Chakuliya

Chakulia or Chakuliya is a Notified Area Council (NAC) and 4th Municipal Corporation in the Ghatshila subdivision of the East Singhbhum district in the state of Jharkhand, India.It is 71 km from Jamshedpur City, the district headquarter.

Chakulia is known for its non-operational Chakulia Airport, Kanaishwar Hill, bamboo trees, detergent powder brand "Hindustan Soap Factory" and its beautiful nature. Chakulia is always in news headlines due to hundreds of Elephants roams in Chakulia forest area. Chakulia city gained recent recognition due to the Dhyan Foundation's goushala located at Chakulia Airport, providing shelter, treatment, and food to thousands of rescued cows from the cattle mafia at the Indo-Bangladesh border.

History

An airfield was built by the British construction contractor Mr. Digar Pramotha Nath Mohanty by Das & Mohanty construction company in 1942 to conduct raids against the advancing Japanese in Burma and also for operations to transport aid to parts of China. Also, in 1971, during the war of independence of Bangladesh, a guerrilla training camp was set up and used for training volunteers. Currently, the airport has no scheduled commercial airline flights. In 2006, it was reported that the airport has been non-operational since it served during World War II.
File:40bg-42-6310takeoff-from-Chakulia-6-1944.jpg, alt=, 40th BG B-29 42-6310 taking off from Chakulia Airfield, India, June, 1944
File:25th Bombardment Squadron - B-29 Superfortress.jpg, alt=, 25th Bombardment Squadron - B-29 Superfortess
File:Frank McGill, Geo. Hodgson, Frank Burnside, Philip Fisher, Hugh Veck (i.e., Peck) LCCN2014700188.jpg, alt=, Before Flight
File:40 bomb gp-emblem.jpg, alt=, Emblem of the 40th Bombardment Group

Geography

Location

Chakulia is located at . It has an average elevation of 115 metres (377 feet).

Area overview

The area shown in the map “forms a part of the Chota Nagpur Plateau and is a hilly upland tract”. The main rivers draining the district are the Subarnarekha and the Kharkai. The area lying between Jamshedpur and Ghatshila is the main industrial mining zone. The rest of the district is primarily agricultural. In the district, as of 2011, 56.9% of the population lives in the rural areas and a high 43.1% lives in the urban areas.

Note: The map alongside presents some of the notable locations in the district. All places marked in the map are linked in the larger full screen map.

Civic administration

There is a police station at Chakulia. The headquarters of Chakulia CD block is located at Chakulia town.
File:Chakulia.png, alt=, Chakulia Police Station
File:Chakulia block.png, alt=, Chakulia Block
File:Chakulia nagar panchayat bhawan.jpg, Chakulia Nagar Panchayat Bhawan

Demographics

According to the 2011 Census of India, Chakulia had a total population of 16,306, of which 8,352 (51%) were males and 7,954 (49%) were females. Population in the age range 0–6 years was 2,140. The total number of literate persons in Chakulia was 11,174 (78.88% of the population over 6 years).

Languages

(*For language details see Chakulia block#Language and religion)

India census, Chakulia had a population of 14,330. Males constitute 52% of the population and females 48%. Chakulia has an average literacy rate of 64%, higher than the national average of 59.5%; with male literacy of 73% and female literacy of 54%. 13% of the population is under 6 years of age.

Economy

Chakulia is famous for its detergent soap and powder manufactured by South East Chemical/Hindustan Soap Factory, Rice Mills and also known for bamboo.

Transportation

Chakulia is connected by railway and road, and lies in the Howrah-Mumbai rail route. It is also among the major economic hubs which lie between Jamshedpur and Kharagpur. Trains and transport vehicles are easily available from major nearby cities, such as Kharagpur (West Bengal), Tatanagar (Jharkhand), Baripada (Orissa). Chakulia also has an airfield which was used heavily during the World War II.
File:Chakulia Station 1.png, alt=, Chakulia Station Entrance
File:Chakulia Station 2.png, alt=, Chakulia Station Building
File:Chakulia Station 3.png, alt=, Chakulia Station Arts

Education

Shibu Ranjan Khan Memorial Degree College was established at Chakuliya in 2010.

K.N.J High School, Chakulia

Ramkrishna Vivekanand International English High School, Chakulia

Shanti Devi Saraswati Shishu Vidya Mandir, Chakulia

Ananda Marga High School, Chakulia

N.D Rungta Girl's High School, Chakulia

Kasturba Gandhi Balika Vidyalaya, Chakulia

Model School, Chakulia

Manohar Lal High School, Chakulia

District Institute of Education and Training, Chakulia

Swami Vivekananda Pvt. ITI, Chakulia

Healthcare

* C.H.C, Chakulia.
* Anandlok Hospital, Chakulia.

References

{{Kolhan Division

Cities and towns in East Singhbhum district