Cities, towns and locations in the northern portion of Malda district (including Chanchal subdivision and Old Malda, Habibpur, Bamangola and Gazole CD blocks) M: municipal town, CT: census town, R: rural/ urban centre, F: Facility, H: historical centre Owing to space constraints in the small map, the actual locations in a larger map may vary slightly
The area shown in the adjacent map covers two physiographic regions – the Barind in the east and the tal in the west. The eastern part is comparatively high (up to 40 metres above mean sea level at places) and uneven. The soils of the eastern region are "hard salty clays of a reddish hue and the ground is baked hard as iron." It lies to the east of the Mahananda River. The area lying to the west of the Mahananda River, the tal, is a flat low land and "is strewn with innumerable marshes, bils and oxbow lakes." The tal area is prone to flooding by local rivers.[1] The total area is overwhelmingly rural.[2][3] There are two important historical/ archaeological sites in the area – Pandua and Jagjivanpur.[4]
Note: The map alongside presents some of the notable locations in the area. All places marked in the map are linked in the larger full screen map.
Demographics
According to the 2011 Census of India, Rangabhita had a total population of 5,464, of which 2,742 (50%) were males and 2,722 (50%) were females. Population in the age range 0–6 years was 522. The total number of literate persons in Rangabhita was 4,384 (88.71% of the population over 6 years).[5]
Infrastructure
According to the District Census Handbook, Maldah, 2011, Rangabhita covered an area of 1.1319 km2. It had 5 km roads. The protected water-supply involved overhead tank, tap water from untreated sources, hand pump. It had 1,000 domestic electric connections, 45 road lighting points. Among the medical facilities it had 1 dispensary/ health centre, 1 family welfare centre, 1 maternity & child welfare centre, 5 medicine shops. Among the educational facilities, it had 7 primary schools, 2 middle schools, 2 secondary schools, 2 higher secondary schools, 1 general degree college at Kotal 2 km away. It had 1 recognised typewriting, shorthand and vocational training institute. Among the social, cultural and recreational facilities it had 1 cinema theatre. It produced rice. It had the branch office of 1 nationalised bank.[6]
^"District Statistical Handbook 2014 Malda". Table 2.1 , 2.2, 2.4b. Department of Statistics and Programme Implementation, Government of West Bengal. Retrieved 9 November 2018.
^"District Census Handbook Maldah, Series 20, Part XII A"(PDF). Census of India 2011, Page 98: Brief Description of Places of Religious, Historical or Archaeological Importance and Places of Tourist Interest of the District. Directorate of Census Operations, West Bengal. Retrieved 9 November 2018.
^"District Census Handbook Maldah, Census of India 2011, Series 20, Part XII A"(PDF). Section II Town Directory, Pages 775-786; Statement I: Status and Growth History, Page 775; Statement III: Civic & Other Amenities, Pages 779-780; Statement IV: Medical Facilities 2009, Pages 781-782; Section V: Educational, Recreational and Cultural Facilities: Pages 783-785; Statement VI: Industry & Banking, Page 786. Directorate of Census Operations, West Bengal. Retrieved 8 August 2021.
