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Durgapur
| Durgapur is home to various institutions of national repute. National Institute of Technology, Durgapur is an autonomous institution in eastern India of national importance. It is one of the 30 NITs in the country. NIT Durgapur is one of the 8 old RECs established in 1956. DSMS is a management college. NSHM is another hotel management college in Durgapur. Engineering colleges at Durgapur are B. C. Roy Engineering College, Bengal College of Engineering and Technology which is better known as BCET, Aryabhatta Institute Of Engineering & Management (also known as Aryabhatta Engineering College / AIEMD), Durgapur Institute Of Advanced Technology and Management (also known as DIATM), Kanksa Academy of technology and Management, also known as KATM, Institute of Engineering & Industrial Technology, Durgapur (IEIT), ABS Academy-College of Science, Technology and Management and NSHM- College Of Engineering & Technology. Most of the colleges here are affiliated with West Bengal University of Technology Recently, National Institute of Management, popularly known as NIM Durgapur, is making a debut in the field of education. Detail- National Power Training Institute, previously known as PETS is also an engineering and technical institute in the region. Situated in City Center, under the Ministry of Power (Govt. of India), it offers courses in power engineering, post graduate diploma course and PDC. There are many other graduation colleges in Durgapur. Durgapur Government College (University of Burdwan) is the only NAAC-accredited college in the region, and received a grade of B++. Durgapur Women’s College is a reputed college for over 40 years now. Michael Madhusudhan College is another new graduation college in Durgapur. |
| Durgapur being an industrial city, the civic amenities of different company/ plant townships are taken care by the respective company/ plant authorities. However, there are civil localities such as the area around the railway station (what was the original Durgapur), the City Centre, Sepco, Bidhannagar, Benachitty, Muchipara and so on, which need civic facilities. In 1962, Durgapur Notified Area Authority was formed for the purpose. It was upgraded to a municipal corporation on 7 October 1996 and the company/ plant townships included in it, although civic amenities continue to be provided by the respective companies/ plants. Presently Durgapur Municipal Corporation (DMC) has 43 administrative divisions or Wards. The Wards are organised under 5 boroughs. It is one of the cleanest corporations of India. Asansol-Durgapur Developmeent Authority or ADDA was established under the provision of West Bengal Town and Country (Planning & Development) Act 1979, (West Bengal Act XIII of 1979)by the merger of the former Asansol Planning Organization, Asansol, which was established in 1964, and the erstwhile Durgapur Development Authority, Durgapur established in 1958. ADDA started its functioning from 1 April 1980. Jurisdiction of ADDA is co-terminus with the jurisdictions of Asansol Municipal Corporation, Kulti Municipality, Jamuria Municipality, Jamuria Panchayet Samiti, Raniganj Municipality, Community Development Blocks of Andal, Pandabeswar and Durgapur-Faridpur, Durgapur Municipal Corporation and a small part of Kanksa Community Development Block. |
| Durgapur has many educational institutions. Schools include St. Peter’s School (formerly Benachity High School, the oldest ICSE school in Durgapur), St. Xavier’s School, Carmel Convent High School (MAMC), Carmel High School (Steel), St. Michael’s School, Guru Teg Bahadur Public School, Durgapur Projects Boys High School (H. S.), Durgapur Projects Township Boys High School (H.S.), Durgapur MAMC Township Modern High School (H. S.), Kendriya Vidyalaya (CMERI and CRPF), DAV Model, Surenchandra Modern School (High), Durgapur Ispat Vidyalaya(DIV), Hem Sheela Model School, R. P. Vivekananda Vidyapith, Gopalmath High School, Durgapur AVB High School, Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalaya, Aurobindo Vidya Mandir, Pranavananda Vidya Mandir, AG Church, Amrita Vidyalayam and Bidhan Chandra Institution. Other schools include A-Zone M.P. Boys High School, B-Zone M.P.Boys High School, Kashiram Das Road Boys High School, Joydev Boys, Joydev Girls, GMPS, Akbar Road Girls High School, and Benachity (Mohiskapur plot) High School (H. S.). There are quite a few new schools founded in the last few years. Notable among them are Beachwood School, DICV School, Nirjhar Day Boarding School, Durgapur Public School, Durgapur Public Institute, and Zoom School. The schools are mainly affiliated with WB Board, ICSE or CBSE boards. Others are seeking NOC and affiliation. There are also Hindi medium schools like the Benachity Netaji Vidyalaya (H.S.), Nepali Para Hindi (H. S.), and the Bharatiya Hindi (H. S.). |
