Jaldhaka (also referred to as Jhalong) is a small town in the

Gorubathan Gorubathan is a village in the Gorubathan CD block in the Kalimpong Sadar subdivision of the Kalimpong district in the Indian state of West Bengal. History Gorubathan was once ruled by Lepcha kings who built ''Dalim Fort'' on top of a hil ...

CD block In India, a Community development block (CD block) or simply Block is a sub-division of Tehsil, administratively earmarked for planning and development. The area is administered by a Block Development Officer (BDO), supported by several technic ...

in the Kalimpong Sadar subdivision of the

Kalimpong district Kalimpong district is a district in the state of West Bengal, India. Originally known as Dalingkot tehsil, the region was alternatively under the control of Sikkim and Bhutan. In 1865, it was annexed from Bhutan by British India under the Treat ...

in the state of

West Bengal West Bengal (, Bengali: ''Poshchim Bongo'', , abbr. WB) is a state in the eastern portion of India. It is situated along the Bay of Bengal, along with a population of over 91 million inhabitants within an area of . West Bengal is the four ...

India India, officially the Republic of India ( Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the ...

. It lies on the bank of Jaldhaka River.

Geography

Location

Jaldhaka is located at . Jaldhaka is shown as being a part of Paten Godak Khasmahal mouza in the map of Gorubathan CD block on page 197 of ''District Statistical Handbook, Darjeeling, 2011''.

Area overview

The map alongside shows the Kalimpong Sadar subdivision of Kalimpong district. Physiographically, this area forms the Kalimpong Range, with the average elevation varying from . This region is characterized by abruptly rising hills and numerous small streams. It is an predominantly rural area with 77.67% of the population living in rural areas and only 22.23% living in the urban areas. While

Kalimpong Kalimpong (Hindi: कलिम्पोंग) is a town and the headquarters of an Kalimpong district, eponymous district in the Indian states and territories of India, state of West Bengal. It is located at an average elevation of . The town i ...

is the only municipality, Dungra is the sole

census town In India and some other countries, a census town is designated as a town that satisfies certain characteristics. India In India, a census town is one which is not statutorily notified and administered as a town, but nevertheless whose population ...

in the entire area. The economy is agro-based and there are 6 tea gardens in the Gorubathan CD block. In 2011, Kalimpong subdivision had a literacy rate of 81.85%, comparable with the highest levels of literacy in the districts of the state. While the first degree college in the subdivision was established at

in 1962 the entire subdivision (and now the entire district), other than the head-quarters, had to wait until as late as 2015 (more than half a century) to have their first degree colleges at

Pedong Pedong is a town in the Pedong CD block in the Kalimpong subdivision of the Kalimpong district in the Indian state of West Bengal. The town is very close to Resi-Sikkim border. Pedong lies on the National Highway-717A connecting Bagrakote to ...

and

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

Police station

Jaldhaka police station has jurisdiction over

and Kalimpong II CD blocks.

Economy

Jaldhaka Hydroelectric Power Project has a design capacity of 27 MWe. It has five units, the first was commissioned in 1967 and the last in 1983. It is operated by the

West Bengal State Electricity Distribution Company West Bengal State Electricity Distribution Company Limited (WBSEDCL) is a wholly owned enterprise of Government of West Bengal, established in 2007 as one of the two successors of West Bengal State Electricity Board, and is responsible for pro ...

. In the stage I it had 3 x 9 = 27 MW and in stage II it had 2 x4 = 8 MW capacity.

Healthcare

There is a primary health centre, with 2 beds, at Jaldhaka.

References

{{Kalimpong District Villages in Kalimpong district