Dibrugarh

Dibrugarh aerial view

Buridihing, a tributary of Brahmaputra, divides the district from east to west. Buridihing flows through Naharkatia and Khowang, and at a later stage in its course, Buridihing acts as a divider between Dibrugarh and Sivasagar districts. The region is flat with a gradual slope from the East Arunachal hills to the west. The soil of the district is mostly fertile, alluvial soil.

Panoramic view of Dibrugarh city

Dibrugarh has a humid subtropical climate (Köppen climate classification Cwa) with extremely wet summers and relatively dry winters.

Fields Headquarters of Oil India Limited at Duliajan

Dibrugarh is considered as an economic hub of North East region of India.[13]

Dibrugarh is at the centre of economic activities dominated by the following industries:

• Oil and natural gas
• Tea production
• Tourism
• Power generation
• Fertilizer
• Cottage industry
• Information Technology

The first oil well dug during the British era was in Digboi, 50 miles (80 km) from Dibrugarh. Today, Duliajan, Dikom, Tengakhat and Moran are the key locations for oil and gas industry in the district. Oil India Limited, the second public sector company in India engaged in exploration and transportation of crude oil has its field headquarters in Duliajan, 50 km from Dibrugarh city. The company was granted Navratna status by the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas, in 2010[14]

The Assam Gas Cracker Project, also known as Brahmaputra Cracker and Polymer Limited, was proposed as a part of implementation of Assam Accord signed by Government of India on 15 August 1985.

The Assam Gas Cracker Project was approved by the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs, in its meeting held on 18 April 2006, under an equity arrangement of GAIL (70%), OIL (10%), NRL (10%) and Govt. of Assam (10%) with a project cost of ₹ 54.6 billion, in which the capital subsidy is ₹ 21.4 billion. The project was scheduled for completion in 60 months. However, the commissioning of the project has been pushed to December 2013, and the cost has escalated to ₹ 92.8 million. The site selected for Assam Gas Cracker Project is at Lepetkata, 15 km from Dibrugarh on NH-37. A joint-venture agreement was signed on 18 October 2006, and the company Brahmaputra Cracker and Polymer Limited was registered on 8 January 2007. Dr. Manmohan Singh, Hon'ble Prime Minister of India, laid the foundation stone of this project on 9 April 2007.[15][16]

Duliajan Numaligarh Pipeline Ltd is a joint venture company promoted by Assam Gas Company Limited (AGCL), Numaligarh Refinery Limited (NRL) and Oil India Limited (OIL) with equity participation of 51 per cent, 26 per cent and 23 per cent respectively. The Duliajan-Numaligarh pipeline will be the first major cross-country natural gas pipeline in Assam and once the availability of natural gas is ensured, it is expected to be extended to major consumption centers of natural gas in Nagaon and Guwahati.[17]

A Tea Lounge in Dibrugarh

Dibrugarh hosts several tea gardens dating back to the British era. The first garden was at Chabua, a place 20 miles (32 km) away from Dibrugarh, owned by Maniram Devaan.[18] Today, the headquarters of the Directorate of Development of Small Tea Growers in India is functioning from Dibrugarh,[19] besides a Regional Office of the Tea Board of India headed by a Deputy Director of Tea Development (Plantation) is also located in the city. The Zone I of the Assam Branch Indian Tea Association(ABITA) is located at Dibrugarh.[20]

Rail, road and air connectivity coupled with the presence of large number of tourist spots in and around Dibrugarh city has seen impressive growth of tourism industry in this part of India in recent part. Dibrugarh has also become an important destination as well as a major transit point for tourists from both India and abroad. Such tourist circuits include - Dibrugarh - Roing - Mayudia - Anini Tourist Circuit,[21] Dibrugarh - Guwahati river cruise[22] besides 'Tea Tourism' for tourists who prefer serenity and novelty to the hustle-bustle of established tourist destinations[23]

