Durgapur

Durgapur, is a major industrial hub and a planned urban agglomeration in the Indian state of West Bengal. It stands on the northern bank of the Damodar river and is located in Paschim Bardhaman district. Durgapur is a major centre for producing steel and manufacturing train wheels in India. Over the past few years, this city has also been developed as a hub for the IT industry in India. The city was planned by Bidhan Chandra Roy, Joseph Allen Stein and Benjamin Polk in 1955. Durgapur is the only city in eastern India to have an operational dry dock. Durgapur has been nicknamed the 'Steel Backbone of Industrial Bengal'.

History

Ancient settlements

Stone hunting equipment used by hunters from the prehistoric period has been excavated from Durgapur which shows that the human settlement of thr Durgapur area dates back to around 5000 BC. The Damodar-Ajay River Valley witnessed the growth of settled life simultaneously during the Harappa-Mohenjo Daro civilization.

Etymology

Around 1765, Gopinath Chattopadhyay secured a lease for a portion of Jangalmahal from the Maharaja of Bardhaman. This area later became known as Gopinathpur Mouja. Gopinath worked to transform this dense forest into a habitable area. His descendant, Durgacharan Chattopadhyay, continued the effort and established a new colony in the present Sagarbhanga region of Durgapur. In 1793, he erected a Kali temple, followed by a Shiva temple in 1803. The Zamindar house in Sagarbhanga stands as a testament to Durgacharan’s substantial contributions.
In 1855, when the East India Company laid the railway line between Bardhaman and Andal, the station was named Durgapur, a tribute to Durgacharan’s efforts by the local community. This marked the formalization of the name ‘Durgapur,’ gaining significance as a railway hub in the country.

Grand Trunk Road

As the colonial era unfolded, Durgapur became a strategic outpost along the Grand Trunk Road. British administrative records narrate the city’s transformation from a hamlet to a bustling settlement.

Post-Independence

Following India’s independence in 1947, Durgapur underwent a remarkable metamorphosis under the visionary leadership of Bidhan Chandra Roy, the then Chief Minister of West Bengal. The city was chosen as the site for the second integrated steel plant in India, setting the stage for rapid industrialization and urbanization.

Geography

Location

Durgapur is located at. It has an average elevation of.
Durgapur is in the Paschim Bardhaman 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 until the end of 20th century and some streaks of the indigenous sal and Mahua forests can still be seen scantily.

Environment

Durgapur has been ranked 35th best “National Clean Air City” under in India.

Climate

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 and dry, lasting from March to the middle of June, with average daily temperatures exceeding 45 °C. They are followed by the monsoon season with heavy precipitation and somewhat lower temperatures. Durgapur receives most of its annual rainfall of around 1,320 mm during this season. The monsoon is followed by a cold, dry winter from November to January. Temperatures are cold, with average daily temperatures dropping near 9 °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 20 °C. Due to the heavy rainfall it has received in recent years, for almost five months of heavy rainfall every year, locals often refer to the city as "Chhota Cherapunji".

Law administration

Police stations

Aurobindo Police Station, located in Durgapur Steel Township, opposite to Office of Commissioner of Police has jurisdiction over parts of Andal CD Block. The area covered is 87 km² and the population covered is 292,841. It has following investigation centres under it.

Investigation Centre	Address
B-Zone Investigation Centre	Marconi Avenue, B-Zone
City Centre Investigation Centre	Bengal Ambuja, City Centre
Faridpur Investigation Centre	Near Gandhi More
Waria Investigation Centre	Near DSP Main Gate, Waria
DTPS Investigation Centre	Old Colony, DVC-DTPS

Coke Oven police station, located near the Durgapur Railway Station, has jurisdiction over parts of the Durgapur municipal corporation. The area covered is 49 km² and the population covered is 136,181.
Durgapur Women PS has jurisdiction over the Durgapur Subdivision
New Township police station, located in MAMC township, has jurisdiction over parts of the Durgapur municipal corporation and the Faridpur Durgapur CD Block. The area covered is 23 km², and the population covered is 160,411. It has a police Outpost located in Bidhannagar under its jurisdiction.

