Boniyar
() is a town and a
municipal committee
A municipal council is the legislative body of a municipality or local government area. Depending on the location and classification of the municipality it may be known as a city council, town council, town board, community council, borough counci ...
in
Boniyar tehsil,
Baramulla district
Baramulla district (or Varmul, in Kashmiri) is one of the 20 districts in the Indian-administered union territory of Jammu and Kashmir (J&K) in the disputed Kashmir region. The application of the term "administered" to the various regions of ...
in India's northernmost
union territory
Among the states and union territories of India, a Union Territory (UT) is a region that is directly governed by the Government of India, central government of India, as opposed to the states, which have their own State governments of India, s ...
of
Jammu and Kashmir
Jammu and Kashmir may refer to:
* Jammu and Kashmir (union territory), a region administered by India as a union territory since 2019
* Jammu and Kashmir (state), a region administered by India as a state from 1952 to 2019
* Jammu and Kashmir (prin ...
. It is located 20 km towards west from district headquarters
Baramulla
Baramulla (), also known as Varmul () in Kashmiri, is a city and municipality of the Baramulla district of the Indian-administered Jammu and Kashmir in the disputed Kashmir region.The application of the term "administered" to the various r ...
. Boniyar was given tehsil status in 2006. Prominent villages in tehsil Boniyar are Noorkhah, Bagna, Salamabad, Wopal Haq Marg, Athishampora, Bijhama, Trikanjan, Barnate, Uranbuha, Chandanwari, Rampur, Chahla and Nowshera.
A major tourist attraction is Lower Jhelum hydropower project at Chalah Boniyar, having a capacity of generating 105 MW. Lachipora wildlife sanctuary has been established for conserving
markhoor and other vulnerable animals. Wildlife sanctuary Limber and Kazinag wildlife sanctuary are also a part of tehsil Boniyar. These wildlife sanctuaries are famous for rare species of plants and animals present here.
The bank of the dam of Lower Jehlum Hydropower plant has become a tourist destination; Nowshera at the opposite side of river Jhelum has amazing viewpoints.
There is a diversity of people living in tehsil Boniyar of the Baramulla district, with most of the people speaking Pahari. About 50-70 % people of tehsil Boniyar speak
Pahari, with a large number of Pahari speakers. The remainder mainly speak Kashmiri, Gujri, and Urdu.
It is a Muslim-dominated region with about 60% belonging to the Sunni Muslim community and 38% to the Shia Muslim community.
Other religions comprise the minority, with about 1% Hindus and 1% Sikhs.
Noorkhah, a village of Boniyar tehsil, has significant mineral resources such as gypsum, limestone and ochre, with gypsum currently being extracted.
However, this has also led to ill effects to the residents such as
deforestation
Deforestation or forest clearance is the removal and destruction of a forest or stand of trees from land that is then converted to non-forest use. Deforestation can involve conversion of forest land to farms, ranches, or urban use. Ab ...
,
soil erosion
Soil erosion is the denudation or wearing away of the Topsoil, upper layer of soil. It is a form of soil degradation. This natural process is caused by the dynamic activity of erosive agents, that is, water, ice (glaciers), snow, Atmosphere of Ea ...
, and landslides.
Notes
Cities and towns in Baramulla district
Tehsils of Jammu and Kashmir (union territory)
{{JammuKashmir-geo-stub