Bongaigaon(/bɒŋˈɡaɪɡaʊ/;is a industrial city in theIndianstate ofAssam.Its urban area spans acrossBongaigaonandChirang district.It also acts as the district headquarters ofBongaigaon districtand commercial and industrial hub of the west part of the state of Assam. TheNew Bongaigaon Junction railway stationis the 12th largest railway station inNortheast Frontier Railway zonewhich is one of the major railway zones in India.
Bongaigaon | |
|---|---|
City | |
| Bongaigaon City | |
 Bongaigaon city view | |
| Nickname(s): Commercial and Industrial Hub of Assam | |
  Bongaigaon Location in Assam, India | |
| Coordinates:26°28′37″N90°33′30″E/ 26.47694°N 90.55833°E | |
| Country |  India |
| State | Assam |
| Region | Lower Assam |
| District | Bongaigaon |
| Government | |
| • Type | Municipality |
| • Body | Bongaigaon Municipal Board |
| • Deputy Commissioner | Shri Nabadeep Pathak, ACS |
| • Superintendent | Swapnaneel Deka, (APS) |
| Area | |
• Total | 14 km2(5 sq mi) |
| Elevation | 62.6 m (205.4 ft) |
| Population (2011) | |
• Total | 67,322 |
| • Density | 4,800/km2(12,000/sq mi) |
| Languages | |
| • Official | Assamese,Bodo,English |
| Time zone | UTC+5:30(IST) |
| Telephone code | 03664 |
| Vehicle registration | AS-19, AS-26 |
| Sex ratio | 961 per 1000 male (Census 2011)♂/♀ |
| Website | bongaigaon |
Etymology
According to lore, the name 'Bongaigaon' derives from the words 'bon' (wild) and 'gai' (cow). In the distant past, wild cows were often a menace to villagers in this area, due to which the district got its name.[citation needed]
History
Bijni Kingdom
The area was ruled byzamindarshailing from theKochbelonging to Indo-Mongoloid ethnic group of peoples from the 16th century to the end ofprincely statesin 1956.[citation needed]
Administrative changes under British rule
The original Goalpara district was first created in 1822 by David Scott, an employee of theEast India Companyand the first Commissioner of newly created North east Rangpur district headquarters at Rangpur town (now inBangladesh). The newly created Goalpara district was connected with North-eastRangpur districtfor administration. The area, formerly part of the Bijni Kingdom, which included the undividedGaro Hillsdistrict constituted theUndivided Goalpara districtarea in 1822. In 1866, Garo Hills was separated from the Goalpara district area, and in the same year a new district named "GreaterKoch Behar"was created and the remaining portion of Goalpara district was withdrawn from Rangpur and tagged with Koch Behar. In 1874 a new province, the Assam Valley Province, was created by the British government, and Goalpara district area was withdrawn from Koch Behar and tagged with Assam Province, which continues until today. The original Goalpara district is now split into five districts:Goalpara,Dhubri,Kokrajhar,Bongaigoan,andChirang.[citation needed]
Creation of Bongaigaon and modern era
On 14 March 1989, bombs from separatist tribal militants[who?]exploded in Bongaigaon, killing 17 and wounding at least 48.[1]
The government of Assam decided in 1989 to create a new district of Bongaigaon, carving out some areas of the Goalpara and Kokrajhar Districts with its headquarters located at Bongaigaon. On 29 September 1989, the creation of Bongaigaon District was declared by the Government of Assam with its headquarters at Bongaigaon.[citation needed]
In June 2022, heavy floods in Assam affected the residents of Bongaigaon.[2]
Administration
The Bongaigaon Town Committee was first constituted in the year 1961 and was upgraded to a Municipal Board in the year 1977. Presently the Municipal Area consists of 25 wards covering an area of 14.31 sq m.[citation needed]
Bongaigaon is part ofBarpeta (Lok Sabha constituency).[3]Phani Bhusan Choudhuryis the currentM.L.A.of theBongaigaonconstituency.
Geography
Bongaigaon is located at26°28′37″N90°33′30″E/ 26.47694°N 90.55833°E.[4]It has an average altitude of 62.6 metres. The town is situated 200 km west of the State Capital and has an important place in the communication network of Assam and wider northeast India. The New Bongaigaon railway station is a major hub connecting Assam with the rest of India. This town is also very well connected by road through the National Highways 31 B and 31C. This connectivity and the strategic location of the town in the region has made it an important center in trade and commerce in Western Assam, serving a vast hinterland. It is one of the biggest industrial towns in Lower Assam. The district is part of theBrahmaputra River'sbasin.[5][page needed]
Climate
Bongaigaon has a borderline monsoon-influencedhumid subtropical climate(KöppenCwa) marginally too cool to be atropical savanna climate(Aw). During the "cool" season from November to February, afternoons are warm to very warm and mornings are cool. In the "hot" season of March and April, the weather becomes hot and thunderstorm rainfalls increase in frequency to prelude the oppressivemonsoonseason from June to September where heavy rainfall occurs every afternoon.[citation needed]
Demography
Bongaigaon town has a population of 67,322 as per the 2011 census.[6]
Healthcare
There are both private and government hospitals in Bongaigaon including:
See also
References
- ^"WORLD: Separatists' Bombs Kill 17 in India".Los Angeles Times.14 March 1989.Retrieved28 July2022.
- ^"Flood situation 'critical' in India's Assam".ca.news.yahoo.20 June 2022.Archivedfrom the original on 22 June 2022.Retrieved28 July2022.
- ^"List of Parliamentary & Assembly Constituencies"(PDF).Assam.Election Commission of India. Archived fromthe original(PDF)on 4 May 2006.Retrieved5 October2008.
- ^"Maps, Weather, and Airports for Bongaigaon, India".fallingrain.Archivedfrom the original on 26 October 2010.Retrieved28 July2022.
- ^"District Report BONGAIGAON"(PDF).commissioned by Ministry of Minority Affairs, Government of India. Archived fromthe original(PDF)on 23 May 2012.Retrieved10 January2012.
- ^"Bongaigaon, Assam".citypopulation.de.Retrieved12 May2024.
- ^"Lower Assam Hospital And Research Centre — Bongaigaon".doctoralia.in.Archived fromthe originalon 1 February 2014.Retrieved23 January2014.
- ^"Lower Assam Hospital".Plus.google.Retrieved31 July2014.
- ^"Swagat Hospital - About - Google+".plus.google.Archived fromthe originalon 4 March 2014.Retrieved23 January2014.
- ^"Swagat Hospital & Research Centre".swagathospital.
- ^"Swagat Hospital BONGAIGAON, Assam".hotfrog.in.
- ^"St. Augustine Hospital — St. John's Rural Mission".stjohnsruralmission.org.Archived fromthe originalon 8 August 2014.
- ^"Bongaigaon branch IMAASB"(PDF).imaasb.Archived fromthe original(PDF)on 8 August 2014.
- ^"New Bongaigaon Railway Hospital".Plus.google.Archived fromthe originalon 4 March 2014.Retrieved31 July2014.
- ^"New Bongaigaon Railway Hospital".wikimapia.org.
- ^"BRPL Refinery Complex".wikimapia.org.
- ^"The Telegraph - Calcutta: Northeast".telegraphindia.Archived fromthe originalon 26 January 2014.
External links
- Bongaigaon District official website
Bongaigaontravel guide from Wikivoyage
