
wild growth. The district is devoid of any forest wealth of consequences.
The alluvial text of land yields rice, sugarcane and other foodgrains.
The area under cultivation is studded with mango orchads and bamboo
clumps. In the fields adjoining the Ganges weeds such as ammannia,
citriculari, hygrophile and sesbania grow. But palmyra and date
palm and mango orchards are found near habitations. Dry shrub
jungles are sometimes seen in the villages away from the rivers.
Trees commonly met with are bel, siris, jack fruits and the red
cotton tree. \
Location and Area :
The district lies virtually in the heart of the South Bihar
Plain. The city of Patna, besides being the headquarters and the
state capital since 1911. The district is bounded on the north
by the Ganges, beyond which lie the district of Saran, Vaishali,
Samastipur and Begusarai. To the east lie the district of Lakhisarai
and Nalanda and in the south the district of Jahanabad. Patna
is separated from Bhojpur district on its west by river sone.
The district is named after its principal city, Patna. Various
legends exist regarding its origin. The most popular legend ascribes
it to a prince named Putraka, who created it with a stroke of
his magic staff and named it in honour of his wife, the princess
Patali. It is also said that originally Pataliputra was a village
known as Pataligram which appears to have been derived from 'Patali'
or 'Trumpet flower'. It was called Palibhotra by Megasthanes.
It is, however, generally accepted that Patna stands on the site
of the ancient metropolis of Patna or Patliputra. Total area of
the district is 3202 sq km. The district headquarter is located
at Patna.
Towns, Villages and Amenities
The district is at present comprises of 5 sub-divisions, 16 Community
Devlopment Blocks. It has 13 towns and 1428 villages(1248 inhabited
villages and 144 uninhabited villages). The urban population of
the district as percentage of total population in the census year
1981 and 1991 is indicated below. It also shows the sex ratio(females
per 1000 males) and density(population per sq. km) in the urban
population of the district:- District Urban population as% of
total population Sex ratio 1991 (Females per 1000 males) Density
(population per sq. km) Patna 1981 1991 Total Rural Urban 1132
37.12 37.96 868 886 839 Amenities - No.(with percentage) of villages
having one/more amenities in the district as per 1991 census is
given below:- Sl No. Amenities No. Of inhabited villages Percentage
1. 2 3 . 4 5 6 7. 8. Education Medical Drinking Water Post & Telegraph
Market / Hat Communications Approach by Pucca Rd. Power Supply
1199 535 1284 315 86 350 519 1081 93.38 41.67 100.00 24.53 6.70
27.26 40.42 84.19
