Dankuni is a city and a municipality of Hooghly district in the Indian state of West Bengal. It is a part of the area covered by Kolkata Metropolitan Development Authority (KMDA). Positioned strategically near Kolkata, it has emerged as an important industrial and commercial center in the region. The city's landscape is characterized by a mix of residential areas and industrial zones, reflecting its dual identity as a place of habitation and economic activity.

Geography

Location

Dankuni is located at 22.6854°N, 88.2922°W. Kharsarai, Tisa, Kapashanria, Jaykrishnapur, Purba Tajpur, Begampur, Baksa, Panchghara, Chikrand, Janai, Pairagachha, Naiti, Barijhati, Garalgachha and Krishnapur, all the census towns form a series from the northern part of Chanditala II CD Block to its southern part. The only municipality in the area, Dankuni, located outside the CD Block, occupies the south-east corner of the entire cluster.

Police station

Dankuni police station has jurisdiction over Dankuni Municipal area and parts of Dankuni Housing complex police station and Sreerampur Uttarpara CD Blocks.

Urbanisation

Srirampore subdivision is the most urbanized of the subdivisions in Hooghly district. 73.13% of the population in the subdivision is urban and 26.88% is rural. The subdivision has 6 municipalities and 34 census towns. The municipalities are: Uttarpara Kotrung Municipality, Konnagar Municipality, Serampore Municipality, Baidyabati Municipality, Rishra Municipality and Dankuni Municipality. Amongst the CD Blocks in the subdivision, Uttarapara Serampore (census towns shown in a separate map) had 76% urban population, Chanditala I 42%, Chanditala II 69% and Jangipara 7% (census towns shown in the map above). All places marked in the map are linked in the larger full screen map.

Climate

City has a tropical climate. When compared with winter, the summers have much more rainfall. According to Köppen and Geiger, this climate is classified as Aw. Located at an elevation of None meters (0 feet) above sea level, city's yearly temperature is 30.28 °C (86.5 °F) and it is 4.31% higher than India's averages. Dankuni typically receives about 150.21 millimeters (5.91 inches) of precipitation and has 150.54 rainy days (41.24% of the time) annually.

Etymology

The origin of the name "Dankuni" is not entirely clear, but there are a few theories about its etymology. One theory suggests that the name "Dankuni" is derived from the Bengali words "Dhanya" (meaning "grain") and "Kuni" (meaning "heap"). This theory suggests that Dankuni was once a place where grains were stored in large heaps. Another theory suggests that the name "Dankuni" is derived from the name of a local deity, "Dhankuni." According to this theory, the city was named after the deity and the temple that was built in her honor. There is also a third theory that suggests that the name "Dankuni" is derived from the Sanskrit word "Dhenukuni." "Dhenu" means "cow" and "kuni" means "pit," so the name would refer to a pit where cows were kept. It is not clear which theory is correct, but all of them suggest that the name "Dankuni" has agricultural roots and is linked to the region's history as an agricultural area.

History

The city has a rich history that dates back to the pre-colonial era. During the 18th century, Dankuni came under the control of the British East India Company. The city was an important center of jute production and had several jute mills that provided employment to the local population. In the early 20th century, Dankuni became a hub of the Indian independence movement. Many freedom fighters, including Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose, visited the city and addressed public meetings. After India gained independence in 1947, Dankuni underwent rapid industrialization. Several factories and industries were set up in the city, which led to an influx of people from different parts of the country.

Demography

Population

In the 2011 census, Dankuni Urban Agglomeration had a population of 249,840, out of which 128,139 were males and 121,701 were females. The 0–6 years population was 22,956. Effective literacy rate for the 7+ population was 85.69 per cent.

Literacy Rate

The literacy rate of Dankuni Agglomeration is 84.72% which is lower than National Urban average of 85%. Literacy rate for male and female for Dankuni stood at 88.10% and 81.20% respectively. Total literates in Dankuni UA were 190,629 of which males were 101,141 and remaining 89,488 were females.

Languages

Bengali is the official language in Dankuni city. In the city at the time of the 2011 census, 70.12% of the population spoke Bengali, 25.79% Hindi and 2.39% Odia as their first language.

