East Singhbhum district

East Singhbhum is a district in the southern part of the Indian state of Jharkhand. Its administrative headquarters is located at Jamshedpur, the largest urban centre in Jharkhand and one of the major industrial cities of eastern India. The district is part of the Kolhan division and forms a key constituent of the Chota Nagpur Plateau region.

Key facts

Geography

East Singhbhum lies in the south-eastern corner of Jharkhand. It is bordered by the districts of Saraikela Kharsawan to the west, Dhanbad and Purulia (West Bengal) to the north, West Singhbhum to the south-west, and Mayurbhanj (Odisha) along its southern frontier. The terrain is largely undulating, comprising hills, forested tracts and plateau land typical of the Chota Nagpur region. The Subarnarekha and its tributary Kharkai are the principal rivers, and the confluence of the two near Jamshedpur is a notable geographical feature. The district is mineral-rich, with significant deposits of copper, iron ore and uranium in the surrounding belt.

History

The district takes its name from the historical region of Singhbhum, long associated with the Ho, Munda and Santhal communities. Under British administration, Singhbhum became a district of the Chota Nagpur Division in the Bengal Presidency, and later of Bihar. The growth of Jamshedpur in the early twentieth century, following the establishment of the Tata Iron and Steel Company (now Tata Steel) in 1907 by Jamsetji Nusserwanji Tata, transformed the area into a major centre of heavy industry.

The undivided Singhbhum district was bifurcated in 1990 into East Singhbhum and West Singhbhum. In 2001, parts of East and West Singhbhum were further reorganised to create the Saraikela Kharsawan district. East Singhbhum became part of the new state of Jharkhand when it was carved out of Bihar on 15 November 2000.

Administration

The district is administered by a Deputy Commissioner and is divided into subdivisions and community development blocks for revenue and development administration. Jamshedpur, although the district headquarters, is unusual among Indian cities of its size in being administered largely as a "notified area" through the Jamshedpur Notified Area Committee, with much of the city's civic infrastructure managed by Tata Steel through Jamshedpur Utilities and Services Company (JUSCO). Other important towns in the district include Mango, Jugsalai, Ghatshila, Mosabani, Chakulia and Potka.

Economy

East Singhbhum has one of the most industrialised economies in Jharkhand. Jamshedpur hosts Tata Steel's flagship plant, along with Tata Motors and a wide network of ancillary engineering and automotive units. The Mosabani–Ghatshila belt has historically been associated with copper mining and smelting under Hindustan Copper Limited. Outside the industrial corridor, the rural economy is based on paddy cultivation, forest produce and small-scale mining. The district also contributes to Jharkhand's reserves of uranium, mined at Jaduguda by Uranium Corporation of India Limited (UCIL).

Demographics and culture

The district has a mixed population of tribal and non-tribal communities. The Ho, Santhal, Munda and Bhumij are among the prominent indigenous groups, alongside Bengali, Odia, Bihari and other settler communities drawn by industrial employment. Languages spoken include Hindi, Bengali, Odia, Ho, Santhali and Urdu. Festivals such as Sarhul, Karam, Tusu and Chhath are widely observed, reflecting the region's tribal and pan-eastern Indian cultural influences.

Transport

Tatanagar Junction in Jamshedpur is a major railway station on the Howrah–Mumbai main line of South Eastern Railway. National Highway 33 (now part of NH 18) and other state highways connect the district to Ranchi, Kolkata and the Odisha coast. Sonari Airport in Jamshedpur handles limited civil aviation, while the nearest large airports are at Ranchi and Kolkata.

Notable places

• Jamshedpur