Bongaigaon

This article is about the town. For its namesake district, see Bongaigaon district.

Bongaigaon
City
Bongaigaon City
Bongaigaon city view
Bongaigaon city view
Nickname(s): 
Commercial and Industrial Hub of Assam
Assam Bongaigaon district
Assam Bongaigaon district
Bongaigaon
Location in Assam, India
Coordinates: 26°28′37″N 90°33′30″E / 26.47694°N 90.55833°E / 26.47694; 90.55833
Country India
StateAssam
RegionLower Assam
DistrictBongaigaon
Government
 • TypeMunicipality
 • BodyBongaigaon Municipal Board
 • Deputy CommissionerShri Nabadeep Pathak, ACS
 • SuperintendentSwapnaneel Deka, (APS)
Area
 • Total
14 km2 (5 sq mi)
Elevation
62.6 m (205.4 ft)
Population
 (2011)
 • Total
67,322
 • Density4,800/km2 (12,000/sq mi)
Languages
 • OfficialAssamese, Bodo, English
Time zoneUTC+5:30 (IST)
Telephone code03664
Vehicle registrationAS-19, AS-26
Sex ratio961 per 1000 male (Census 2011) ♂/♀
Websitebongaigaon.assam.gov.in

Bongaigaon (/bɒŋˈɡaɪɡaʊ/ ⓘ; is an industrial city in the Indian state of Assam. Its urban area spans across Bongaigaon and Chirang district. It also acts as the district headquarters of Bongaigaon district and commercial and industrial hub of the west part of the state of Assam. The New Bongaigaon Junction railway station is the 12th largest railway station in Northeast Frontier Railway zone which is one of the major railway zones in India.

Etymology

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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

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Bijni Kingdom

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The area was ruled by zamindars hailing from the Koch belonging to Indo-Mongoloid ethnic group of peoples from the 16th century to the end of princely states in 1956.[citation needed]

Administrative changes under British rule

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The original Goalpara district was first created in 1822 by David Scott, an employee of the East India Company and the first Commissioner of newly created North east Rangpur district headquarters at Rangpur town (now in Bangladesh). The newly created Goalpara district was connected with North-east Rangpur district for administration. The area, formerly part of the Bijni Kingdom, which included the undivided Garo Hills district constituted the Undivided Goalpara district area in 1822. In 1866, Garo Hills was separated from the Goalpara district area, and in the same year a new district named "Greater Koch 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, and Chirang.[citation needed]

Creation of Bongaigaon and modern era

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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

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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 of Barpeta (Lok Sabha constituency).[3] Phani Bhusan Choudhury is the current M.L.A. of the Bongaigaon constituency.

Geography

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Bongaigaon is located at 26°28′37″N 90°33′30″E / 26.47694°N 90.55833°E / 26.47694; 90.55833.[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 the Brahmaputra River's basin.[5][page needed]

Climate

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Bongaigaon has a borderline monsoon-influenced humid subtropical climate (Köppen Cwa) marginally too cool to be a tropical 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 oppressive monsoon season from June to September where heavy rainfall occurs every afternoon.[citation needed]

Demography

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Bongaigaon town has a population of 67,322 as per the 2011 census.[6]

Healthcare

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There are both private and government hospitals in Bongaigaon including:

See also

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References

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  1. ^ "WORLD : Separatists' Bombs Kill 17 in India". Los Angeles Times. 14 March 1989. Retrieved 28 July 2022.
  2. ^ "Flood situation 'critical' in India's Assam". ca.news.yahoo.com. 20 June 2022. Archived from the original on 22 June 2022. Retrieved 28 July 2022.
  3. ^ "List of Parliamentary & Assembly Constituencies" (PDF). Assam. Election Commission of India. Archived from the original (PDF) on 4 May 2006. Retrieved 5 October 2008.
  4. ^ "Maps, Weather, and Airports for Bongaigaon, India". fallingrain.com. Archived from the original on 26 October 2010. Retrieved 28 July 2022.
  5. ^ "District Report BONGAIGAON" (PDF). commissioned by Ministry of Minority Affairs, Government of India. Archived from the original (PDF) on 23 May 2012. Retrieved 10 January 2012.
  6. ^ "Bongaigaon, Assam". citypopulation.de. Retrieved 12 May 2024.
  7. ^ "Lower Assam Hospital And Research Centre — Bongaigaon". doctoralia.in. Archived from the original on 1 February 2014. Retrieved 23 January 2014.
  8. ^ "Lower Assam Hospital". Plus.google.com. Retrieved 31 July 2014.
  9. ^ "Swagat Hospital - About - Google+". plus.google.com. Archived from the original on 4 March 2014. Retrieved 23 January 2014.
  10. ^ "Swagat Hospital & Research Centre". swagathospital.com.
  11. ^ "Swagat Hospital BONGAIGAON, Assam". hotfrog.in.
  12. ^ "St. Augustine Hospital — St. John's Rural Mission". stjohnsruralmission.org. Archived from the original on 8 August 2014.
  13. ^ "Bongaigaon branch IMAASB" (PDF). imaasb.com. Archived from the original (PDF) on 8 August 2014.
  14. ^ "New Bongaigaon Railway Hospital". Plus.google.com. Archived from the original on 4 March 2014. Retrieved 31 July 2014.
  15. ^ "New Bongaigaon Railway Hospital". wikimapia.org.
  16. ^ "BRPL Refinery Complex". wikimapia.org.
  17. ^ "The Telegraph - Calcutta : Northeast". telegraphindia.com. Archived from the original on 26 January 2014.
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