Dibrugarh Airport, which is located around 15 km from Dibrugarh town at Mohanbari. Airlines operating from the airport are Air India, IndiGo, SpiceJet, and Pawan Hans Ltd. IndiGo Airlines connects Dibrugarh daily with Delhi via Kolkata and another non-stop to Delhi while in return via Guwahati. SpiceJet connects Dibrugarh daily with Guwahati and Kolkata. In 2013, Dibrugarh airport was provided with night landing facility.[24] Commercial operation of aerobridges have also started in this airport.. Assamtribune.com (2 October 2013). Retrieved on 3 October 2013.</ref>

Dibrugarh holds a prominent place in the history of Indian Railways with the first railway services of the entire North-East India starting from here. On 1 May 1882, the first train rolled down the tracks from Streamerghat at Dibrugarh. On 15 May 1882, it was extended up to Dinjan. On 23 December that year goods train up to Chabua was introduced. On 18 February 1884, at 7:20 am, the then Chief Commissioner of Assam Sir Charles Illiot flagged off the first passenger train from Reehabari rail station (now Dibrugarh Town Railway station) to Ledo with 400 European and Indian passengers. As per the Centenary Souvenir of the Assam Railways and Trading Company Limited published in 1991, the said company, being the pioneer in building Dibru-Sadiya railways, described the entire history of railway development from Dibrugarh.[25]

Dibrugarh-New Delhi Rajdhani Express standing at Dibrugarh Town railway station.

Dibrugarh Town and Dibrugarh are two railway stations of the city and also two of the important Easternmost railway stations on the map of the Indian Railways connected to some of the important Indian cities like Bangalore, Chennai, Kochi, Trivandrum, Kolkata, Delhi, Kanyakumari etc. through the railways network. The new Dibrugarh railway station has been developed on the outskirts of the city at Banipur. It lies on the Lumding-Dibrugarh section of Tinsukia railway division. It is the biggest railway station in the entire north east spreading over 400 bighas of land and it is 2 km in length. One goods yard is also being developed for loading and unloading of goods along with a truck shed, which can accommodate 25 trucks at a time.[26]

Dibrugarh also possesses a developed waterway transportation system along and across the Brahmaputra river, known as the National Waterway 2 which extends from Bangladesh Border to Sadiya. Ferry services link Dibrugarh with Sengajan (Dhemaji District), Panbari ( Dhemaji) & Oiram Ghat (near Jonai Dhemaji). From Bogibeel IWT Ghat there are regular ferry Services to Kareng Chapori & Sisi Mukh. Moreover, luxury cruise services are also available from Dibrugarh to Guwahati. The cruise to Dibrugarh passes through Tezpur and the Kaziranga National Park.[27]

Dibrugarh Govt. Boys' H. S. School (Estd. 1840)

• Dibrugarh Govt. Boys' Higher Secondary School, Milan Nagar (Estd. 1840)
• Vivekananda Kendra Vidyalaya, Dibrugarh

• DHSK Commerce College
• Dibru College
• Dibrugarh Hanumanbax Surajmall Kanoi College
• Gyan Vigyan Academy
• Manohari Devi Kanoi Girls' College
• Salt Brook Academy
• D.H.S.K. Law College
• S.I.P.E. Law College
• Nandalal Borgohain City College

• Dibrugarh University
• Sri Sri Aniruddhadeva Sports University

• Assam Medical College (It was originally founded by Dr. John Berry White in 1901 as Berry White Medical School and later renamed as Assam Medical College in 1947; it is the first medical college in Northeast India)
• Dibrugarh Dental College
• Regional Medical Research Centre, Dibrugarh

• Dibrugarh Polytechnic

Dibrugarh has a full-fledged All India Radio centre, All India Radio, Dibrugarh[28] broadcasting in both AM (567 kHz at 529.1 metres of MW) and FM (101.30 MHz) bands airing three transmissions a day[29] along with a 5-minute regional news bulletin at 6:00 PM everyday.[30] All India Radio, Dibrugarh was commissioned way back on 15 February 1968.[29] The station has its studios located at Malakhubosa in Dibrugarh and the high power transmission tower located at Lepetkata near the present Brahmaputra Cracker and Polymer Limited site.

