Katras (also known as Katrasgarh) is a

neighbourhood A neighbourhood (Commonwealth English) or neighborhood (American English) is a geographically localized community within a larger town, city, suburb or rural area, sometimes consisting of a single street and the buildings lining it. Neighbourh ...

Dhanbad Dhanbad is the second-most populated city in the Indian state of Jharkhand after Jamshedpur and a major financial hub of Jharkhand. In terms of economy, Dhanbad has the largest economy in the state of Jharkhand and it is often referred to as th ...

City in

Dhanbad Sadar Subdivision Dhanbad Sadar subdivision is an administrative subdivision of the Dhanbad district in the state of Jharkhand, India. History The earliest administrative mention of Dhanbad, refers to the transfer of the headquarters of Gobindapur subdivision of er ...

in the

Jharkhand Jharkhand (; ) is a States and union territories of India, state in East India, eastern India. The state shares its border with the states of West Bengal to the east, Chhattisgarh to the west, Uttar Pradesh to the northwest, Bihar to the north ...

state State most commonly refers to: * State (polity), a centralized political organization that regulates law and society within a territory **Sovereign state, a sovereign polity in international law, commonly referred to as a country **Nation state, a ...

India India, officially the Republic of India, is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, seventh-largest country by area; the List of countries by population (United Nations), most populous country since ...

Geography

Location

Katras is located at . It has an average elevation of 201 metres (659 feet). Note: The map alongside presents some of the notable locations in the area. All places marked in the map are linked in the larger full screen map. The earlier

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 ...

was combined with other urban units to form

Dhanbad Municipal Corporation Dhanbad Municipal Corporation is the civic body that governs Dhanbad, Katras, Jharia, Sindri, and the surrounding areas in Dhanbad subdivision of Dhanbad district, Jharkhand, India. Municipal Corporation mechanism in India was introduced duri ...

in 2006. Katras is part of Ward No. 1 of Dhanbad Municipal Corporation.

The region

The region shown in the map is a part of the undulating uplands bustling with coalmines. The

Damodar River Damodar River (Pron: /ˈdʌmoˌdaː/) is a river flowing across the Indian states of Jharkhand and West Bengal. The valley is rich in mineral resources and is known for large-scale mining and industrial activity. It was also known as the Sorrow o ...

, the most important river of the

Chota Nagpur Plateau The Chota Nagpur Plateau () is a plateau in eastern India, which covers much of Jharkhand state as well as adjacent parts of Chhattisgarh, Odisha, West Bengal and Bihar. The Indo-Gangetic plain lies to the north and east of the plateau, and th ...

, flows along the southern border. The area beyond the Damodar was once a part of Dhanbad district but was transferred to Bokaro district in 2001. The bulk of the area shown in the map is part of Baghmara community development block. In the Baghmara CD block 67% of the population lives in rural areas and 33% in urban areas. The block has 18 census towns, all marked in the map, except Rajganj, which is shown in the map for the northern portion of the district. A portion of

extends into the region till around Katras. The places in the DMC area are marked as

neighbourhoods A neighbourhood (Commonwealth English) or neighborhood (American English) is a geographically localized community within a larger town, city, suburb or rural area, sometimes consisting of a single street and the buildings lining it. Neighbourh ...

. Most of the DMC area is shown in the maps for the central and southern portions of the district. Four operational areas of BCCL operate fully within the region –

Katras Area Katras Area is one of the 12 operational areas of BCCL located in Dhanbad Sadar subdivision of Dhanbad district in the state of Jharkhand, India. History Jharia coalfield first came into the picture in the 19th century. Mining in the early day ...

Govindpur Area Govindpur Area is one of the 12 operational areas of Bharat Coking Coal, BCCL located in Dhanbad Sadar subdivision of Dhanbad district in the state of Jharkhand, India. History “Mining in Jharia coalfield was started 150 years back and most of ...

Barora Area Barora Area is one of the 12 operational areas of BCCL located in Dhanbad Sadar subdivision of Dhanbad district in the state of Jharkhand, India India, officially the Republic of India, is a country in South Asia. It is the List of c ...

and

Block II Area Block II Area is one of the 12 operational areas of BCCL located in Dhanbad Sadar subdivision of Dhanbad district in the state of Jharkhand, India. History The Block II Area came into existence in 1983-84 with the reorganisation of collieries in ...

. The Mahuda sector of Western Jharia Area also operates in the region.

Demographics

In the 2011 Indian census, Katras had a population of 51,182, of which 54% are male and 46% are female. Katras has an average literacy rate of 84%, higher than the national average of 59.5%: male literacy is 87%, and female literacy is 76%. In Katras, 13% of the population is under 6 years of age.

Government and public services

Civic administration

Katras was established as a

notified area A nagar panchayat () or town panchayat or Notified Area Council (NAC) in India is a settlement in transition from rural to urban and therefore a form of an urban political unit comparable to a municipality. An urban centre with more than 12,00 ...

in the

Dhanbad district Dhanbad district is one of the twenty-four districts of Jharkhand States and territories of India, state, India, and Dhanbad is the administrative headquarters of this district. As of 2011, it is the second most populous district of Jharkhand ...

along with

Jharia Jharia is a neighbourhood in Dhanbad city in Dhanbad Sadar subdivision of Dhanbad district in Jharkhand state, India. Jharia's economy is heavily dependent on the local coal fields, used to make coke. However, fires in the coal fields have mad ...

, Chatatand, and Sindri. In 2006, the notified areas were merged into the district under the jurisdiction of the Dhanbad Municipal Corporation (DMC). It is allocated to the Baghmara development block of the district and has its own police station.

Economy

Collieries functioning in the

of BCCL are: Salanpur, Angarpathar, Keshalpur, Ramkanali, Ramkanali OC, West Mudidih, Gazlitand, Keshalpur OC, Katras Chot and East Katras. Agriculture is under-developed. Farms are tiny and ancient tools are used. BCCL is now retrenching and closing its mines due to coal depletion. New professions emerging in the area are Coal-theft and Dalali (Agent-ship).

Education

Katras College was established at Katras Bazar in 1964. Affiliated with the Binod Bihari Mahto Koylanchal University, it offers courses in arts, science and commerce. * Saraswati Shishu Mandir, Shyamdih. Affiliated with C.B.S.E Board. * De Nobili School, Sijua. Affiliated with ICSE Board. Class I-XII

References

{{Dhanbad District Neighbourhoods in Dhanbad Mining communities in Jharkhand