Rajpur Sonarpur

Infobox Indian Jurisdiction
native_name = Rajpur Sonarpur | type = city | latd = 22.42 | longd = 88.42
state_name = West Bengal
district = South 24 Parganas
leader_title =
leader_name =
altitude = 8.5
population_as_of = 2001
population_total = 336,390| population_density =
area_magnitude= sq. km
area_total =
area_telephone =
postal_code =
vehicle_code_range =
sex_ratio =
unlocode =
website =
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Rajpur Sonarpur ( _bn. রাজপুর সোনারপুর) is a city and a municipality under Sonarpur police station of Baruipur subdivision in South 24 Parganas district in the Indian state of West Bengal. [cite web | url = http://www.wbcensus.gov.in/DataTables/01/Table-3.htm
title = Census of India| accessdate = 2007-09-02 | last = | first = | work = District-wise list of stautory towns | publisher = Directorate of census operations, West Bengal] While they form a common municipality both the places are also identified individually.

Geography

Rajpur is located at coord|22.41|N|88.42|E| [ [http://www.fallingrain.com/world/IN/28/Rajpur2.html Falling Rain Genomics, Inc - Rajpur] ] . It has an average elevation of m to ft|8|m|abbr=on.

Sonarpur is located at coord|22.43|N|88.42|E| [ [http://www.fallingrain.com/world/IN/28/Sonarpur.html Falling Rain Genomics, Inc - Sonarpur] ] . It has an average elevation of m to ft|9|m|abbr=on.

Demographics

As of 2001 India census [GR|India] , Rajpur Sonarpur Municipality have area and population of 55.30 sq. km. and 336,707 respectively. Males constitute 52% of the population and females 48%. Rajpur Sonarpur has an average literacy rate of 78%, higher than the national average of 59.5%: male literacy is 83%, and female literacy is 73%. In Rajpur Sonarpur, 9% of the population is under 6 years of age.

With the partition of India there was a massive influx of refugees from East Pakistan into Kolkata and its peripheral areas. Of over a million refugees who entered West Bengal in 1950 alone settled mostly in squatter colonies between Naihati and Sonarpur on the east bank of the Hooghly and between Mogra and Uluberia on the west bank. [ Chatterjee, Nilanjana, "The East Bengal Refugees – A Lesson in Survival", in "Calcutta, the Living City", Vol II, edited by Sukanta Chaudhuri, pp 74-75, Oxford University Press, ISBN 019563697-X]

Healthcare

High levels of arsenic in ground water was found in 12 blocks of the district. Water samples collected from tubewells in the affected places contained arsenic above the normal level (10 microgram a litre as specified by the World Health Organisation). The affected blocks are Baruipur, Bhangar I, Bhangar II, Bishnupur I, Bishnupur II, Basanti, Budge Budge, Canning I, Canning II, Sonarpur, Mograhat II and Joynagar. [cite web
url = http://www.thestatesman.net/page.arcview.php?clid=23&id=183781&usrsess=1
title = High arsenic levels in South | accessdate = 2007-09-03 | last = | first = | work =
publisher ="The Statesman", 24 June 2007 ]

Politics

In the 2006 elections to the state assembly Shyamal Naskar of CPI(M) won the Sonarpur assembly seat reserved for scheduled castes defeating his nearest rival Nirmal Chandra Mandal of AITC. In 2001, Nirmal Chandra Mandal of AITC defeated Abha Mandal of CPI(M). Bhadreswar Mondal of CPI(M) defeated Nirmal Mandal of INC in 1996 and 1991, and Sovaranjan Sardar of INC in 1986. Gangadhar Naskar of CPI(M) defeated Ramkanta Mandal of ICS in 1982 and Gourhari Sardar of INC in 1977. [cite web | url = http://www.eci.gov.in/ElectionAnalysis/AE/S25/partycomp109.htm
title = 109 – Sonarpur (SC) Assembly Constituency
accessdate = 2008-01-30 | last = | first = | work = Partywise comparison since 1977 | publisher = Election Commission of India]

Sonarpur is part of Calcutta South (Lok Sabha constituency) [cite web | url = http://archive.eci.gov.in/se2001/background/S25/WB_ACPC.pdf | title = General election to the Legislative Assembly, 2001 – List of Parliamentary and Assembly Constituencies | accessdate = 2007-10-08 | last = | first = | work = West Bengal | publisher = Election Commission of India]

References

ee also