Durgapur - Geography

Geography

Durgapur is located at 23°29′N 87°19′E / 23.48°N 87.32°E / 23.48; 87.32. It has an average elevation of 65 metres (213 ft).

Durgapur is in the Burdwan District of West Bengal, on the bank of the Damodar River, just before it enters the alluvial plains of Bengal. The topography is undulating. The coal-bearing area of the Raniganj coalfields lies just beyond Durgapur; some parts intrude in to the area. The area was deeply forested till recent times, and some streaks of the original forests are there.

Two mighty rivers border it on the north and south. The Ajay River flows past unhindered in the north; the Damodar River on the south has two obstacles in its path – an earlier anicut at Rondia and a massive 692-metre long Durgapur Barrage at Durgapur, constructed in 1955 AD and controlled by Damodar Valley Corporation. Two rivulets, Singaran and Tamla, flow through the area and join the Damodar River. Two other rivulets, Kunur and Tumuni, join the Ajay River.

Durgapur subdivision is surrounded by Asansol subdivision on the west, Bardhaman Sadar North subdivision on the east, Bankura district across the Damodar in the south, and Birbhum district across the Ajay River to the north.

The Grand Trunk Road (NH2) virtually bifurcates the area. This historically important arterial connector has now been widened into 2+2-lane highway as part of the Golden Quadrilateral project. Another wide road takes off from Darjeeling Morh near Panagarh for North Bengal. It also links Santiniketan to the Grand Trunk Road. The Durgapur Expressway, linking Dankuni with Memari on the Grand Trunk Road, allows fast communication between Kolkata and Durgapur, where one can maintain cruising speeds of 80–120 km/h. A road over the Durgapur Barrage links Durgapur with Bankura and beyond in South Bengal. High-speed Volvo and Mercedes Benz buses cruise regularly from Durgapur to Kolkata on this route along with SBSTC and City Liners non-AC buses. A bus trip from Kolkata to Durgapur takes around 3.5 hours if there is no traffic jam near Panagarh.

The important superfast railway track connecting Kolkata and Delhi passes through Durgapur. Andal Junction, situated in Andal, a western suburb of Durgapur, about 15 km from Durgapur City Centre, has a link with Sainthia on the Sahibgunj loop line. There are airstrips at Panagarh and Durgapur, the former with the Indian Air Force and latter with SAIL. A full-fledged domestic airport is coming up at Andal.