Kushtagi is a municipality in

Koppal district Koppala district, officially known as Koppala district is an administrative district in the state of Karnataka in India. In the past Koppal was referred to as 'Kopana Nagara'. Hampi, a World heritage center, covers some areas of Koppala District ...

in the

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 ...

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 ...

Karnataka Karnataka ( ) is a States and union territories of India, state in the southwestern region of India. It was Unification of Karnataka, formed as Mysore State on 1 November 1956, with the passage of the States Reorganisation Act, 1956, States Re ...

. Kushtagi is a

taluk A tehsil (, also known as tahsil, taluk, or taluka () is a local unit of administrative division in India and Pakistan. It is a subdistrict of the area within a district including the designated populated place that serves as its administrative ...

center of Koppal district. This taluk has a population of 353,142 as per the 2021 census estimate. In this taluk, pomegranate fruits are popularly grown.There is a Durga devi temple in heart of the town. To its North lies Ilkal, Gajendragad to the West, Hospet to the South and Sindhanur to the East. Red and black soil can be found in this taluk. A big lake 4km away from the city is the main source of drinking water is situated in west side and covering the area of more than 300 acres.

History

Kushtagi is located at . It has an average elevation of 639

metre The metre (or meter in US spelling; symbol: m) is the base unit of length in the International System of Units (SI). Since 2019, the metre has been defined as the length of the path travelled by light in vacuum during a time interval of of ...

s (2096

feet The foot (: feet) is an anatomical structure found in many vertebrates. It is the terminal portion of a limb which bears weight and allows locomotion. In many animals with feet, the foot is an organ at the terminal part of the leg made up of ...

). The area is dry and prone to drought.

Demographics

India

census A census (from Latin ''censere'', 'to assess') is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording, and calculating population information about the members of a given Statistical population, population, usually displayed in the form of stati ...

, Kushtagi had a population of 21,180. Males constitute 51% of the population and females 49%. Kushtagi has an average literacy rate of 64.4 %, higher than the national average of 59.5%: male literacy is 73%, and female literacy is 55%. In Kushtagi, 14% of the population is under 6 years of age.

Registered Non-Government Organisations

Kushtagi is a major area of work for the following NGOs: *Samraksha, the HIV/AIDS unit of Samuha *Information Technology, Sankalpa Rural information Technology Development

Transport

Kushtagi is well connected by road to

Bangalore Bengaluru, also known as Bangalore (List of renamed places in India#Karnataka, its official name until 1 November 2014), is the Capital city, capital and largest city of the southern States and union territories of India, Indian state of Kar ...

Hubli Hubli (officially Hubballi) is a city in the Indian state of Karnataka. The twin cities Hubli–Dharwad form the second largest city in the state by area and population and the largest city in North Karnataka. Hubli is in Dharwad district of ...

Raichur Raichur, also pronounced as Rāyachūru (formerly Raichore), is a city and headquarters of eponymous Raichur district in the Karnataka state of India. Raichur, located between Krishna River, Krishna and Tungabhadra rivers. History Ancient His ...

, Bagalkot and other major cities. The nearest major airport is in

Long-distance bus routes

Karnataka State Road Transport Corporation The Karnataka State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC) is a state-owned public road transport corporation company in the Indian state of Karnataka. It is wholly owned by the Government of Karnataka. It serves routes to 31 districts and as wel ...

(KSRTC) runs a bus service to other cities and villages. There are also various private bus services. The new 56-km stretch, part of the broader Gadag–Wadi rail project, connects several towns and villages, including Linganabandi, Hanumapur, Yelburga, Sanganal, Kukanoor, and Talakal. The event also witnessed the flagging off of the first passenger train from Kushtagi to Hubballi, a service that is expected to benefit thousands of daily commuters and traders. The daily passenger train will start at 7 a.m. from Kushtagi and reach Hubballi at 10.45 a.m. It leaves Hubballi at 5 p.m. Addressing the gathering, Mr. Somanna lauded Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah for providing funds for land acquisition for the project. He expressed appreciation for the efforts of Chief Minister’s Economic Advisor Basavaraj Rayareddy in pushing the project forward and hailed Prime Minister Narendra Modi for focusing on expansion of the railway network. “Prime Minister Modi has revived and implemented several railway projects that were originally proposed during the previous UPA regime, with an investment of ₹7 lakh crore. Robust rail connectivity is essential for driving national development, and this can only be achieved when the Union and State governments function in close coordination, like two sides of the same coin. Since the BJP came to power, we have taken decisive steps towards achieving full railway electrification by 2025. Backed by a national railway budget of ₹2.65 lakh crore, our government has prioritised the completion of long-pending infrastructure projects, unlike the UPA era when funding for railway station development was largely neglected,” the Minister said.The government was introducing the advanced Kavach safety system in Vande Bharat Express trains. “From 2014 to 2024, we have created five lakh employment opportunities in the railways. After I took charge, we made it possible for candidates to write recruitment exams in Kannada. Additionally, 10,000 new engines are being inducted into the railway system to modernise operations,” he said. Mr. Somanna stated that while the Central Government allocated ₹549 crore in the current financial year for the Gadag–Wadi railway line, ₹837 crore is pending from the government of Karnataka. He called on local leaders, including Basavaraj Rayareddy, to ensure the State’s contribution is released promptly. “For road overbridges and underpasses, the Centre is generously contributing 100% of the cost, although the norm is 50:50 funding between Centre and State,” he added.

References