Doordarshan Kendra, Dibrugarh

As for television viewing, the second Doordarshan centre of Assam, telecasting programmes in Assamese language, Doordarshan Kendra, Dibrugarh was established in the city in the year 1993. Earlier the Kendra used to telecast Assamese language programmes capsuled in Guwahati beginning 20 December 1991.[31] The programmes produced in this Kendra are telecast through a high power transmitter.[32] Dibrugarh Doordarshan Kendra is contributing programmes to the 'DD North East' channel.[33]

Moreover, NETV is a satellite channel operating from Dibrugarh with a Zonal Office besides V&S, Dibru Live and Luit View are cable TV channels from Dibrugarh. Dibrugarh also has a digital cable TV network.

Dibrugarh has been a pioneer of newspaper journalism in entire Eastern India with the Times of Assam being the first newspaper published from Dibrugarh in the late nineteenth century. After four decades of publication, Times of Assam ceased to publish and from 1939 The Assam Tribune started its journey from Dibrugarh, which after 7 years of publication from Dibrugarh, shifted to Guwahati. However, this premier English daily of the North-East India, The Assam Tribune is published from Dibrugarh along with Guwahati and The Sentinel is published from Dibrugarh along with four other cities of North-East India. Several vernacular, as well English and Bengali dailies are published from Dibrugarh. Assamese newspapers published from Dibrugarh are Asomiya Pratidin, Janasadharan, Niyomiya Barta, Dainik Asam, Dainik Pratikshan and Pratibimba,. Jugashangkha is a Bengali daily published from Dibrugarh along with Guwahati and Silchar.

Dibrugarh offers the opportunity to experience a life in tea estates. Tea tourism has started becoming popular, with travel companies such as Greener Pastures and Purvi Discovery offering tea tours.[34]

Dibrugarh has rich flora and fauna in the surrounding wildlife sanctuaries and rainforests.

Jokai Botanical Garden cum Germplasm Center

The work of developing trekking routes inside Jokai reserve forest and introduction of boating facilities at Era-suti is in progress to ensure that a tourist has a complete date with nature here.[35]

Jeypore Rainforest

Situated 60 km southeast of Dibrugarh town in eastern Assam, Jeypore Rainforest is India's easternmost rainforest, one of very few wildlife reserves on earth housing seven wildcat species including Royal Bengal tiger, clouded leopard, common leopard, golden cat and marbled cat.[36] Jeypore reserve forest and Dilli reserve forest combine to be the only rain forest area in the state spread across the three of upper Assam's districts of Tinsukia, Dibrugarh and Sibsagar comprising a total area of 575 km². The forest is listed to be the last lowland forests under the Assam valley wet evergreen forest area in the region.[37]

Dehing Patkai Wildlife Sanctuaries

The Dehing Patkai rainforest with an area of 111.19 km². is located in Dibrugarh and Tinsukia districts and is famous for Assam Valley Tropical Wet Evergreen Forests bordering Arunachal Pradesh. A part of the 575 km² Jeypore, spread across three eastern Assam districts, forms the Dehing-Patkai Wildlife Sanctuary.[36] The Sanctuary is a part of the Dehing-Patkai Elephant Reserve having the World War II cemeteries nearby, along with the Stillwell Road and the oldest refinery of Asia in Digboi and 'open cast' coal mining at Lido.[38]

A replica of the Lord Jagannath Temple, Puri, Odisha, has come up in Dibrugarh near the Mahatma Gandhi Park at Khanikar. The height of this temple is 85 feet. This temple is expected to be a major centre for religious tourism in eastern Assam. As per the architectural structure, this temple is the 2nd after the original Jagannath Temple, Puri in India.[39]