Overview
Dadra and Nagar Haveli district is a district of the union territory of Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu in western India. Until 26 January 2020, it constituted the entire former union territory of Dadra and Nagar Haveli, which was merged with the union territory of Daman and Diu to form a single union territory. The district has its administrative headquarters at Silvassa.
Key facts
| Country | India |
|---|---|
| Union territory | Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu |
| Headquarters | Silvassa |
| Status | District (former union territory until 2020) |
| Official languages | Gujarati, Hindi, English |
| Neighbouring states | Gujarat, Maharashtra |
Geography
The district lies in a small enclave between the states of Gujarat to the north and west and Maharashtra to the south and east. It consists of two separate pockets, Dadra and the larger Nagar Haveli, lying close to one another but not contiguous. The terrain is largely undulating, with the Western Ghats foothills along the eastern fringe. The Daman Ganga river flows through the district, and forested tracts cover a significant portion of the area, supporting a tribal economy and biodiversity.
History
The territories of Dadra and Nagar Haveli were acquired by the Portuguese in the late eighteenth century through treaties with the Marathas, and remained Portuguese possessions for nearly two centuries. They were liberated from Portuguese rule in 1954 by Indian volunteers, and were administered for a period as the Free Dadra and Nagar Haveli before being formally integrated into the Indian Union as a union territory on 11 August 1961 through the Tenth Constitutional Amendment.
For nearly six decades the territory functioned as a single-district union territory. In 2019, the Parliament of India passed the Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu (Merger of Union Territories) Act, which merged the union territories of Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu into one union territory with effect from 26 January 2020. Following the merger, Dadra and Nagar Haveli became one of the three districts of the combined union territory, the other two being Daman and Diu.
Administration
The district is administered by a Collector and District Magistrate appointed by the Government of India. Silvassa serves as the headquarters of both the district and the union territory. The district is represented in the Lok Sabha by the Dadra and Nagar Haveli parliamentary constituency.
Demographics and economy
The population of the district includes a substantial proportion of Scheduled Tribes, with communities such as the Varli, Kokna, Dhodia, Kathodi and Naika historically inhabiting the area. Gujarati and Hindi are widely spoken, alongside tribal languages and Marathi in border villages.
The economy combines agriculture with significant industrial activity. Tax incentives offered after integration with India encouraged the establishment of industrial estates around Silvassa, Masat, Khadoli and Dadra, hosting units in textiles, plastics, electronics, engineering and pharmaceuticals. Tourism, centred on Silvassa's gardens, the Vanganga Lake, the Tribal Cultural Museum and the Daman Ganga riverfront, supplements the economy.
Significance
The district is notable as one of the last European colonial possessions on the Indian subcontinent to be integrated into the Republic of India, and its liberation in 1954 is commemorated annually. Its merger with Daman and Diu in 2020 marked one of the few instances of administrative consolidation of Indian union territories in the post-independence period.
Related topics
- Silvassa
- Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu
- Daman district
- Diu district
- Portuguese India
- Liberation of Dadra and Nagar Haveli
- Districts of India