Haldibari is a community development block (CD block) that forms an administrative division in the Mekhliganj subdivision of the Cooch Behar district in the Indian state of West Bengal.
Geography
Haldibari is located at .
Topographically Cooch Behar district is generally plain land which is low and marshy at some places. “Considering the nature of general surface configuration, relief and drainage pattern, distribution of different types of soil, climatic condition, the formation of geology and forest tracts, the district Koch Bihar falls under Barind Tract. The physiology of this area consists of alluvial soil, generally blackish brown in colour and composed of sand, clay and silt. The soils are loose and sandy throughout the district.” The Himalayan formations in the north end beyond the boundaries of this district. There are no hills/ mountains here. It has a large network of rivers flowing from north-west to south and south-east. The Teesta flows through Mekhliganj CD block before entering Bangladesh. The Jaldhaka and its connected river-streams form a large catchment area in the district. It virtually divides the district into two unequal parts and meets the Brahmaputra in Bangladesh. The Himalayan rivers flowing through Cooch Behar district change courses from time to time. In 1876, W.W. Hunter mentioned the Dharla and the Torsha as the same stream with two names. However, since the advent of the 20th century, these are two different streams meeting the Brahmaputra in Bangladesh.
The hill-streams of Cooch Behar carry debris and silt from the Himalayas and are shallow. During the monsoons the speed of flow of the rivers almost doubles and the rivers overflow the banks causing floods and devastation. The Teesta is the major river causing floods in the Haldibari CD block.
The Haldibari CD block is bounded by the Jalpaiguri CD block in Jalpaiguri district on the north, the Mekhliganj CD block on the east, the Panchagarh Sadar Upazila and Debiganj Upazila in Panchagarh district of Bangladesh on the south and the Jalpaiguri CD block on the west.
The Haldibari CD block has an area of 152.38 km2. It has 1 panchayat samity, 6 gram panchayats, 73 gram sansads (village councils), 62 mouzas and 57 inhabited villages. Haldibari police station serves this block. Headquarters of this CD block is at Haldibari.
Gram panchayats of Haldibari block/ panchayat samiti are: Baxiganj, Daxin Bara Haldibari, Dewanganj, Hemkumari, Per Mekhliganj and Uttar Bara Haldibari.
Demographics
Population
According to the 2011 Census of India, the Haldibari CD block had a total population of 103,969, all of which were rural. There were 52,851 (51%) males and 51,118 (49%) females. There were 13,194 persons in the age range of 0 to 6 years. The Scheduled Castes numbered 63,609 (61.18%) and the Scheduled Tribes numbered 313 (0.30%).
According to the 2001 census, Haldibari block had a total population of 93,836, out of which 48,466 were males and 45,370 were females. Haldibari block registered a population growth of 20.56 per cent during the 1991-2001 decade.
Large villages (with 4,000+ population) in the Haldibari CD block are (2011 census figures in brackets): Bara Haldibari (P) (32,340), Hemkumari (16,491) and Madhya Hudumdanga (16,491).
Other villages in the Haldibari CD block include (2011 census figures in brackets): Mekhliganj (1,242) and Uttar Bakshiganj (3,229).
Literacy
According to the 2011 census, the total number of literate persons in the Haldibari CD block was 62,837 (69.22% of the population over 6 years) out of which males numbered 34,912 (75.69% of the male population over 6 years) and females numbered 27,925 (62.54% of the female population over 6 years). The gender disparity (the difference between female and male literacy rates) was 13.16%.
See also – List of West Bengal districts ranked by literacy rate
Language and religion
In the 2011 Census of India, Hindus numbered 69,168 and formed 66.53% of the population of Haldibari CD block. Muslims numbered 34,453 and formed 33.14% of the population. Christians numbered 284 and formed 0.27% of the population. Others numbered 64 and formed 0.06% of the population.
At the time of the 2011 census, 96.98% of the population spoke Bengali as their first language. 1.65% were recorded as speaking 'Other' under Bengali.
Rural poverty
Based on a study of the per capita consumption in rural and urban areas, using central sample data of NSS 55th Round 1999–2000, Cooch Behar district had a rural poverty ratio of 25.62%.