Durgapur

Law administration

Police stations

Aurobindo Police Station, located in Durgapur Steel Township, opposite to Office of Commissioner of Police (Asansol-Durgapur) 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.

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 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 (Municipal Corporation); 5,19,122 are Hindus (91.63%), 35,923 are Muslims (6.34%), 1889 are Christians (0.36%), 2346 are Sikhs (0.44%), 513 are Buddhists, 382 are Jains, 906 are other religions, and 5436 (1.04%) 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 (DVC) 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 (MAMC) was established in 1964 with the help and support from USSR (now closed but reviving with J.V of Bharat Earth Movers, Coal India & DVC). Hindustan Fertilisers Corporation (HFC) was a major PSU which produced fertilizer but got closed down (now RCF showed interest to reopen it). Bharat Opthlamic Glass Limited (BOGL) was established in 1972 used to manufacture electronic valves and other electronic components. Its closure was approved in 2006.

Durgapur Chemicals Limited (DCL) 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 (DPL) 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 (formerly ACC Babcock Limited which was later taken over by Alstom), Scania and Komatsu (in partnership with Larsen & Toubro), Philips Carbon Black, Sankey Wheels (a unit of GKW), Birla Cement (earlier Durgapur Cement Ltd.), 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 (a major Indian multinational IT company) etc. have their branch office and back office respectively in the city.

Municipal finance

According to financial data published on the CityFinance Portal of the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs, the Durgapur Municipal Corporation reported total revenue receipts of ₹98 crore (US$12 million) and total expenditure of ₹95 crore (US$11 million) in 2022–23. Tax revenue accounted for about 23.5% of the total revenue, while the corporation received ₹52 crore in grants during the financial year.

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 (up to 50 m) compared to unplanned areas (as narrow as 15 m). 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 (Bolpur, Rampurhat, Suri), and Purulia. NH 19 (old numbering: NH 2) passes through the city jurisdiction and SH 9 originates from Muchipara in the city. NH 14 (old numbering NH 60) 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 (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.

Durgapur has three bus termini at Durgapur Railway Station, Prantika (Prantika-I and II), 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:

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.

Air

The city is home to a domestic airport, the Kazi Nazrul Islam Airport. It is India's first private-sector Greenfield airport. It is located at a place called Andal which is roughly 15 kilometres from Durgapur's City Center Bus Terminus. And an old DSP Airport at Bijra near IQ city.

An air force station at Panagarh (Military Airfield), belonging to the Indian Air Force, is used as a base for a C-130J Hercules squadron.

Administrative changes

The administrative setup came in stages. In 1837, when Bankura district was formed, the Durgapur area was part of it. In 1847, the Raniganj subdivision was formed with three police stations – Raniganj, Kanksa, and Neamatpur – and it was made a part of the 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, the Durgapur subdivision was carved out of Asansol subdivision. In 2011, the Asansol Durgapur Police Commissionerate (ADPC) was formed by the state government.

Education

Colleges

Durgapur is home to National Institute of Technology, Durgapur, an autonomous institution in eastern India of national importance. It is one of the 31 N.I.T.s in the country. N.I.T. Durgapur is one of the eight old Regional Engineering Colleges established in 1956.

Durgapur Government College is a premier government degree college not only in the home district of Paschim Barddhaman but also in the neighbouring districts of Bankura, Purulia, and Birbhum. It was established on 15 September 1970, and was affiliated to the University of Burdwan, which later got affiliated to Kazi Nazrul University.

The Central Mechanical Engineering Research Institute (also known as CSIR-CMERI Durgapur or CMERI Durgapur) is a public engineering research and development institution in Durgapur, West Bengal, India. It is a constituent laboratory of the Indian Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR). The institute is dedicated to work in the mechanical and allied engineering disciplines.

The National Power Training Institute (Also known as NPTI(ER) and formerly known as PETS, Durgapur) is an institute under Ministry of Power, Government of India which offers postgraduate education in the field of power plants. This institute is also associated with several industrial bodies for imparting training to plant personnel.

Dr. B.C. Roy Engineering College, Bengal College of Engineering and Technology, Sanaka Education Trusts Group of Institutions, NSHM Knowledge Campus, Durgapur Institute of Advanced Technology and Management and The Aryabhatta Institute of Engineering & Management are private engineering colleges which offer (B.Tech) in engineering and other degrees, including BBA, BCA, B.Pharm, and others. They are affiliated to Maulana Abul Kalam Azad University of Technology (MAKAUT). Durgapur Women's College and Michael Madhusudan Memorial College are general degree colleges affiliated to Kazi Nazrul University.

