Social,
Environmental & Economic Sustainability
Our analysis of the rank of the district
Backwardness : 300
Sex Ratio Rank : 189 (Rank one is least sex ratio - Cenus 2001)
HIV Category District : C (HIV Sentinel Surveillance 2004 - 2006)
Disability : 99 (Census 2001)
Literacy Ratio : 523 (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
The district sometime faces extreme condition of
drought as well as flood.
Poverty is very high in the district.
Government schemes, implemented for the upliftment of the poor are
not reaching the poor.
Brief About Begusarai District
Begusarai occupies a central position in North Bihar. In 1870
it was established as a sub-divison of the Munger district. It
emerged as a district in 1972. It was named after "Begu"
a man of this district who used to look after "Sarai"
an old and small market.Geographical features: Begusarai lies
in North Bihar between latitudes 25°15' and 25° 45' north and
longitudes 85°45' and 86°36" east. This town expands perpendicularly
from east to west which used to be a main link road. It is bounded
on the north by Samastipur, on the south by the Ganga and the
Lakhisarai district, on the east by Khagaria and Munger and on
the west by the Samastipur and Patna districts.Demographic feature:
The 2001 census count placed the Begusarai population at 23,42,989
as on the first of March. The population has grown at an annual
average rate of 2.9%. There are many stages in the demographic
transition beginning with a declining mortality and continuing
fertility to a stage where both mortality and fertility rates
decline more or less at the same rate and keep the population
stable over a period of time.
Geographical features : Begusarai lies in North Bihar between
latitudes 25°15' and 25° 45' north and longitudes 85°45' and 86°36"
east. This town expands perpendicularly from east to west which
used to be a main link road. It is bounded on the north by Samastipur,
on the south by the Ganga and the Lakhisarai district, on the
east by Khagaria and Munger and on the west by the Samastipur
and Patna districts.
Demographic feature:
The 2001 census count placed the Begusarai population at 23,42,989
as on the first of March. The population has grown at an annual
average rate of 2.9%. There are many stages in the demographic
transition beginning with a declining mortality and continuing
fertility to a stage where both mortality and fertility
rates decline more or less at the same rate and keep the population
stable over a
period of time.
POPULATION
Source: Census, 1991, 2001
Land : In accordance with the reports compiled by the District
Agriculture Office, Begusarai, the principal characteristics of
the land use pattern of the
Begusarai district for the year 2002-2003 is as follows:
Wasteland and non arable area : 2118 Hectares
Natural Water sources
Begusarai district is located in the middle Ganga plain. Main
rivers are Burhi Gandak, Balan, Bainty, Baya and Chandrabhaga.
Kaver Jheel :
Kaver Jheel one of the Asia’s largest fresh water lake, also famous
for Bird’s sanctuary.
Minerals : No minerals of
economic importance
Irrigation : Mostly by Tubwells
Forest : This district does
not comprise of any forest. In contrast to the eastern portions
of the old district of Munger, this district lying south to the
Ganga does not comprise of any forest of sal and other large trees.
At most of the places, there are gardens of mango and litchi.
Chakmuzaffar a village of Naokothi block is famous for banana.
Apart from these, Babul, Neem, Guava, Lemon, Gamahar, Peepal,
Bamboo, shirish are also found. Shisham is one of the most important
ones of them.
Wild animals are scarcely found in this district. However, birds
are seen in large numbers in various colours, particularly in
the bird sanctuary of Kaver Lake. As of now 59 types of birds
from abroad and 107 types of birds from home have been recognized.
Sources of Livelihood : The
traditional occupation in this area has been the rearing of milch
cattle. Animals are used in agricultural work even today. In urban
areas rearing of cows of hybrid quality has increased. Despite
domestic use of milk, a huge quantity of milk is sold to the Barauni
Milk Composite Dairy Industry. This gives lucrative income and
employment to the people of Begusarai.
INDUSTRY: Begusarai is nationally
and internationally known for its industrial recognition. Major
industrial units are: Indian Oil Refinery- Barauni, and Hindustan
Fertilizer Limited -Barauni, Thermal power station- Barauni and
hundreds of small industrial units in the private sector in which
Hindustan Fertilizer Limited -Barauni is on the verge of closure.
This district has potential for agro- based industries because
of large production of maize and oilseeds, etc, as mentioned earlier.
Infrastructure: Begusarai is well connected to other parts of
Bihar and India through railways as well as roads. New Delhi -
Gawahati railway line passes through Begusarai. Small aerodrome
in Ulao, five kms from the district headquarters, which is used
on the arrival of very important persons. Railway has a route
of 119 km (B.G.) and 67 km (M.G.). Barauni Railway Junction occupies
an important position. A number of important trains originate
from this station for distant destinations, viz, Delhi, Guwahati,
Amritsar, Varanasi, Lucknow, Mumbai, Chennai etc. Rajendra Setu
on the Ganga is connected to Mokama and Howrah. There are 18 railway
stations in this district. Interior parts of the district are
connected to the main roads.The National Highways 28 and 31 link
this district to the other parts of the country. Its total length
is 95 km. State roads have the total length of 262 km. 95% of
the total villages is linked to the rural and urban road facilities.
The condition of the National Highway and other road in the district
is not very good. Excessive rains coupled with poor maintenance
account for the poor condition of roads. Other than National Highway,
roads are maintained by the Road construction Department, Some
are maintained by the Rural Engineering organization. Repairing
and maintenance of roads require huge investment and proper care
with a deep sense of responsibility. This a only way out.