| Durgapur English pronunciation: /d?u?rga?p??r/(Bangla: ?????????; Hindi:?????????), is a city of the state of West Bengal, India, located about 160 km from Kolkata, in the Burdwan District. It was a dream child of the great visionary Dr. Bidhan Chandra Roy, the second chief minister of the state. The well laid out industrial township, designed by Joseph Allen Stein and Benjamin Polk is home to one of the largest industrial units in the state, Durgapur Steel Plant, one of the integrated steel plants of Steel Authority of India Limited. Alloy Steels Plant of SAIL and CMERI, a CSIR laboratory, are also here. There are three numbers of power plants (DPL,DVC,NSPCL), chemical and engineering industries etc. Some metallurgical units have come up in recent years. The National Institute of Technology, Durgapur (earlier known as Durgapur Regional Engineering College ) is one of the most prominent seats of the Indian Central Government’s Engineering and Technological Education and one power engineering college (govt.) and two private engineering college: B.C.Roy and Bengal Engineering. There also three degree colleges. Durgapur is also considered the commercial capital of Rarh region. |
| Fortunately, DSP management — with public support of the trade unions — was able to turn around the dire situation with thousands of job cuts through voluntary retirement schemes and modernizing efforts. Now Durgapur Steel Plant is operating at above its rated capacity and earning profits after deduction of substantial amount of interest and depreciation resulting from the massive investment in modernization. The plant is undergoing further expansion and is ready for a momentous future. A number of other industries, such as Alstom Projects India Limited (erstwhile ACC-Babcock Ltd), Philips Carbon Black Ltd., and Graphite India Ltd., were doing well. Alloy Steels Plant has turned the corner. MAMC has been taken over by power giant Damodar Valley Corporation, Coal India Limited, and BEML. Therefore, Durgapur presents a dual picture of growth and hope on one side and collapse on the other. The darker side covers such units as Bharat Ophthalmic and Hindustan Fertiliser Corporation. |
| Durgapur is by far the most industrialised city in eastern India and the second planned city in India. It started with the first prime minister of independent India, Jawaharlal Nehru. His dream of transforming the backward agricultural country into an industrially advanced nation was picked up in West Bengal by Dr. B.C. Roy. At the earlier stages for the selection of a proper site for a new industrial township, Jnananjan Niyogi, a great business organizer and planner, was involved. Modernist American architect Joseph Allen Stein, invited to head the newly formed Department of Architecture and Planning at the Bengal Engineering College in Calcutta, plunged into a major project as soon as he reached India in 1952 – the designing of Durgapur city with Benjamin Polk, another American architect already living in Calcutta. Thereafter it was the task of local leaders such as Ananda Gopal Mukherjee and bureaucrats such as K.K. Sen to get Durgapur going. |
| Durgapur has been witnessing radical changes, along with rapid development in segments like industry, real estates, I.T. and I.T.E.S. firms, education etc., since the advent of the twenty-first century. The changes are with respect to infrastructure as well as industrial growth for steel (direct reduced iron), metal, cement and knowledge-based industries. roads]]More than 12 engineering and technology, management as well as professional study colleges opened up at Durgapur during the last five years . Housing co-operatives and flats, shopping malls, multiplexes, a science and energy park, a software technology park (STPI), hotels and stadiums have also come up. A shopping mall by A.D.D.A., named Suhatta, was opened by the then Chief Minister Mr. Buddhadeb Bhattacharya, in 2007. He inaugurated seven institutes that day including a polytechnic college. Star hotels like Peerless Inn, City Residency, Rose Valley etc. are here now. |
