Social,
Environmental & Economic Sustainability
Our analysis of the rank of the district
Backwardness : 428
Sex Ratio Rank : 110
(Rank one is least sex ratio - Cenus 2001)
HIV Category District : C
(HIV Sentinel Surveillance 2004 - 2006)
Disability : 515 (Census 2001)
Literacy Ratio : 336 (Census 2001)
Minority : Does not figure in MCDWater : Flouride in Groundwater
above permissible limits
Challenges of the district : Our research
with local communities
Government is not helping the NGOs in any way. Drug
abuse is another grave problem we are facing. Mostly all the men
in this district are drug addicts. Government is not doing much
to curb this issue. There is high rate of female feticide. The sex
ratio of women is very less. The level of ground water has also
gone down. There is high amount of pollution due to plastic bags.
Brief About Faridkot District
History The District derives its name from the
headquarters town of Faridkot founded by Mokalsi, grandson of
Raja Manj, who ruled this territory during the 13 th century and
built a fort here. Among the men forced to work as labourers on
the constructiopn of this fort was one Baba Farid. He was observed
to possess miraculous powers which were demonstrated amongst other
ways by the fact that the basket full of mud which he was given
to carry floated above his head wirhout visible support. He was,
therefore allowed to depart. The name of the place was changed
to Faridkot after Baba Farid. It remained the capital during the
reign of Mokalsi's son Jairsi and Wairsi.
The
history of the Faridkot District pertaining to the ancient period
has been traced to the Indus Valley Civilization. A few sites
explored in the Moga Tehsil(Now a separate District) link it with
Indus Valley Civilization sites explored in the Rupnagar District.
A vast area, including the present area of Faridkot District was
under the influence of Indus Valley Civilization.
Location
Faridkot District was part of the then Ferozepur Division
but in the year 1996, Faridkot Division has been established with
a Divisional headquarter at Faridkot which includes Faridkot,
Bathinda and Mansa districts. It is situated between 29
degree 54 feet to 30 degree 54 feet north latitude and 74 degree
15 feet to 75 degree 25 feet east longitude. It lies in south
west of the state and is surrounded by Ferozepur District in the
north west, Moga and Ludhiana Districts in the north east and
districts of Bathinda and Sangrur in the south.
Headquarter of the district administration, lies
on the Firozepur-Bathinda-Delhi Railway line. It is also connected
by road with Chandigarh (218 km), Firozepur (32 km),Muktsar (45
km) and Bathinda (65 km). Faridkot, Kot Kapura and Jaitu Towns
are linked by railway stations as well as by road.
Climate
It is located on the Punjab Plain which in a macro
regional context forms a part of great Satluj Ganga plain. It
is a low lying flat area. The surface of the district is depositional
plain which was formed by alleviation by the rivers in the remote
past. No river is flowing through the district, butthere are some
drains which flow during heavy rains and serve as natural drainage.
There is a vastnetwork of canals i.e.Bikaner, Sirhind feeder and
Rajasthan Canal passes through district Faridkot.Sirhind
feeder, Rajasthan Canal and Abohar Branch of Sirhind canal run
through the entire length ofdistrict in north-south and northeast-southwest
directions respectively. Sirhind Canal system hasbeen serving
the district for irrigation since long times.The climate of the
Faridkot District is mainly dry, characterized by a very hot summer,
a short rainy season and a bracing winter. The year may be divided
into four seasons. The cold season is from November to March.
This is followed by the summer season which lasts up to about
the end of June. The period from July to the middle of September
constitutes the southwest monsoon season. The later half of September
and October is the post-monsoon or transition period. There is
no meteorological observatory in the district. The Temperatures
increase ra.pidly beginning with the end of March till June, which
is generally the hottest month, with the mean daily minimum temperature
about 41 degree celtius and the mean daily minimum about 26.5
degree celtius. It is intensely hot during the summer, and the
dustladen winds which blow, especially in the sandy parts, are
very trying. The maximum temperature may go beyond 47 degree celtius
on individual days. With the onset of the monsoon by about the
end of June or early July, there is an appreciable drop in the
day temperature. However, during breaks in the monsoon during
latter part of July and in August the weather becomes oppressive
due to increase in day temperatures. By about the second week
of September, when the monsoon withdraws from the district, both
day and night temperatures begin to decrease. The fall in the
night temperatures even in October is much more than that in the
day temperatures. After October both the day and night temperatures
decrease rapidly till January which is the coldest month.
The mean daily maximum temperatures in January is about 20 degree
celtius and the mean daily minimum about 4.5 degree celtius. In
the cold season the district is affected by cold waves in the
wake of passing western disturbances and the minimum temperature
occasionally drops down to about a degree or two below the freezing
point of water. The average annual rainfall in the district
is 433 mm. about 71 percent of the annual rainfall in the
district is received during the monsoon months July to September,
July/August being the rainiest months. Some rainfall occurs during
the pre-monsoon months, mostly in the form of thundershowers and
in the cold season. Skies are moderately clouded during
the monsoon season and for short spells of a day or two during
cold season in association with the passing western disturbances.
During the rest of the year the skies are mostly clear or lightly
clouded. Winds are generally light in the district, and are northerly
to northwesterly, at times southeasterly, throughout the year.
But, during the summer and monsoon seasons winds from directions
between north-east and south-east blow on many days. Thunderstorms
and more frequently duststorms occur during the hot season.
Rain during the monsoon season is also sometimes accompanied with
thunder. Fog occurs occasionally in the cold season.
