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Balugaon

Balugan
Balugaon Balugan
Town
	Balugaon Location in Odisha, India Balugaon Balugaon (India)
	Coordinates: 19°44′N 85°13′E / 19.73°N 85.22°E
Country	India
State	Odisha
District	Khordha
Incorporated(NAC)	10 September 1982; 42 years ago
Government
• Type	Nagar Panchayat
• Chairperson	Sukanti Paikaray (BJD)
Area
• Total	6.12 km2 (2.36 sq mi)
Elevation	0.9 m (3 ft)
Population (2011)
• Total	17,645
• Estimate (2024)	25,000
• Density	2,900/km2 (7,500/sq mi)
Languages
• Official	Odia
Time zone	UTC+5:30 (IST)
PIN	752030
Telephone code	06756
Vehicle registration	OD-02
Website	balugaonnac.in

Balugaon (ବାଲୁଗାଁ, English: /ˈbɑːluːɡɑːŋ/) is a town and a Notified Area Council in Khordha district in the state of Odisha, India. It is situated very close to Chilika lake, about 90 kilometres (56 mi) from the state capital Bhubaneswar, and 76 kilometres (47 mi) from the Berhampur, Ganjam. It is a major economic centre of Khordha district because of its prawn and fish business.^[2]

Geography

Balugaon is located at 19°44′N 85°13′E / 19.73°N 85.22°E / 19.73; 85.22.^[3] It has an average elevation of 3 feet (0.91 m) and an area of 6.12 km $^{2}$ .^[4]

Communication

Balugaon is well connected to state capital Bhubaneswar and Berhampur by road (NH-16) and rail. The Banpur-Balugaon overbridge acts as the sole connector between the two cities. Balugaon railway station on the Howrah-Chennai main line connects Balugaon to major Indian cities like Kolkata, Chennai and Visakhapatnam. All major trains passing through this line stop at Balugaon. Jagannath Dham Puri can be reached via New Jagannath Sadak.^[5]^[2]

Government and Politics

Balugaon N.A.C. was established on 10 september 1982 for the provision and maintenance of basic public facilities and services which includes Sanitation, Water Supply, street lights, road, and drainage.^[6]

In the 2022 ULB elections, BJD's Sukanti Paikaray won the woman-reserved chairpersonship of Balugaon through direct election, defeating BJP's Swapna Badajena and INC's Ramamani Behera.^[7] The BJD also won 6 out of Balugaon's 11 wards while BJP won the rest. Out of a total of 12913 (46.9% women) eligible voters, 9503 (46.8% women) voted in the ULB elections.^[8]

The Inspector-In-Charge of Balugaon Police Station is Sri Jaya Prakash Parida.^[6] The police station comes under the jurisdiction of Banpur Court Complex.

Education

Balugaon had an average literacy rate of 81.7%, higher than the state average of 72.8%, with 88% of the males and 75% of females literate.^[9]

K-12 Schooling

Source:^[10]

In academic year 2024-25, 4,321 (44% Girls) students were enrolled in the K-12 school system of Balugaon. A considerable number of these students were from outside Balugaon.

As of 2024, 23 recognized Government and private schools located in Balugaon serve the town and its neighbouring area. These schools collectively employ 172 teachers (106 females) resulting in an average student-teacher ratio of 25.12—higher than the district average of 23.45. The top 5 schools in terms of number of enrolled students are as follows:

Govt. High School, Balugaon (Ward No. 10)
Balugaon Higher Secondary School (Ward No. 01)
Chilkarani English Medium School
Balugaon PUPS (Primary with Upper Primary School)
Venkateswar School

Post Secondary Education

Balugaon College is the only post-secondary institution in Balugaon. It offers a 3-year bachelor program in humanities, and also provides higher secondary education (11th and 12th) in Humanities, and Science.^[11]

Tourism

Tourist spots at Chilika lake, like Kalijai Temple and Nalabana, can be reached from Balugaon with government or private boat and launch services. Narayani Temple is a few miles from Balugaon and is known for its natural setting.^[5] There is a natural fountain near Ranpur.

The Odi Art Centre, A tribal Art Museum, is located near Balugaon in Barkul. It hosts the weeklong Chilika Shelduck International Folk Carnival in November every year.^[12] The Mamu Bhanaja Hill recreational park situated at the foothills of Mamu Bhanaja. It was opened to public on 18 February 2024, fulfilling a long-standing community demand for a local park.^[13]^[14]

Demographics

In the 2011 India census,^[9] Balugaon had a population of 17,645 (males 52%, females 48%) and a total of 3212 households.^[4] Balugaon had an average literacy rate of 81.7%, higher than the state average of 72.8%, with 88% of the males and 75% of females literate. 11% of the population were under 6 years of age. Schedule Caste (SC) constituted 25.75% while Schedule Tribe (ST) were 0.39% of the total population. Its population is projected to be 25000 as of 2024.

References

^ "Website of District Khordha". Khordha District. Retrieved 29 November 2024.
^ ^a ^b Nilamani Senapati; Durga Charan Kuanr (1977). Orissa District Gazetteers: Puri. Bhubaneshwar, Department of Revenue.
^ "Maps, Weather, and Airports for Balugan, India". www.fallingrain.com. Retrieved 18 November 2024.
^ ^a ^b "Offfice of NAC, Balugaon" (PDF). District Of Khordha. 12 July 2023. p. 4. Retrieved 20 November 2024.
^ ^a ^b Sharma, Dr Shiv (2008). India - A Travel Guide. Diamond Pocket Books (P) Ltd. p. 330. ISBN 978-81-284-0067-4.
^ ^a ^b "NAC Balugaon". RTI Odisha. Archived from the original on 18 November 2024. Retrieved 9 November 2024.
^ "Khordha Municipal Elections 2022 Live Results | Chairperson, Councilors Results for Municipality & NAC - Odisha TV". Khordha Municipal Elections 2022 Live Results | Chairperson, Councilors Results for Municipality & NAC - Odisha TV. Archived from the original on 18 November 2024. Retrieved 18 November 2024.
^ Odisha, SEC. "Information on general election to urban local bodies in Odisha, 2022" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 18 November 2024. Retrieved 19 November 2024.
^ ^a ^b "Balugaon Notified Area Committee City Population Census 2011-2024 | Orissa". www.census2011.co.in. Retrieved 18 November 2024.
^ "Department of School Education and Literacy". kys.udiseplus.gov.in. pp. Advanced Search»Cluster»Balugaon-pups. Retrieved 20 November 2024.
^ "Principal, Balugaon College, Balugaon, Khordha". RTI Odisha. 1 January 1970. Retrieved 21 November 2024.
^ Patnaik, Sunil Mohan (12 November 2024). "Fusion of beats reverberates at Chilika Shelduck carnival". www.thehansindia.com. Archived from the original on 18 November 2024. Retrieved 18 November 2024.
^ "MP Manas Mangaraj Inaugurates Various Development Projects In Chilika". Around Odisha English Daily. 18 February 2024. Archived from the original on 31 December 2024. Retrieved 31 December 2024.
^ Balugaon NAC (19 February 2024). "Mamu Bhanaja Hill Park under Balugan NAC." Twitter. Retrieved 31 December 2024.