| Durgapur is home to a large number of electronic media houses. In fact, it is next, only to Kolkata and Guwahati, in serving as the operation bases and headquarters for the largest number of electronic media channels in Eastern India. Express News, Express Plus, Axes Info Media, TV 7, Shaan (formerly HTV), VOX 24×7, Bangla Live, Natun Bangla, DSTV (Cannel owned by DSP), Naadia TV, Hallow India, TV Bangla are some of them. Ganashakti, I-Core Ekdin, Sakalbela, Good Morning Asansol, Shilpanchal Express, are printed from the city. Anandabazar Patrika is published from Ghutgoria, near Durgapur, in Bankura District, and has a separate Asansol-Durgapur edition. Dainik Jagaran has a Durgapur Edition, too. Durgapur do not have any F.M. stations. However 92.7 Big FM and 93.5 Red FM has stations at Asansol, and serves the twin cities of Asansol and Durgapur. |
| The Grand Trunk Road (NH2) virtually bifurcates the area. This historically important arterial connector has now been widened into 2+2-lane highway as part of the Golden Quadrilateral project. Another wide road takes off from Darjeeling Morh near Panagarh for North Bengal. It also links Santiniketan to the Grand Trunk Road. The Durgapur Expressway, linking Dankuni with Memari on the Grand Trunk Road, allows fast communication between Kolkata and Durgapur, where one can maintain cruising speeds of 80–120 km/h. A road over the Durgapur Barrage links Durgapur with Bankura and beyond in South Bengal. High-speed Volvo and Mercedes Benz buses cruise regularly from Durgapur to Kolkata on this route along with SBSTC and City Liners non-AC buses. A bus trip from Kolkata to Durgapur takes around 3 hours if there is no traffic jam near Panagarh. |
| Durgapur is well connected via roads. It is the preferred gateway to the Rarh Region, which has under-developed transportation infrastructure. NH 2 and SH 9 pass through the city. Panagarh-Morgram Highwqay originates from Panagarh, a suburb of Durgapur, and joins NH 60 near Dubrajpur; this makes Durgapur a major road junction and an important destination for transportation toward North Bengal and North East India. SH 9 joins with NH 60 and connects Durgapur with Orissa and South India. It is also well connected by rail to major parts of India such as Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, Gorakhpur, Indore, Bhopal, Jabalpur, Nagpur, Guwahati, Amritsar, Jaipur, Lucknow, Kanpur, and others. Long distance buses connect Durgapur to places such as Jamshedpur, Dhanbad, Bokaro Steel City, Siliguri, and MaldaTown. |
| Mighty emperors reigned in this region over the centuries, but it is difficult to pinpoint who held sway over the area at different times. Historians talk of this region being a part of the Maurya and Gupta empires, the empire of Harsha Vardhan and the Mughals. Being a border region, it could have been on either side of the unmarked and flexible borders of the mighty empires. Moreover, the infertile soil with deep impenetrable forests and wild animals was probably not a very inviting proposal for any emperor on the look out for wealth and treasures. Even when coal mining made forays into the adjoining Asansol-Ranigunj area from the late eighteenth century, and factory chimneys reared their heads somewhat later, Durgapur remained an impenetrable jungle that few dared to trespass into. |
| Due to its industrial and commercial importance, Durgapur city is connected to almost all major places of Bengal. Express/mail trains and a few inter-city high-speed trains shuttle between Kolkata and Durgapur on a regular basis. The Sealdah Rajdhani Express and the Howrah Ranchi Shatabdi express stop here. Poorva Express, Kalka Mail, Amritsar Mail, Mumbai Mail, and Doon Express are some important trains stopping at Durgapur. The main railway station is Durgapur railway station . Andal Junction , is the main junction of the city. It is located at Andal, a western suburb of Durgapur, 15 km from Durgapur City Centre. The Andal-Sainthia branch line of Eastern Railway Zone originates from this station and terminates at Sainthia on Sahibganj Loop. |