Geography and Geology
Background
The district Begusarai, an important district in the
state of Bihar lies on the northern bank of river Ganga. Earlier
it was a part of the greater Munger district. Begusarai district
was carved out of it as a separate district on. 2nd October 1972
(A handnote on Begusarai district census-1991). Now it is a part
of the Munger commissionery. Geographically, lying between latitudes
25015’N & 25014’N and longitudes 85045’E & 85045’E, it
covers an area of 1918km 2. In the north, it shares its boundaries
with Samastipur district; in the east and NE it is surrounded
by Khagaria district. In the southeastern part lies the Munger
district. In the south is Lakhisarai and in the southwestern side,
along the banks of River Ganga, it is shares its boundaries with
Patna district. It is situated in a part of Middle Gangetic plains,
locally known as North Bihar plains. Administratively it is divided
into five subdivisions- Begusarai, Teghara, Balia Manjhaul and
Bakhri and eighteen blocks namely Begusarai, Mattihani, Teghra,
Samho, Bachhwara, Barauni, Bhagwanpur, Balia, Sahibpur Kamal,
CheriaBariarpur, Khudabandpur, Bakhari. Mansurchak, Birpur, Dandari,
Nawkothi, Garhpura, and Chhaurahi The average population density
is app. 900 persons per square kms. The economy is mainly agriculture
based and the major crops are wheat,
maize, chilli, sugarcane etc.
The views presented in this article belongs to the author and
in no case represent the views of the organization to which he
belongs or the website which hosts the article.
Two big industries mark the skyline of the district i.e. Thermal
power station and Petro-Chemicals factory and Oil refinery complex
at Barauni. Earlier Barauni Fertilizer was also an important industry
which is now non functional. Rajendra Bridge across Ganges at
Barauni forms an important link way connecting north and south
Bihar, Resting spot for migratory birds in a wetland known as
Kanwar tal and the Ghats of Ganga at Simaria possessing religious
importance, exists as a potential tourist spots.
Climate
Being a part of Gangetic plain of Indian subcontinent, the district
experiences three climatic seasons – summer from late March to
mid time rainy season from mid June to October and the winter
season from November to February. The month of February &
March fall in the transitional season from winter to summer described
as spring or “Basant”. Similarly the months of September &
October falls in the transitional season from rainy season to
winter season described as “Shishir”.
Physiography and Relief
North Ganga plain is a major physiographic unit of
the Indian landmass. It extends from the Himalayan terrain in
the north to the river Ganga in the south covering about 56980
km2. a roughly quadrilateral shape. Generally recognized as "a
water-surplus area", this quadrilateral region is bounded
by a northern piedmont belt where water oozes to the surface,
followed by a broad belt of swampy lands, depressions and lakes,
and finally an aggregation of alluvial fans as all these northern
streams bend to form confluence points with the Ganga (Singh &
Kumar, 1970).Hence, the surface is characterized by palaeo levees,
swamps or flood basins locally called "Chaurs", relict
palaeo channels aggraded in varying degrees, meander belts, ox-bow
lakes and cut-of loops (Ahmad,1971). Its fluvial geomorphology
is dominated from west to east by the Ghagra-Gandak Interfluves,
the Gandak-Kosi Interfluves and the western Kosi Fan Belt. Some
of these rivers frequently change their channels. Their channels
are called by different names in different parts of their courses.
According to a study in 1976 on Wetlands in Bihar, by Govt. of
Bihar, natural wetlands of more than 100 ha each covered about
46828 ha (Directory of Wetlands, Govt. of Bihar)
The district of Begusarai lies in the middle part of this great
plain known as mid Ganga plain. In general, it is a low-lying
flat terrain (MSL45m-32m) having a southerly to southeasterly
slope. This factor governs the flow of streams. Geomorphologically
it is a part of the Gandak- Kosi inerfluve (please refer subheading
Geomorphology given below). The southern part of the district,
except those of low-lying flood plains of Ganga, appears to be
an elevated landmass when compared to the adjoining districts
of Khagaria and Samastipur. Hence, being a safer destination amidst
the flood drained region, it supports the human activities in
a better way.
The district Begusarai is divided into three flood plains namely
i. Kereha-Old Bhagmati flood plains,
ii. Burhi Gandhak Flood plain and
iii. Ganga Flood plain
The first two flood plains of the district are very low lying
areaS and are prone to the flood. The floods owe their origin
to the complex interplay of fluvial geomorphic elements in the
upstream sections of the Kosi, Bagmati-Kareh-Budhi Gandak and
related rivers. These two flood plains converge in the southeastern
part of the district, which is lowland. The streams flowing in
the region show a shifting tendency. In the course of their shifting,
the rivers leave behind their scars of their previous channels.
Thus due to shifting nature of streams and physiographic characteristic,
this part is full of wetlands, backswamps and oxbow lakes. However,
in the southern part, the flood plains of Ganga are least prone
to flodd. Interestingly the Railway track passing through the
district marks a prominent divider line for Ganga flood plain
and Kereha- old Bhagmati flood plains & Burhi Gandhak flood
plain. The Flood plains of Burhi Gandak and Kareha are marked
by the presence of paleo levees, oxbow lakes, paleochannels, relict
streams and chaurs viz Kaulachaur and Bhagwanpur chaur. These
chaurs serve as excellent fertile agricultural lands duing summer
and are submerged during rains. Also the areas around these chaurs
face the problem of submergence for around three-four months a
year. Kawar lake, a large fresh water lake which is basically
a huge wetland is present as an important physiographic feature
of this part.
In the Gangaflood plain, which is approaximately 50-55km long
and 5-6kms wide,in the southern part of the district, except those
low lying areas of “Taals and chaurs”, the typical fluvial characteristics
of North Bihar rivers are not visible, which are prominent in
the north of Railway track. This is the least flood prone area
of the district, which gets drowned only in cases of exceptional
floods in Ganga and Burhi Gandak. This relatively upland area
appears to be the levee of river Ganga.
