Currently, Cities and towns in West Bengal has become a topic of great relevance and interest for different areas of society. From academia to business, Cities and towns in West Bengal has captured the attention of many people due to its impact and relevance today. Technological and social advances have contributed to the growth and importance of Cities and towns in West Bengal in contemporary life, which has generated endless debates, discussions and analyzes around this topic. That is why this article will address in detail and critically the importance of Cities and towns in West Bengal today, as well as its influence on different aspects of modern life.
West Bengal is the state with the second highest population density in India. The state is dotted with several large and medium cities and towns. Historically, the main source of income of the people of West Bengal has been farming, and, as a consequence, the state previously had a large rural population skew. At the turn of the 20th century, however, the role of industry in West Bengal increased substantially, leading to a population move into urban areas.
In 1947, when India gained independence, the erstwhile British Indian province of Bengal was divided into two parts: the eastern region formed East Pakistan, which became Bangladesh in 1971, and the western part joined India as the state of West Bengal. Scores of refugees from the eastern part came to West Bengal, leading to the start of new urban areas, and contributing to the congestion of already established cities like Kolkata.
According to the 2011 Census of India, 128 cities and towns in West Bengal are classified into the following categories:
Sl. No. | Name |
---|---|
1 | Asansol |
2 | Bidhannagar |
3 | Chandannagar |
4 | Durgapur |
5 | Howrah |
6 | Kolkata |
7 | Siliguri |
Sl. No. | Name |
---|---|
1 | Cooper's Camp |
2 | Mirik |
3 | Taherpur |
Rank | Name | District | Type | Population 2011 | Male | Female | Population below 5 yrs |
Literacy rate |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Kolkata | Kolkata, North 24 Parganas South 24 Parganas, Nadia, Howrah, Hooghly |
UA | 14,112,536 | 7,319,682 | 6,792,854 | 1,063,394 | 88.33 |
2 | Asansol | Paschim Bardhaman | UA | 1,243,008 | 647,831 | 595,177 | 132,560 | 80.00 |
3 | Siliguri | Darjeeling, Jalpaiguri | UA | 701,489 | 359,750 | 341,739 | 72,252 | 82.05 |
4 | Durgapur | Paschim Bardhaman | UA | 581,409 | 301,700 | 279,709 | 51,930 | 87.70 |
5 | Bardhaman | Purba Bardhaman | UA | 347,016 | 177,055 | 169,961 | 25,069 | 88.62 |
6 | English Bazar | Malda | UA | 324,237 | 175,073 | 149,164 | 44,186 | 81.32 |
7 | Baharampur | Murshidabad | UA | 305,609 | 156,489 | 149,120 | 23,182 | 88.38 |
8 | Habra | North 24 Parganas | UA | 304,584 | 154,861 | 149,723 | 23,023 | 91.03 |
9 | Kharagpur | Paschim Medinipur | UA | 293,719 | 150,487 | 143,232 | 25,130 | 85.61 |
10 | Shantipur | Nadia | UA | 288,718 | 147,299 | 141,419 | 24,006 | 82.67 |
11 | Dankuni | Hooghly | UA | 249,840 | 128,139 | 121,701 | 22,956 | 85.69 |
12 | Dhulian | Murshidabad | UA | 239,022 | 119,151 | 119,871 | 45,483 | 60.06 |
13 | Ranaghat | Nadia | UA | 235,583 | 119,578 | 116,005 | 18,575 | 86.10 |
14 | Haldia | Purba Medinipur | City | 200,762 | 104,852 | 95,910 | 21,122 | 89.06 |
15 | Raiganj | Uttar Dinajpur | UA | 199,758 | 104,966 | 94,792 | 22,028 | 81.71 |
16 | Krishnanagar | Nadia | UA | 181,182 | 91,583 | 89,599 | 13,663 | 88.09 |
17 | Nabadwip | Nadia | UA | 175,474 | 90,810 | 84,664 | 13,049 | 84.57 |
18 | Medinipur | Paschim Medinipur | City | 169,127 | 85,362 | 83,765 | 14,365 | 90.01 |
19 | Jalpaiguri | Jalpaiguri | UA | 169,013 | 85,226 | 83,787 | 14,522 | 86.03 |
20 | Balurghat | Dakshin Dinajpur | UA | 164,593 | 82,466 | 82,127 | 10,349 | 91.66 |
21 | Basirhat | North 24 Parganas | UA | 144,891 | 73,491 | 71,400 | 12,578 | 86.88 |
22 | Bankura | Bankura | City | 138,036 | 70,734 | 67,302 | 10,760 | 87.27 |
23 | Chakdaha | Nadia | UA | 132,855 | 67,135 | 65,720 | 9,829 | 90.95 |
24 | Darjeeling | Darjeeling | UA | 132,016 | 65,839 | 66,177 | 7,382 | 93.17 |
25 | Alipurduar | Alipurduar | UA | 127,342 | 64,898 | 62,444 | 10,545 | 89.16 |
26 | Purulia | Purulia | UA | 126,894 | 65,334 | 61,560 | 12,116 | 81.53 |
27 | Jangipur | Murshidabad | UA | 122,875 | 62,734 | 60,141 | 16,299 | 75.71 |
28 | Bangaon | North 24 Parganas | City | 110,668 | 56,416 | 54,252 | 8,452 | 90.25 |
29 | Cooch Behar | Cooch Behar | UA | 106,760 | 53,803 | 52,957 | 7,910 | 91.75 |