| Durgapur experiences a somewhat transitional climate between the tropical wet and dry climate of Kolkata and the more humid subtropical climate further north. Summers are extremely hot, lasting from March to the middle of June, with average daily temperatures near 32 °C. They are followed by the monsoon season with heavy precipitation and somewhat lower temperatures. Durgapur receives most of its annual rainfall of around 52 inches during this season. The monsoon is followed by a mild, dry winter from November to January. Temperatures are quite moderate, with average daily temperatures near 20 °C. There is a short autumn at the end of October and a short spring in February, both of which have relatively moderate temperatures of around 25 °C. |
| An airport city, Aerotropolis (an integrated city with contemporary infrastructure for industries, a logistics hub, I.T., hospitality, healthcare, education, retail and residence) is being developed by Bengal Aerotropolis Projects Limited (B.A.P.L.) at Andal near Durgapur. The project is being developed over an initial 2,182 acres (8.83 km2) plot of land. The airport, as a part of this Aerotropolis, is being designed by the world-renowned Changi Airport of Singapore, who will operate the airport for an initial period of about two years. The Ministry of Civil Aviation, Government of India has already granted “In Principle Clearance” to the project developers for this airport at the proposed site near Andal. |
| Durgapur is a new industrial city. The administrative setup came in stages. Once the British settled down to ruling the country in the nineteenth century, they started effecting administrative changes. In 1837, when Bankura district was formed, Durgapur area was part of it. In 1847, Ranigunj subdivision was formed with three police stations – Ranigunj, Kanksa and Neamatpur – and it was made a part of Bardhaman district. In 1906, the subdivisional headquarters was shifted to Burdwan and the subdivision renamed accordingly. In 1910, the police stations in Asansol subdivision were Asansol, Ranigunj, Kanksa, Faridpur and Barakar. On 14 April 1968, Durgapur subdivision was carved out of Asansol subdivision. |
| Randiha – The Anderson Weir (named after John Anderson, 1st Viscount Waverley, who inaugurated it), a diversion constructed in 1932, 19 km downstream of Durgapur Barrage on river Damodar is a wonderful serene tourist spot located in the Chaktentul Gram Panchayet in Galsi I block. Across the river lies Sonamukhi. A tourist to Randiha must visit the Ancient Mound at Bharatpur on the Silampur-Randiha Road, a monument of National Importance, has been excavated jointly by the Archaeological Survey of India and the University of Burdwan has yielded evidence of habitational sequence from the Chalcolithic times to the 12th century. Randiha is about 10 km from Panagarh railway station. |
| Within the city private mini-buses are the cheapest and most convenient mode of transportation. They operate from Prantika to Station terminus, via different routes through the city. Some of them operate to other termini from Prantika, like Nadiha, Madhaipur, Kasba, Sillyaghat, etc. Recently, CNG autos have been introduced plying between City Center and other parts of the city. They are non-polluting, environment friendly, convenient, less time-consuming, and cheap mode of transport. Cycle-rickshaws are available for traveling smaller distances, as a preferred commute. Recently, pre-paid taxis were introduced in the city from Station and City Center Terminus. |
| There was a massive follow up – Durgapur Steel Plant (commissioned 1960), Alloy Steels Plant (commissioned 1965), Durgapur Projects Ltd. (established 1961), Mining and Allied Machinery Corporation, ACC-Vickers Babcock (later ACC-Babcock and now Alstom Power Boilers Ltd.), Hindustan Fertiliser Corporation, Philips Carbon Black Ltd., Sankey Wheels (a unit of GKW), Bharat Ophathalmic Glass Ltd, Durgapur Cement Ltd. (now Birla Cement) (established 1975), Graphite India Ltd. (established 1967), Durgapur Chemicals Ltd. (DCL) was incorporated on 31 July 1963, Ispat Forgings and many others, large and small. A great new industrial city was bubbling with enthusiasm. |
