Latur district (Marathi pronunciation: [laːt̪uːɾ]) is a district in Maharashtra state of India. Latur city is the district headquarters and is the 16th largest city in the state of Maharashtra. The district is primarily agricultural. Urban population comprises 25.47% of the total population.
Officer
Members of Parliament
Sudhakar Tukaram Shrangare (BJP) Omprakash Rajenimbalkar (SS(UBT))
Guardian Minister
list of Guardian Minister
District Magistrate/Collector
list of District Magistrate / Collector
History
Latur has an ancient history, which probably dates to the Rashtrakuta period. It was home to a branch of Rashtrakutas which ruled the Deccan 753-973 AD. The first Rashtrakuta king Dantidurga was from Lattalur, probably the ancient name for Latur. Anecdotally, Ratnapur is mentioned as a name for Latur.
The King Amoghavarsha of Rashtrakuta developed Latur city, originally the native place of the Rashtrakutas. The Rashtrakutas who succeeded the Chalukyas of Badami in 753 AD called themselves the residents of Lattalur.
It was, over the centuries, ruled by the Satavahanas, the Sakas, the Chalukyas, the Yadavas of Devgiri, the Delhi Sultans, the Bahamani rulers of South India, Adilshahi, and the Mughals.
In the 17th century, it became part of the independent princely state of Hyderabad. Under the Hyderabad of Nizams, the tax system was reformed and many of the exploitative taxing practices were ended. In 1905 it was merged with surrounding areas, renamed Latur tehsil, and became part of Osmanabad district, which until 17 September 1948 was a part of Hyderabad Kingdom under the Nizams. The chief of Nizam's Razakar army Qasim Rizwi was from Latur.
After independence and the merger of Hyderabad with the Indian Union, Osmanabad became part of Bombay Province. On 1 May 1960, with the creation of Maharashtra, Osmanabad was one of its districts. Because of the concerted efforts of Former Cooperation minister Keshavrao Sonawane and then newly elected member of assembly Vilasrao Deshmukh on 16 August 1982, a separate Latur district was carved out of Osmanabad district.
In Latur's Papvinashak Temple a 12th-century Kannada inscription of Western Chalukya emperor Someshvara III was found. According to that inscription, 500 scholars were living in Lattlaur (Latur) at that time and that Latur was the city of King Someshwar.
Geography
Latur district is in the Marathwada region in Maharashtra in India, located between 17°52' North to 18°50' North and 76°18' East to 79°12' East in the Deccan plateau. It has an average elevation of above mean sea level. The entire district of Latur is on the Balaghat plateau, 540 to 638 metres from the mean sea level.
Latur District is bound by Nanded district to the northeast, Bidar district of Karnataka to the southeast, Osmanabad district to the south-west, and Beed and Parbhani districts to the northwest.
On 30 September 1993 an earthquake struck Latur. It is the 16 largest city in Maharashtra.
Climate
Average rainfall in the district is 600 to 800 mm. This is usually during the monsoon months from July to October. Moderate temperatures are mainly observed. The rainfall is unpredictable in tune with the Indian monsoon. Summers begin from early March to July. Summers are dry and hot. The temperature ranges from 25 °C to 39.6 °C, though at the peak they may reach 45 °C. November to January is the winter season. Temperatures at the peak drop to single digits but usually they hover around 12 °C to 21.8 °C sometimes lowers up to 11 °C. January to March are the months with moderate temperatures.
Rivers, lakes and dams
The district lies in the Godavari river basin. Much of the water used in the district comes from the Manjara River, which suffered from environmental degradation and silting in the late 20th and early 21st centuries. Other major rivers of the district are the Terna (Tirna), Rena, Manar, Tawarja (Tawarjo), Tiru and Gharni. These rivers and a number of smaller ones are dammed to provide both irrigation and drinking water. Large dams include the Devargan Dam, Gharni Dam, Masalga Dam, Sakol Dam on the Sol River, Tawarja Dam, and Tiru Dam. On the northern plains of the district there are three main rivers, the Manyad, the Lendi (a tributary of the Teru), and the Teru (Tiru).