Raichak

Raichak is a village within the jurisdiction of the Diamond Harbour police station in the Diamond Harbour II CD block in the Diamond Harbour subdivision of the South 24 Parganas district in the Indian state of West Bengal.

Raichak
Village
Raichak
Location in West Bengal
Raichak
Location in India
Coordinates: 22.2187°N 88.1218°E / 22.2187; 88.1218
Country India
StateWest Bengal
DistrictSouth 24 Parganas
CD BlockDiamond Harbour II
Area
 • Total0.58 km2 (0.22 sq mi)
Elevation
8 m (26 ft)
Population
 (2011)[1]
 • Total1,243
 • Density2,100/km2 (5,600/sq mi)
Languages
 • OfficialBengali[2][3]
 • Additional officialEnglish[2]
Time zoneUTC+5:30 (IST)
PIN
743368
Telephone code+91 3174
Vehicle registrationWB-19 to WB-22, WB-95 to WB-99
Lok Sabha constituencyDiamond Harbour
Vidhan Sabha constituencyDiamond Harbour
Websitewww.s24pgs.gov.in

Geography
Cities and towns in the western part of Diamond Harbour subdivision (including Falta, Diamond Harbour I & II, Kulpi CD blocks) in South 24 Parganas district
M: municipal city/ town, CT: census town, R: rural/ urban centre, N: neighbourhood, H: historical place/ religious centre
Owing to space constraints in the small map, the actual locations in a larger map may vary slightly

Area overview

Diamond Harbour subdivision is a rural subdivision with patches of urbanization. Only 14.61% of the population lives in the urban areas and an overwhelming 85.39% lives in the rural areas. In the western portion of the subdivision (shown in the map alongside) there are 11 census towns. The entire district is situated in the Ganges Delta and the western part, located on the east bank of the Hooghly River, is covered by the Kulpi Diamond Harbour Plain, which is 5-6 metres above sea level. Archaeological excavations at Deulpota and Harinarayanpur, on the bank of the Hooghly River indicate the existence of human habitation more than 2,000 years ago.[4][5][6]

Note: The map alongside presents some of the notable locations in the subdivision. All places marked in the map are linked in the larger full screen map.

Location

Raichak is located at 22°13′07″N 88°07′18″E. It has an average elevation of 8 metres (26 ft).

Demographics

According to the 2011 Indian Census, Raichak had a total population of 1,243, of which 630 were males and 613 were females. There were 125 persons in the age range of 0 to 6 years. The total number of literate persons in Raichak was 823, which constituted 66.2% of the population with male literacy of 72.2% and female literacy of 60.0%. The effective literacy rate of 7+ population of Raichak was 73.6%, of which male literacy rate was 80.4% and female literacy rate was 66.7%. The Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes population was 1,133 and 3 respectively. Raichak had 282 households in 2011.[1]

Economy

Tourism

The fort at Raichak gradually fell into ruins and was converted to a lively 5-star hotel, Raichak on Ganges, formerly Radisson Fort.

The hotel has a scenic view of the river. Those who are adventurous can also use the Raichak jetty or the nearby Nurpur jetty and take a ferry across the river to go to Kukrahati in East Midnapore district or Gadiara in Howrah district.

Abandoned bridge proposal

The proposal for a bridge across the Hooghly River from Raichak to Kukrahati, which will connect Haldia to Kolkata, had been hanging fire for many years. In earlier years, it was thought that the 2 km long cable bridge costing over Rs. 3,000 crore would be built with Malaysian support.[7] Thereafter, the Japanese came into the picture.[8] Subsequently, the Japanese were replaced by the Indonesian Salim Group.[9][10]

The construction of the Eastern Link Highway, linking Barasat with Raichak, which would have been 100 km long and 100 m wide and spread over 2,500 acres (10 km2), was also on the anvil. The road would have ultimately terminated at Nandigram. The projects were to be implemented by New Kolkata International Development Private Ltd, a special purpose company that had been promoted by the Salim Group, the Universal Success Group and Unitech.[11]

The entire project and associated programmes were abandoned by the Left Front government after the Nandigram violence in 2007.[12]

Transport

A short stretch of local roads link Raichak to the National Highway 12.[13]

Healthcare

Sarisha Block Primary Health Centre at Sarisha, with 15 beds, is the major government medical facility in the Diamond Harbour II CD block.[14]

References
  1. "Census of India: Raichak". www.censusindia.gov.in. Retrieved 7 November 2019.
  2. "Fact and Figures". Wb.gov.in. Retrieved 5 July 2019.
  3. "52nd REPORT OF THE COMMISSIONER FOR LINGUISTIC MINORITIES IN INDIA" (PDF). Nclm.nic.in. Ministry of Minority Affairs. p. 85. Archived from the original (PDF) on 25 May 2017. Retrieved 5 July 2019.
  4. "District Statistical Handbook 2014 South Twety-four Parganas". Table 2.1 , 2.2, 2.4b. Department of Statistics and Programme Implementation, Government of West Bengal. Retrieved 5 December 2019.
  5. "Census of India 2011, West Bengal, District Census Handbook, South Twentyfour Parganas, Series – 20, Part XII-A, Village and Town Directory" (PDF). Page 13, Physiography. Directorate of Census Operations, West Bengal. Retrieved 5 December 2019.
  6. "District Human Development Report: South 24 Parganas". Chapter 9: Sundarbans and the Remote Islanders, p 290-311. Development & Planning Department, Government of West Bengal, 2009. Archived from the original on 5 October 2016. Retrieved 5 December 2019.
  7. "Who will help Haldia make this highway?". The Statesman, 21 May 2003. Archived from the original on 26 September 2007. Retrieved 6 September 2007.
  8. "Bridge feasibility study next month". The Statesman, 7 June 2006. Archived from the original on 26 September 2007. Retrieved 6 September 2007.
  9. "Bridge of dreams". Editorial. The Statesman, 29 August 2006. Archived from the original on 29 September 2007. Retrieved 6 September 2007.
  10. "Will WB lose its largest FDI investor?". The Economic Times, 12 August 2006. 11 August 2006. Retrieved 6 September 2007.
  11. "Bengal inks pact with Indonesian group". The Hindu Business Line, 1 August 2006. Retrieved 6 September 2007.
  12. "Trinamool Congress revives jinxed bridge project". The Times of India, 13 April 2012. Retrieved 25 June 2016.
  13. Google maps
  14. "Health & Family Welfare Department" (PDF). Health Statistics – Block Primary Health Centres. Government of West Bengal. Retrieved 25 November 2019.

Raichak travel guide from Wikivoyage

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