| In the mid-nineteenth century, the railway traversed the Durgapur area; even fairly recent pre-independence travelers describe Durgapur as a small station, with dim kerosene lanterns burning at night, where only a few passenger trains stopped. Local chieftains such as Bhabani Pathak and Ichhai Ghosh were the heroes of the jungle-territory and probably held many a great emperor at bay. Many of them must have passed through looking for wealth in the famed granaries of Bengal further east but probably never found the place attractive enough to show their prowess. |
| Durgapur is the preferred gateway to the districts of Bankura, Birbhum, and Purulia, which are not well connected. NH 2 and SH 9 pass through the city jurisdiction. NH 60 passes through the north-western suburb of Pandabeswar and finally passes through Raniganj and heads away towards Orissa. It happens to be one of the very few cities that have an Asian Highway (AH) passing directly through the city jurisdiction. The AH1 links Japan with Turkey, through Korea, China, Vietnam, Cambodia, Thailand, Myanmar, India, Bangladesh, Pakistan, Afghanistan, and Iran. |
| This continued for some years, resulting in many of the sick industries declining to the verge of closure. It was evident that some of the industries were technically unsound; for example, Durgapur Steel Plant was technologically obsolete and needed huge investment for modernization. The political chaos submerged all such concerns and no investor considered the region safe for any major investment. When unemployment started pinching, the left was settled comfortably in power. There was rethinking about revival of industries in West Bengal. |
| Archeological excavations at Birbhanpur, on the bank of the Damodar, have revealed a number of stone implements. These are dated to be around 5000 BC. Many of these are hunting implements used by pre-historic hunters. Earlier, some of the excavations at Pandu Rajar Dhibi, on the banks of the Ajay, just beyond Durgapur but in Bardhaman district, revealed traces of a civilization possibly linked with the Indus Valley Civilisation. These are important historical finds and are yet to be fully explored. |
| The Durgapur Sub-Divisional Hospital located in Bidhannagar, is a municipal hospital, run by the state government offers quality treatments to the people of the city. The hospital has a total of over 500 beds for Male, Female and children word. Major facilities available in the hospital are emergency word, burn care unit, ICU, labour room, operation theatre any many more. More than 500 patients from all over Durgapur, Panagarh, Andal and many nearby areas come to this hospital for free treatment. |
| Durgapur saw the setting up of 10 to 15 middle/large scale industrial investments in the iron and steel manufacturing sector including value added products like sponge iron, wire rods, T.M.T. bars (thermo mechanical treatment) for construction, iron casting powder etc., during the years 2001-2007. The prominent investors are MB Group, Jai Balaji group, SPS group, Adhunik Group of Industries, Neo Metallic, Stolberg India, Super Smelters Ltd., Shyam Steel, UltraTech Cement etc. |
| Apart from this, South Bengal State Transport Corporation, popularly, SBSTC, which has headquarters in the city, has a separate depot, in Trunk Road Area. North Bengal State Transport Corporation or NBSTC has an office here, and operates buses to Siliguri, Maldah, Raiganj, Alipurduar, Jalpaiguri, Kochbihar, Balurghat and Baharampur. Private operators like Prithvi Travels, Jai Dada Travels or Shyamoli operates AC or sleeper buses to Kolkata, Siliguri, Bhubaneshwar or Puri. |
| Two mighty rivers border it on the north and south. The Ajay River flows past unhindered in the north; the Damodar River on the south has two obstacles in its path – an earlier dam, or anicut, at Rondia and a massive 692-metre long Durgapur Barrage at Durgapur, constructed in 1955 and controlled by Damodar Valley Corporation. Two rivulets, Singaran and Tamla, flow through the area and join the Damodar River. Two other rivulets, Kunur and Tumuni, join the Ajay River. |
| It is unlikely that Bhabani Pathak of Durgapur was the same person linked with Devi Choudhurani, made famous by Bankim Chandra Chatterjee. Their area of activity was around Rangpur, now in Bangladesh. Although barges used to carry coal down the Damodar in those days and the river was more navigable than now, the area was never a watery haven as some areas of east or north Bengal were. However, legends have more impact on people than the hard realities of history. |