Urban Agglomeration

As per the 2011 census, Dankuni Urban Agglomeration includes: Dankuni (M), Purba Tajpur (CT), Kharsarai (CT), Begampur (CT), Chikrand (CT), Pairagachha (CT), Barijhati (CT), Garalgachha (CT), Krishnapur (CT), Baruipara (CT), Borai (CT), Nawapara (CT), Basai (CT), Gangadharpur (CT), Manirampur (CT), Janai (CT), Kapashanria (CT), Jaykrishnapur (CT), Tisa (CT), Baksa (CT), Panchghara (CT) and Naiti (CT).

Civic administration

The civic administration of Dankuni is overseen by the Dankuni Municipality, which is responsible for providing basic civic amenities and services to the residents of the town. The Dankuni Municipality is headed by a chairman who is elected by the members of the municipality. The municipality is divided into wards, and each ward is represented by a councillor who is also elected by the residents of the ward.

Economy

Commercial and Industrial activity

Some of the units engaged in commercial and industrial activity in and around Dankuni are:

Township project

Dankuni has two townships. One, the Government Housing Estate, was constructed by the Government of West Bengal and is popularly known as "Dankuni Housing". The other is Dankuni Coal Complex Township of Coal India Limited, known as "Township", for its employees, which was constructed by National Projects Construction Corporation Limited. A large portion of the Dankuni Coal Complex Township is being slowly encroached upon by the West Bengal Police. The Dankuni Coal Complex authorities have given two areas, on a very low rent lease, to Methodist School and Patha Bhavan School, within the township premises. In addition to this, there was a plan for a new township at Dankuni. The project area was 4846 acre of which 4069 acre was township area and 777 acre was earmarked as industrial area. The project area covered 20 mouzas (villages) – 5 full and 15 part, spread across four police stations, namely Dankuni, Chanditala, Singur and Serampore. Important railway stations in the project area were Gobra, Janai Road and Begampur, apart from the important station at Dankuni itself, all on the Howrah-Bardhaman chord. Important road corridors cutting across the project area were Durgapur Expressway (NH 19), Delhi Road, Naity Road and Serampore-Siakhala Road. The Delhi-based DLF, which had entered into an agreement with KMDA for development of the township, withdrew from the project in 2009, primarily because KMDA was unable to procure land.

Transport

Roads Both NH 19 and NH 16 terminate at Dankuni. The Palsit-Dankuni section of NH 19 (old numbering NH 2) is also referred to as Durgapur Expressway. Other major arteries meeting at Dankuni are Belghoria Expressway connecting to NH 12 (old numbering: NH 34), SH 13/ Dankuni-Mogra Delhi Road and SH 15. Dankuni Railway StationDankuni railway station is located on the Howrah-Bardhaman chord line, which was constructed in 1917. It is an important yard of the Howrah division. The Calcutta Chord from Dum Dum to Dankuni over the Willingdon Bridge (renamed Vivekananda Setu) was opened in 1932. It is part of the Kolkata Suburban Railway system. Already, there is a growing presence of freight and wagon movements around Dankuni Railway Station, which is important as it connects Eastern Railway with South Eastern Railway with a link line. Dankuni has a fast-growing freight yard, where goods traffic is moved, sorted and packed to deliver at other destinations. Kolkata Airport Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose International Airport is situated 18.6 km From Dankuni Metro Railway KMRCL has proposed a metro line from Howrah Maidan to Dankuni in 1st phase and further to Shrirampur in 2nd phase. The project aims to connect the Howrah metro with the suburb of Hooghly, located on the outskirts of Kolkata. The proposed metro line will be around 14.5 km long and will have 12 stations. The project is being implemented by the Kolkata Metro Rail Corporation Limited (KMRCL). The estimated cost of the project is around Rs. 5,838 crore,2 rounds of servey has been done and it is expected to get approval in 2025.

Neighborhoods

Dankuni has many neighborhoods the most notable being Howrah, Uttarpara, Konnagar, Chanditala, Jagadishpur, Serampore and Bally