Social,
Environmental & Economic Sustainability
Our analysis of the rank of the district
Backwardness : 437
Sex Ratio Rank : 116
(Rank one is least sex ratio - Cenus 2001)
HIV Category District : C
(HIV Sentinel Surveillance 2004 -2006)
Disability : 342 (Census 2001)
Literacy Ratio : 364 (Census 2001)
Minority : Does not figure in MCD
Water : Flouride in Groundwater above permissible limits
Brief About Firozpur District
The District Ferozepur is situated at India Pakistan
baorder, at the east side Faridkot district, Moga district and
at the south side Muktsar District is situated. On the north east
the River Sutlej generally separates it from the FIROZPUR and
Kapurthala districts and on the south west side the Ganganagar
district of state Rajasthan touches the boundaries of Ferozepur.
The united stream of the Sutlej and Beas generally separates it
from the Amritsar district in the north-west, and farther down
from the Pakistan with the exception of some areas on each side
of the river.
Area and Physiography
The total geographical area of the district is 5303
sq. km out of which 3258.78 sq. km fall under Bet area and 196.63
sq. km fall under Border area.
The topography of the district is even. It is a plane of alluvial
formation sloping gently @ 2ft. per mile form the North East to
the South West. The district is divided into three main belts
running somewhat parallel to the course of river Sutlej. On South
West side, the bet area called "Hittar" having land
alluvial dark and gray clay intermixed with straits of sand. On
the South East side, the Rohi and Mukhi Plains have light and
sandy soil and brackish water in wells. The district has two types
of soil namely chestnut brown (Alluvial)-69% and desert soil (31%)
History
Ferozepore is an ancient city situated close to the present day
Indo-Pakistan border. It is believed to have been founded by Ferozeshah
Tughluq in the 14th century. Another version claims that it was
founded by a Bhatti chief called Feroze Khan. However, the first
version is more widely accepted as Ferozeshah Tughluq had a passion
for building new cities and renaming old ones especially after
his own name. He claimed, "Among the many gifts which God
bestowed upon me, His humble servant, was a desire to erect public
buildings. So I built many mosques, colleges and monasteries,
that the learned and the elders, the devout and the holy, might
worship God in these edifices and aid the kind builder with their
prayers."
Ferozepore's strategic position in the northwest of the country
has resulted in its being part of many military expenditions in
the area. During the first Anglo-Sikh war in 1845, it due to the
negligence of the British commander at Ferozepore that the Khalsa
was able to cross the Sutlej unopposed. When Lord Hardinge declared
war on the Sikhs, the first battle was fought at Mudki, 20 miles
south-east of Ferozepore. In 1838, Ferozepore was the centre from
where British troops advanced to Kabul during the rist Anglo-Afghan
war.
Three heroic martyrs of India's freedom struggle Shaheed Bhagat
Singh and his associates Shaheed Rajguru and Shaheed Sukhdev have
their final resting place on the banks of the river Sutlej in
Ferozepur. On March 23, 1931, despite popular protest, these three
heros were executed in Lahore and were stealthily cremated in
the dead of night near Ferozepore. They were killed for raising
the flag of revolutionary terrorism against the British, displaying
their deep patriotism and defiance for the foreign rulers till
the very end.
Today, a Shaheed Bhagat Singh Memorial marks the spot and every
year on March 23, thousands of people gather to pay homage of
these noble heroes. Ferozepore has another historical memorial,
the Saragarhi Gurudwara, commemorating the sacrifice of 21 Sikh
soldiers who perished at Saragarhi in Baluchistan. On 12 September,
every year, people gather here to pay tribute to the heroic soldiers
and celebrate Saragarhi Day. The memorial service also provides
an occasion for exservicemen to have a reunion.
Population
District wise and Tehsil wise Rural and Urban Population by Sex
- 2001
Total Population of Punjab is 243.59 lakhs out of which Ferozepur
District Population is 17.46 Lakhs
Climate of Ferozepur
The climate of Ferozepur district is, on the whole,
dry and is characterised by very hot summer, a short rainy season
and a bracing with winter. The year may be divided into four seasons.
The cold season is from November to March, followed by the summer
season which lasts up to about end of June. The period from July
to the middle of September constitutes the south-westerly monsoon
season. The latter half of September and October may be termed
as the post-monsoon or the transition period.
From about the end of March, the temperature increases rapidly
till June which is generally the hottest month and on individual
days, the maximum temperature may be about 47?C. However, with
the onset of the monsoon by about end of June or early July, there
is an appreciable drop in day temperature but the weather remains
oppressive due to the increased moisture in July and August. By
about the second week of September both day band night temperatures
begin to fall, the drop in the night temperature being more than
the day temperature. After October, both the day and night temperatures
decrease rapidly till January, which happens to be the coldest
month when the minimum temperature occasionally drops to about
a degree of two below the freezing point of water.
The rainfall in the district generally increases from the south-west
towards the north east. About 70 percent of the annual rainfall
in the district is received during the period from July to September,
July and August being the rainiest months. Some rainfall occurs
during the pre-monsoon months, mostly in the form of thunder showers.
In the winter season, some rainfall occurs under the influence
of westerly disturbances. However, the variation in the rainfall
from year to year is large. The following table give monthly rainfall
based on average of 10 years, 1991-2000 for the district.