| Nehru Park, Burnpur – Originally named (& popular as Lahmeyer Park, after F.W.A.Lahmeyer, a General Manager of IISCO who had inaugurated it) Riverside Park, it has been renamed after Jawaharlal Nehru in 1989 on his birth centenary. Undulating terrain, meandering brook and a musical fountain are added attractions to the park. Located on the banks of the Damodar river in Burnpur. It is located 14 km south-west of the Asansol railway station with minibuses aplenty. |
| As the British industrialists left India after independence, many of the industrial empires they left behind were taken over by the Indian business community, who were mainly traders. With technological obsolescence the industries fell on bad times, labour unrest started and finally engulfed the state of West Bengal in the late 1960s. Even the new industries in Durgapur were affected by the militancy, and soon most of the industries in Durgapur were in shambles. |
| Durgapur Steel Plant was a showpiece of Indo-British cooperation in independent India. Dr. Rajendra Prasad, the first president of India, came for the inauguration of the first blast furnace. Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru was a regular visitor. He called these plants temples of new India. Many senior leaders and important foreign leaders visited Durgapur to see and to cheer. Displaying a rare gesture of solidarity, Queen Elizabeth came on a state visit. |
| Sidhu Kanu Indoor Stadium is one of the best indoor stadiums of East India . It houses many sporting organisation and sporting association of Burdwan district as well as of Durgapur. Among them Durgapur Sub-divisional Women’s Sports Association, School Sports Association-Durgapur Sub-division, Burdwan District Badminton Association, Burdwan District Table Tennis Association, Burdwan District Physical Culture Association are few to name. |
| The important high-speed railway track connecting Kolkata and Delhi passes through Durgapur. Andal Junction, situated in Andal (a western suburb of Durgapur, about 15 km from Durgapur City Centre) has a link with Sainthia on the Sahibgunj loop line. There are airstrips at Panagarh and Durgapur, the former with the Indian Air Force and latter with SAIL. A full-fledged domestic airport is coming up at Andal. |
| Junction Mall is the biggest shopping complex (excluding Kolkata)in Eastern India. It had been developed by the Shrachi group and has Pantaloons, Shopper’s Stop, Crossword, Fabindia, Reebok, Adidas, Woodland, Café Coffee Day, United Colors Of Benneton, VIP, The Mobile Store, Bioscope(3 Screen 3D Multiplex), Subway, KFC and many other popular brands and is spread over an area of 4 hundred thousand sq. ft. |
| Durgapur is in the Burdwan District of West Bengal, on the bank of the Damodar River, just before it enters the alluvial plains of Bengal. The topography is undulating. The coal-bearing area of the Raniganj coalfields lies just beyond Durgapur; some parts intrude into the area. The area was deeply forested till recent times, and some streaks of the original forests are there. |
| Jaydev Kenduli – temple and birthplace of Sanskrit poet Joydeb, on the banks of the Ajay River. This place is about 30 km away from Durgapur. On the occasion of Makar Sankranti (Winter Solstice), a fair is organized here. Bauls, religious singers with a detached philosophy and spontaneity of their own, participates in this fair, which is held in mid January every year. |
| Prantika Terminus Generally, buses heading towards, east, i.e., Barddhaman, Katwa, Krishnanagar, Nabadwip and Kalyani leave from Prantika and the buses carry the term ‘Benachity’ instead of ‘Durgapur’, as the terminal point of journey, in order to avoid confusion, since ‘Durgapur’ implies to the Station Terminus. Buses for Ilambazar and Bolpur also use this terminus. |
| Station Bus Terminus Buses, especially, private ones, traversing deeper into the Rarh Region use this terminus. Buses, for Bankura, Bishnupur, Purulia, Raghunathpur, Barakar, Bokaro, Bhagalpur, Jamshedpur, Khatra, Mukutmanipur, Jhargram, Digha, Murshidabad, Tarakeswar, Arambag, Sonamukhi, Gangajalghati, Ilambazar, Bolpur, Bhedia, Morgram can be found here with ease. |
