Kamrup Metropolitan district

Overview

Kamrup Metropolitan district is a district of the Indian state of Assam. It was created on 4 February 2003 when the erstwhile Kamrup district was bifurcated into two administrative units: Kamrup Metropolitan and Kamrup (Rural). The district contains Guwahati, the largest city of Assam and the principal urban, commercial and educational centre of the North-East region of India. Dispur, the capital of Assam and the seat of the Assam Legislative Assembly, lies within the district.

Key facts

Geography

The district lies on the southern and northern banks of the Brahmaputra river in central-western Assam. It is bounded by Kamrup (Rural) district to the west and south-west, Darrang and the Brahmaputra to the north, and Morigaon to the east. The terrain is a mix of low alluvial plains along the river and isolated hill ranges, including the hills around Guwahati such as Nilachal, Chitrachal and Narakasur. Notable wetlands include Deepor Beel, a Ramsar site situated to the south-west of Guwahati.

Administration

The district is administered by a Deputy Commissioner. For revenue and development purposes, it is divided into circles including Guwahati, Dispur, Sonapur, Chandrapur, Azara and North Guwahati. Urban administration in the principal city is carried out by the Guwahati Municipal Corporation (GMC), while planning and development functions are handled by the Guwahati Metropolitan Development Authority (GMDA).

Civic and institutional presence

• Assam Legislative Assembly and Assam Secretariat at Dispur
• Gauhati High Court, the principal seat for the North-East
• Lokpriya Gopinath Bordoloi International Airport at Borjhar
• Major railway stations at Guwahati and Kamakhya, under the Northeast Frontier Railway

Economy

Kamrup Metropolitan is the economic hub of Assam and one of the largest in north-east India. Trade, services, government administration, banking, education, healthcare, oil and gas services, tea trading, transport and logistics dominate the economy. Guwahati hosts regional headquarters of several public sector undertakings and is a major gateway for goods movement to the rest of the North-East.

Culture and religion

The district is associated with the Kamakhya Temple on Nilachal Hill, one of the most prominent Shakta pilgrimage sites in India, where the annual Ambubachi Mela draws large numbers of devotees. Other notable sites include the Umananda Temple on Peacock Island in the Brahmaputra, Basistha Ashram, Navagraha Temple on Chitrachal hill, and the Madan Kamdev archaeological complex in the wider Kamrup region. Assamese is the principal language; Bengali, Hindi, Bodo and English are also widely spoken in urban areas.

Education and research

• Indian Institute of Technology Guwahati (in the broader Kamrup metropolitan area, on the north bank)
• Gauhati University (located in Kamrup Rural but serving the metropolitan region)
• Cotton University, Guwahati
• Gauhati Medical College and Hospital
• National Institute of Pharmaceutical Education and Research (NIPER), Guwahati
• Indian Institute of Information Technology Guwahati

Transport

National Highway 27 (the east-west corridor of the North-East) and National Highway 17 pass through the district. The Saraighat Bridge and the Naranarayan Setu/Bogibeel-bound corridors connect road and rail traffic across the Brahmaputra; within the district, the Saraighat Bridge and the new Bharat Ratna Bhupen Hazarika Setu corridor link the south and north banks via Guwahati. Lokpriya Gopinath Bordoloi International Airport provides domestic and international connectivity, and inland water transport ferries operate on the Brahmaputra.

Significance

As the seat of the Government of Assam, the location of the Gauhati High Court, and the largest commercial and transit centre of the North-East, Kamrup Metropolitan district plays a central role in the