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Dhule

Population (2001 census): 1,708,993 Literacy rate (2001): 72.08% Below poverty line: 77% Infant mortality rate (IMR): 14 Getting there >> Air: Nearest airport is at Aurangabad (144 kms). Other airports are Pune (340 kms); Mumbai (336 kms) Rail: Connected by rail (broad gauge line), with a station at Dhule. Road: State highways and roads link district headquarters at Dhule to all 4 tehsils (subdistricts) and towns. The national highways (Nos 3 and 6) link Dhule

Physical

Geographical location: Northern part of Maharashtra state, spread between Latitude 20° 38’ to 22° 03’ North and Longitude 73° 47’ to 75° 11’ East Area: 14,380 sq km Adjoining districts: North: Gujarat and Madhya Pradesh states; west: Nashik district; east: Jalgaon district Major urban centres: Dhule, Shirpur, Shahada, Nandurbar, Navapur, Taloda, Dondaicha Major crops: Cotton, sugracane, wheat, gram, groundnut, millets Major rivers: Tributaries of Godavari and Tapi Total no. of sub-districts: 4

Demography (2001 census)

Population: 1,708,993 Density of population (persons/sq km): 212 Men: 878,538 Women: 830,455 Total rural population: 1,263,439 Total urban population: 445,554 % of Scheduled castes: 17.1 % % of Scheduled tribes: 56.9 % Sex-ratio (females/1000 males): 945

Social development indicators (2000-01)

Below poverty line: 77% Infant mortality rate (IMR): 14 Maternal mortality rate: 1.0 Birth rate: 18.6 Death rate: 5.5

Climate

Max temp in °C: 45°C Min temp in °C: 6°C Average rainfall in mm: 771 mm

Economy

Industries: Vegetable oils, brass and copper utensils, woodcutting, sugar factories, textile mills Industrial centres: Dhule, Dondaicha, Nardane, Sakri, Shirpur Main markets: Dhule, Sakri, Nawapur, Talode, Shahade, Shirpur, Dondaicha, (Nandurbar) Main banking centres: Dhule, Sakri, Nawapur, Talode, Shahade, Shirpur, Dondaicha Main bank: State Bank of India

Disaster vulnerability

Flood: 170 villages identified as flood-prone every year Earthquake: Yes Cyclone: No Drought: Yes Relief machinery: Drilling rigs: 2; mobile cranes: 4

Medical facilities

Hospitals: One government hospital Ambulances- 23 (private), 18 (public) Health facilities: The district has a network of government-run health facilities consisting of the district hospital offering tertiary-level care, with rural hospitals at the secondary level and primary health centres, sub-centres and dispensaries providing basic healthcare to the rural population. Nearly 20% of the villages have such primary health facilities (1991). Blood banks: 3

Language

Language: The principal language is Marathi but Ahirani, a dialect of Marathi, is most commonly spoken. Gujarati is spoken in the areas bordering Gujarat, and Hindi in areas bordering Madhya Pradesh.

Food

Food: The staple food of the people is millets, wheat and rice.

Transportation and communication

Post and telegraph services: There are in all 451 post offices and 41 telegraph offices in the district State highways passing through the district and road services: State highways are: Surat to Dhule state highway No 15A; Vinchur--Chomdvad, Sakri--Nandurbar--Prakasha road, state highway No 17; Shadad, Dhadgaon to Alirajpur state highway No 17A; Songir, Dondaicha, Shahade, Khetia road, state highway No 15; Nandurbar--Visarvadi state highway No 20; Dhule--Chalisgaon to Daulatabad road state highway No 22; Ankaleshwar--Shahade to Barhanpur road state highway No 23 and Dhule to Amalner state highway No 24 A. Important railway stations and railway services: Dhule, Shirpur, Shahada, Nandurbar, Navapur, Taloda, Dondaicha

Voluntary agencies

Nehru Yuva Mandal Malapur Dhanur Asha Mahila Mandal Malapur Nagao Indira Mahila Mandal Malapur

Culture and Religion

Fairs and festivals: Akshya Trithiya, Holi and Pola are the important festivals in the district. Two main fairs are held in the district: the fair of Kalika Devi at Talode which is held for seven days during Akshya Trithiya; the fair of Shri Datta at Sarangkhede at Shahade tehsil held to celebrate the birth of Shri Dattaraya attracts thousands of followers. Religious places: History: The district of Dhule was earlier known as West Khandesh. The ancient name of the region was Rasika. After it came under the rule of the Farqui kings, the name was changed to Khandesh. Khandesh included presentday Dhule and Jalgaon districts. In 1906, it was divided into West Khandesh and East Khandesh districts. In 1956 with the reorganisation of the states, it was incorporated into Bombay state and called Dhulia. The name was later changed to Dhule.