| Rahreswar Shib Mandir – Located 3 km from the NH-2 Muchipara crossing on the Muchipara-Shibpur Road in the Arrah village opposite the NSHM Knowledge Campus, this 11th century Shiva temple is protected by the Archaeological Survey of India. It is located in the Gopalpur Gram Panchayet of Kanksa block. Thousands of people rush to this temple at the Maha Shivaratri. |
| The nearest international airport is at Dumdum, Kolkata (Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose International Airport); An ultra modern airport is developed by Bengal Aerotropolis Ltd along with Changi International airport, Singapore at Durgapur. a air force station at Panagarh belonging to the Indian Air Force is used for the base for C-130J Hercules squadron. |
| Bishnupur – the famous terracotta temple town and home to major art and crafts. It is about 70 km away from Durgapur. The Bankura horse, symbol of Indian handicrafts is produced at Panchmura, near Bishnupur. It is also the home of the Baluchari sari, originally woven with motifs based on stories from the Ramayana and the Mahabharata, but now modernized. |
| Mohan Kumaramangalam Park – Named after Mohan Kumaramangalam, the park located in the DSP Township is one of the favourite destinations for couples and for picnic, which has now been renovated with exciting rides n food stalls. The water bodies in the park is the abode to some of the most venomous water snakes in the town including keel backs. |
| Though Durgapur has no loco-sheds or car-sheds, it happens to be one of the most important loco-reversal points in Indian Railways. Many important trains, mainly, tose, which run between the vast non-electrified diesel territory of Eastern Railway and Northeast Frontier Railway and the electrified sections change the running loco here. |
| The area was part of the Bardhaman Raj, who ruled on the basis of a firman from the Mughal emperor. Mir Kassem, then Nawab of Sube Bangala, ceded Bardhaman along with Medinipur and Chittagong to the East India Company in 1760 (three years after the Battle of Plassey), and the Bardhaman Raj continued to function under British tutelage. |
| Real estate in Durgapur has seen a major boom in recent years, with property prices being hiked exponentially during the past decade. Bengal Ambuja and the Mani Group are undertaking major residential development projects. Internet-based property search portals like Homes Located have brought properties in Durgapur to the web. |
| Bhabani Pathak’s Tilla(Durgapur Science and Energy Park) – It is located near the City Centre of Durgapur. Earlier there was a tunnel system from here to the Damodar River, but now that is closed from public view. Now, people can visit only the Tilla and the Science park. The park which was built by the WEBREDA is now closed. |
| As of 2001 India census, Durgapur had a population of 492,996. Males constitute 53% of the population and females 47%. Durgapur has an average literacy rate of 75%, higher than the national average of 59.5%: male literacy is 81% and female literacy is 69%. In Durgapur, 10% of the population is under 6 years of age. |
| DSP Main Hospital is a 658 bedded hospital equipped with all the major departments, surgical and diagnostic facilities, including a well-equipped modern Intensive Care and Dialysis Unit. It caters to the employees of DSP and their families free of cost, but others can also avail of the treatment by registration . |
| Regional Engineering College (established 1960) (now renamed National Institute of Technology) and Central Mechanical Engineering Research Institute (CMERI, CSIR) (established 1958) added to the stature of the new township. Schools, hospitals, parks, and playgrounds all came up. It was new life in new India. |
| The late 1980s witnessed a turn-around in the fortunes of SAIL, with Durgapur Steel Plant being one of the plants to be modernized at a cost of Rs. 5,000 crore. However, it continued to suffer huge operating losses and by the mid-1990s there were rumors of a slow death of the plant along with the city. |
| DLF and Shapoorji Pallonji are investing millions in integrated townships and an I.T. Park. The I.T. park has been named Infocity. I.T.E.S. firms like Hinduja Global Solutions Limited have already made Durgapur their Eastern Developmental Centre. A mall, called the Junction, has already come up. |
| Before independence, only one small refractory plant of the Martin Burn group was located at Durgapur: the abandoned chimney is visible near the station. Damodar Valley Corporation constructed Durgapur Barrage in 1955 and shortly followed with the Durgapur Thermal Power Station. |