Demographics

In the 2011 census, Durgapur Urban Agglomeration had a population of 566,937 out of which 294,349 were male and 272,588 were female. The 0–6 year population was 50,512. Effective literacy rate of the population was 87.70. Durgapur Municipal Corporation included and 3 census towns: Bamunara, Arra, and partly Andal.
In the 2011 census, Durgapur Municipal Corporation had a population of 581,409 out of which 301,700 were male and 279,709 were female. The 0–6 year population was 51,930. Effective literacy rate of the population was 87.84.

Religion

According to Census of India 2011, Hinduism is the predominant religion in this city, followed by Islam, Christianity, Sikhism, Buddhism, Jainism, and others. Out of the 5,66,517 people living in Durgapur ; 5,19,122 are Hindus, 35,923 are Muslims, 1889 are Christians, 2346 are Sikhs, 513 are Buddhists, 382 are Jains, 906 are other religions, and 5436 did not state their religion.

Languages

At the time of the 2011 census, 82.99% of the population spoke Bengali, 11.15% Hindi, 1.84% Santali, and 1.03% Urdu as their first language.

Economy

Durgapur is the biggest industrial hub of West Bengal and was planned as an integrated industrial city. It is the most developed city in West Bengal in terms of technology, infrastructure, and economy next to Kolkata and contributes a substantial amount to the economy of the state of West Bengal. It lies on the banks of Damodar River and near to the coalfields of Raniganj. Durgapur was a dream of former prime minister of India, Jawaharlal Nehru and chief minister of West Bengal, Bidhan Chandra Roy. The 1948-founded Damodar Valley Corporation is essential to the growth of the area. The first project in Durgapur was Damodar Valley Corporation's Durgapur Barrage which attracted many public sector units. Durgapur Steel Plant was the first PSU established in the region in 1955 with the help of U.K which was later undertaken by SAIL. Later, an alloy plant was established by Hindustan Steel Ltd. in 1965 which was also acquired by SAIL. From 1951 to 2019, industrial units in the region grew from 46 to 430, with engineering units rising from 18 to 66 and basic metal units booming from 2 to 122. The area's economic strength is driven by its rich coal deposits, excellent transportation, and skilled labor force, making it a key economic hub in West Bengal and Eastern India.
Mining and Allied Machinery Corporation was established in 1964 with the help and support from USSR. Hindustan Fertilisers Corporation was a major PSU which produced fertilizer but got closed down. Bharat Opthlamic Glass Limited was established in 1972 used to manufacture electronic valves and other electronic components. Its closure was approved in 2006.
Durgapur Chemicals Limited was set up by the Government of West Bengal in 1963 to boost the chemical needs of the state. DCL started its journey in 1968 and was involved in commercial production of Phenol, phthalic anhydride, monochloro benzene, pentachloro Phenol, caustic soda, chlorine and hydrochloric acid. Although not closed, but the Government of West Bengal decided to disinvest in DCL in 2016 as it had increasingly become a sick industry.
Durgapur Projects Limited was the first thermal power station in the city. It was commissioned by the Government of West Bengal in 1960. It has eight production units of which only two are currently operational. The whole city of Durgapur and the surrounding areas get electricity supply from DPL. It is currently owned by West Bengal Power Development Corporation.
Major Indian and international MNCs have their production facilities in Durgapur which includes GE Power India Limited, Scania and Komatsu, Philips Carbon Black, Sankey Wheels, Birla Cement, Graphite India Limited, etc.
Durgapur is also an emerging IT and real estate hub. The Government of West Bengal's Webel IT Park houses some of well known as well as startup software companies generating employment opportunities for the youth of the region. It is set to develop many proposed residential areas like DLF's Durgapur Township. Companies like Tata Consultancy Services etc. have their branch office and back office respectively in the city.

Transport

Road network

Durgapur has a well-defined hierarchical road system comprising approximately 1,780 km of roads, categorized as arterial, sub-arterial, and collector roads.