Netaji Subhas Open University is a state open university for imparting distance education. It is modelled on the Open University, UK and the IGNOU, and offers courses in different disciplines of graduate and post-graduate courses.

IQ City Medical College and Gouri Devi Institute of Medical Sciences and Hospital are two colleges which offer (MBBS) medical degree and paramedical courses. They are affiliated to West Bengal University of Health Sciences. Durgapur Paramedical College is another college which offers both a diploma and degree in paramedical courses.

Public schools

Durgapur houses a large number of government aided and public schools in addition to two Kendriya Vidyalaya and Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalaya (under the Government of India). Notable private schools include: the St. Xavier's School and Guru Tegh Bahadur Public School.

Sports facilities

• Nehru Stadium is the largest sports stadium in the city. It has a football ground, basketball and volleyball courts, athletic tracks, modern fully equipped gymnasium, etc. It is managed by Durgapur Steel Plant Authority.
• Sidhu Kanu Indoor Stadium houses sporting organisations and sporting associations of Burdwan district, including Durgapur Sub-divisional Women's Sports Association, School Sports Association-Durgapur Sub-division, Burdwan District Badminton Association, Burdwan District Table Tennis Association, and Burdwan District Physical Culture Association.

Media

Durgapur has several electronic media houses: Express News, DSTV (owned by DSP), India Hood Durgapur, Durgapur Darpan, Anandabazar Patrika is published from Ghutgoria, near Durgapur, in Bankura District. Samay Sanket is another newspaper published from Durgapur. Durgapur does not have any F.M. stations, however, All India Radio 100.3 FM, 92.7 Big FM, 93.5 Red FM, and Radio Mirchi 95 FM have stations at Asansol, and serve both Asansol and Durgapur.

Notable people

• Abhisek Banerjee, Former domestic cricketer.
• Aishe Ghosh, research scholar and student leader of SFI.
• Aloke Paul, recipient of the Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar Prize for Science and Technology, Alumni of National Institute of Technology, Durgapur, Born in Durgapur.
• Ananda Gopal Mukhopadhyay, Former Politician and Leader, Indian National Congress.
• Bikash Sinha, chairman of the Board of Governors of the National Institute of Technology, Durgapur.
• Bikramjit Basu, recipient of the Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar Prize for Science and Technology, Alumni of National Institute of Technology, Durgapur.
• Bimal Mitra, Bengali Author and author of Saheb Bibi Golam.
• Dipali Saha, Politician, All India Trinamool Congress, won from Sonamukhi (Vidhan Sabha constituency), formerly within Durgapur.
• Kalipada Bauri, Former Politician who won from Gangajalghati, formerly within Durgapur from Communist Party of India (Marxist).
• Kamanio Chattopadhyay, recipient of the Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar Prize for Science and Technology, Alumni of National Institute of Technology, Durgapur.
• Lalbihari Bhattacharya, Former Politician who won from Barjora (Vidhan Sabha constituency), formerly within Durgapur from Communist Party of India (Marxist).
• Mamtaz Sanghamita, Former Member of Parliament, Bardhaman–Durgapur (Lok Sabha constituency) belonging to All India Trinamool Congress
• Mika Singh, Playback Singer and live performer.
• Mrinal Banerjee, Former Minister of Power, State of West Bengal and former leader of Communist Party of India (Marxist).
• Munmun Dutta, Film Actress.
• Nikhil Kumar Banerjee, physician and Politician belonging to All India Trinamool Congress.
• Prayas Ray Barman, Cricketer, Youngest debutant in Indian Premier League.
• Saidul Haque, Former Member of Parliament, Bardhaman–Durgapur (Lok Sabha constituency) belonging to Communist Party of India (Marxist)
• Sandip Burman, Tabla Player and Musician.
• Sri Zaheer, 12th and current dean of the Carlson School of Management, University of Minnesota.
• Subir Chowdhury, CEO and MD of JCB India.
• Sudip Chattopadhyay, developmental biologist, biotechnologist and the dean of research and consultancy at the National Institute of Technology, Durgapur.
• Sunil Kumar Mandal, Politician and Member of Parliament, Purba Bardhaman, who previously won from Galsi, within Bardhaman–Durgapur (Lok Sabha constituency), from Forward Bloc.
• S. S. Ahluwalia, Member of Parliament, Bardhaman–Durgapur (Lok Sabha constituency) belonging to Bhartiya Janata Party.
• Tushar Dutta, Classical Music Vocalist.
• Mainak Sarkar, former Computer Programmer(Deceased).