| Mika Singh: Mika was born on June 10 at Durgapur, West Bengal. He is known as a powerhouse entertainer and his live shows are full of energy. Having performed globally, his audiences are always dancing to his hit tracks, irrespective of their age and nationality. |
| As the numerous chimneys merrily belched out black, white and reddish brown smoke as pollution control norms were still some way off (for the past few years all the 65 chimneys of Durgapur Steel Plant are pollution free), the townships grew and prospered. |
| City Centre Terminus Long-route buses use the City Centre Terminus. One can find buses to Kolkata, Bhubaneshwar, Jamshedpur, Cuttack, Puri, Dumka, Bokaro Steel City, Dhanbad, Barrackpore, Digha, Purulia, Bhagalpur, Ranchi or Chaibasa from this terminus. |
| Other than these there are several beautiful villages surrounding the Industrial town, which come alive, especially during the festive seasons. The traditional Durga n Kali pujas in Kuldiha, Gopalpur and some other villages are worth being given a watch. |
| In the 2011 census, Durgapur Urban Agglomeration had a population of 581,409, out of which 301,700 were males and 279,709 were females. The 0–6 years population was 51,930. Effective literacy rate for the 7+ population was 87.70. |
| The Regional Engineering College was upgraded to ‘National Institute of Technology’ – the first Deemed University in Durgapur, and SRIJONI, a public hall equipped with technically advanced audio and video systems came into being. |
| Nehru Stadium is the biggest sports stadium in the town . It has a huge football ground, basketball and volleyball courts, athletic tracks, modern fully equipped gymnasium etc. It is managed by Durgapur Steel Plant Authority. |
| Durgapur subdivision is surrounded by Asansol subdivision on the west, Bardhaman Sadar North subdivision on the east, Bankura district across the Damodar in the south, and Birbhum district across the Ajay River to the north. |
| Churulia – birthplace of the famous Bengali poet Kazi Nazrul Islam. He is considered the national poet of Bangladesh. The village is about 60 km from Durgapur, and contains a museum with his works and a memorial for him. |
| Bharat Sevashram Sangha is a charitable organization, having its roots in the ideals of Swami Pranavanandaji Maharaj. It organizes health camps, disaster reliefs, vocational trainings, and other activities. |
| Suhatta Mall City Centre This is the only central business district of the city, and is the costliest area of the city. The famous movie theatre Duragapur Cinema – popularly known as DC is located here. |
| The Mission Hospital, Durgapur, established in 2008, is a private hospital with all modern facilities. It is a ten-level superspeciality facility, situated in the Bidhannagar Area of Durgapur. |
| Durgapur has bus termini at Benachiti-I, Benachiti-II (commonly referred as Prantika), City Center, and Station Morh. One bus terminus is coming up at Nadiha, but only for inter-city commuting. |
| Apart from these, there are also smaller health-centres and dispensaries for quick medical support . Other hospitals in the region are ESI, Sri Sri Mohanananda Brahmachari Cancer Hospital etc. |
| Benachity Bazar- This is the largest shopping market place in Durgapur. Thosands of people flock the streets of this widely popular market area especially during the Puja season marketing. |
| Some sporting clubs like Durgapur Boys Club, Santos Club, Tansen Athletic club etc. are active in the sporting sphere of the town, which organize sporting events for young people. |
| ASP stadium is another sporting center with a large ground, with all facilities for cricket, football, gymnastics, etc. It is managed by the Alloy Steel Plant Authority. |
| City Centre has now grown to be the most happening place in Durgapur, with shopping malls, restaurants and upscale residential complexes. It houses the main bus depot. |
| Shahid Bhagat Singh Stadium is a newly developed stadium, run by the Durgapur Municipal Corporation .Its football ground is one of the best in Durgapur. |
| Moonmoon Dutta: The actress playing the character ‘Babitaji’ in the famous comedy soap Taarak Mehta Ka Ooltah Chashmah in SAB TV, hails from Durgapur. |