Deganga is a community development block that forms an administrative division in North 24 Parganas district in the Indian state of West Bengal.
History
The saga of the Vidyadhari River, which flows through the Deganga area, has been part of local folklore since time immemorial. The river had formed a major navigation route for earlier civilisations. In the 3rd century BC, the nearby river port of Chandraketugarh was on the banks of this river. There still are tell-tale signs of that bygone era, and efforts are on near Berachampa to find more evidence of a lost civilization, possibly Meryan. The source of the river is located near Haringhata in Nadia. Later it winds down through the area before meeting the Raimangal at the confluence of Sundarbans.
Geography
Berachampa, with the CD Block offices, is located at .
Deganga CD Block is bounded by Habra I CD Block in the north, Baduria and Basirhat I CD Blocks in the east, Haroa CD Block in the south and Barasat I and Barasat II CD Blocks in the west.
Deganga CD Block is part of the North Bidyadhari Plain, one of the three physiographic regions in the district located in the lower Ganges Delta. The area is full of marshes and salt water lakes. The Bidyadhari has a long course through the central part of the district. The Bidyadhari forms the eastern boundary of Deganga CD Block with Barasat I and Barasat II CD Blocks.
Deganga CD Block has an area of 202.09 km2. It has 1 panchayat samity, 13 gram panchayats, 181 gram sansads (village councils), 108 mouzas and 108 inhabited villages, as per the District Statistical Handbook: North 24 Parganas. Deganga police station serves this block. Headquarters of this CD Block is at Deulia.
Deganga is an intermediate panchayat (local self-government) under North 24 Parganas district. Village panchayats under it are – Amulia, Berachampa I & II, Chakla, Champatala, Chaurashi, Deganga I & II, Hadipur-Jikhra I & II, Kolsur, Nurnagar and Sohai-Shetpur.
Social turmoil
2010 anti-Hindu riots
The 2010 Deganga riots began on 6 September when a Muslim mob resorted to arson and violence on the Hindu localities of Deganga, Kartikpur and Beliaghata under the Deganga police station area. The violence began late in the evening and continued throughout the night into the next morning. The district police, Rapid Action Force all failed to stop the mob violence, Central Reserve Police Force was finally deployed. The Central Reserve Police Force staged a flag march on the Taki Road, while Islamist violence continued unabated in the interior villages off the Taki Road, till Wednesday in spite of army presence and promulgation of prohibitory orders under section 144 of the CrPC. The violence finally calmed down on 9 September after Several of Hindu business establishments and residences were looted, destroyed and burnt, dozens of Hindus were severely injured and many muslims also and one Muslim person dead by shooting and several Hindu temples were desecrated and vandalized.
Demographics
Population
As per 2011 Census of India Deganga CD Block had a total population of 319,213, of which 309,550 were rural and 9,663 were urban. There were 163,154 (51%) males and 156,059 (49%) females. Population below 6 years was 39,415. Scheduled Castes numbered 39,027 (12.23%) and Scheduled Tribes numbered 2,560 (0.80%).
Deganga (village) had a population of 3,377 as per 2011 census.
In the 2001 census, Deganaga community development block had a population of 276,049 out of which 141,545 were males and 134,504 were females.
There is only one census town in Deganga CD Block (2011 census figure in brackets): Deulia (9,633).
Large villages in Deganga CD Block (2011 census figures in brackets): Fazilpur (4,084), Sohai (4,858), Biswanathpur (4,585), Kaliani (5,525), Chyandana (7,188), Khejurdanga (4,370), Belgachhia (4,026), Subrnapur (6,380), Parpatna (6,558), Uttar Kalsur (9,051), Dakshin Kalsur (6,731), Basudebpur (4,580), Matikumra (4,651), Amulia (4,443), Alipur (7,801), Kaukepara (8,707), Nandipara Kuchemora (4,936), Jadabpur (6,390), Chandpur (8,780), Keadanga (4,682), Hadipur Churijhara (9,971), Jhikra (4,315) and Abjan Nagar (5,544).