Arterial and Sub-Arterial Roads: ~ 480 km
* Some of the Major corridors include:
** NH-19
** Jawaharlal Nehru Avenue
** Mahatma Gandhi Road
** Sarat Chandra Avenue
** Bidhan Chandra Roy Avenue
** Hahnemann Avenue
** Bankura Road
** Bidhan Sarani
** SSB Sarani
** Shahid Khudiram bose Sarani
** Shastri Avenue
** Zakir Hussain Avenue
Collector Roads: ~1,300 km

These are generally 7-meter-wide roads serving local traffic within neighborhoods.
Planned areas such as the DSP Township, SEPCO, MAMC, and Bidhan Nagar follow grid or modular patterns with wide roads and proper junctions. In contrast, unplanned areas like Benachity, Bhiringi, Fuljhore, and Palashdiha exhibit organically developed and often narrower road layouts with limited connectivity and lower right-of-way.
The study reports that arterial roads in the planned areas have wider right-of-way compared to unplanned areas. Roads in industrial areas are generally 2-lane undivided roads with inadequate width for the volume of heavy vehicles.
Durgapur is a gateway to the districts of Bankura, Birbhum, and Purulia. NH 19 passes through the city jurisdiction and SH 9 originates from Muchipara in the city. NH 14 passes through the north-western suburb of Pandabeswar and finally passes through Raniganj and heads away towards Odisha. It is one of the few cities that has an Asian Highway 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.
Durgapur has three bus termini at Durgapur Railway Station, Prantika, and City Center. Within the city, private mini-buses operate from Durgapur Rly. Station to Prantika, via City Centre, Muchipara and various other routes within the city. Muchipara is an important bus stop in Durgapur, from which all buses are available.
Intra City Routes within the city are as follows:

Route Name	Origin & Destination	Areas Covered
8B	Durgapur Railway Station - Prantika	Sagarbhanga, Muchipara, Bidhannagar, Fuljhore, Sepco
8A	Durgapur Railway Station - Prantika	Birbhanpur, Angadpur, DTPS, Faridpur, Benachity.
A - Zone	Durgapur Railway Station - Prantika	Gamon Bus stop, Garrage, DPL bus stop, 1st AB bus stop, City Centre, DSP Township.
B - Zone	Durgapur Railway Station - Prantika	Gamon Bus stop, Garrage, DPL bus stop, 1st AB bus stop, City Centre, Kabiguru, SEPCO Township, IQ - City, DSP Township.
54 - Feet	Durgapur Railway Station - Prantika	Gamon Bus stop, Garrage, DPL bus stop, 1st AB bus stop, City Centre, Gandhi More, 54 Feet Area.
MAMC	Durgapur Railway Station - Prantika	Gamon Bus stop, Garrage, DPL bus stop, MAMC Township, Mamra, Sepco.
Ichhapur, Ukhra	Prantika - Ichhapur. Prantika - Ukhra.	Dhandabag, Ichhapur, Ukhra.
Bijra	Prantika - Bijra	Bijra.

Auto-rickshaws ply between City Center, Benachity, William Kery, Chandidas, Mamra, Bidhannagar, Railway Station, and other parts of the city in a number of routes. They also act as Feeder Routes to ensure last Mile connectivity. Pre-paid taxis are available in the city from railway stations. Additionally, online cab services like Ola, Uber, etc., and bike taxi services like Rapido are available within the city.
Only one bus is available for the Kalyani-Bansberia route and it departs from Prantika-II Bus Terminus at 4:40 am and from Kalyani at 10 am every day.
Various private and government buses ranging from sleepers to premium Volvos are available from City Center Bus Terminus and Station Bus Terminus for Kolkata, Asansol, Barddhaman, Barakar, Bhubaneswar, Digha, and other nearby cities. Durgapur is the headquarters of SBSTC which provides government bus services to Kolkata, Haldia, Digha, and Bankura, from Durgapur and Asansol. Private buses are available for Asansol, Barakar, Bardhaman, Bolpur, Bishnupur, Chittaranjan, Deoghar, Digha, Illambazar, Jhargram, Kalna, Katwa, Kharagpur, Krishnanagar, Medinipur, Nabadwip, Nalhati, Purulia, Rampurhat, Siuri, Tatanagar, and Tarakeswar, among others.