Durgapur

This article is about ayush charka the city in West Bengal. For other uses, see Durgapur (disambiguation).

Durgapur দুর্গাপুর
Metropolitan City / Urban Agglomeration
Nickname(s): Ruhr & Educational Hub Of Eastern India
Durgapur Location in West Bengal, India
Coordinates:
Country	India
State	West Bengal
District	Barddhaman
Established	Late 1950s
Founded by	Dr. Bidhan Chandra Roy (former chief minister of West Bengal)
Named for	Durgamohan Chattopadhyay, former Zamindar of Sagarbhanga
Government
• Type	Durgapur Municipal Corporation
• Body	DMC
• Mayor	Apurba Mukherjee
• Commissioner of Police (CP)	Vineet Kumar Goyal, IPS (Asansol-Durgapur Police Commissionerate)
Area
• Total	154 km2 (59 sq mi)
Elevation	65 m (213 ft)
Population (2011)
• Total	566,937
• Rank	77th most populated city of India
• Density	3,700/km2 (9,500/sq mi)
Demonym(s)	Durgapurbashi/Durgapurians
Languages
• Official	Bengali, English
Time zone	IST (UTC+5:30)
PIN	713 2xx [713 201-713 216(city proper);713 217 & 713 219 (suburbs)]
Telephone code	+91 343
Vehicle registration	WB-39 / WB-40
Lok Sabha constituency	Bardhaman-Durgapur (MP - Mamtaz Sanghamita Choudhury  - AITC )
Vidhan Sabha constituency	Durgapur Purba (MLA - Dr. Nikhil Banerjee - AITC), Durgapur Paschim (MLA - Apurba Mukherjee - AITC)
Website	durgapurmunicipalcorporation.org

Durgapur (/dʊərɡɑːpʊər/ or /-ɡæ-/) is a city in the Burdwan District in the state of West Bengal India. Durgapur is the third largest city in West Bengal in terms of both area (154.20 km² / 59.54 sq. miles) and population (5,66,937) (2011 census & excluding the urban agglomeration).It is also one of the six Municipal Corporations in West Bengal and the headquarter of the Durgapur subdivision consisting of the Durgapur Municipal Corporation and five community development blocs: Durgapur–Faridpur, Galsi–I, Kanksa, Andal and Pandabeswar. The five blocks contain 36 gram panchayats and 30 census towns. Distances from Kolkata: By Road 170 km via NH-2, by Rail 158 km and by Flight 163 km. Durgapur Urban Agglomeration includes: Durgapur (Municipal Corp.), Bamunara (Census Town) and Arrah (Census Town) and ranks 4th (in terms of population) among other urban agglomerations in West Bengal. Durgapur is also one of the three Y (for the purpose of HRA [House Rent Allowance] calculation) class cities in West Bengal.

It was a dream child of Dr. Bidhan Chandra Roy, the second chief minister of the state. The industrial township was designed by Joseph Allen Stein and Benjamin Polk. and is home to one of the largest industrial units in the state, Durgapur Steel Plant, one of the integrated steel plants of Steel Authority of India Limited. Alloy Steels Plant of S.A.I.L. and Central Mechanical Engineering Research Institute (C.M.E.R.I.), a C.S.I.R. laboratory, are also here. Allied ICD Services Limited, the custodian of the only operational inland port (ICD Durgapur) in Eastern India, is situated in Durgapur as well. There are four power plants Durgapur Projects Limited (D.P.L.), Durgapur Thermal Power Station, Damodar Valley Corporation & N.S.P.C.L., and some chemical and engineering industries at Durgapur. Some metallurgical units have come up in recent years. The National Institute of Technology, Durgapur (earlier known as Durgapur Regional Engineering College) is one of the most prominent seats of the Indian Central Government's Engineering and Technological Education.

History

Jawaharlal Nehru with schoolchildren at Durgapur

The name Durgapur has come from the name of Sri Durgamohan Chattopadhyay,and JALEO the Zamindar of Gopinathpur area of Durgapur and the erstwhile scion of the family of Chatterjees of Sagarbhanga area.Much of modern Durgapur is situated on the lands formerly owned by Zamindars like the Chatterjees of Sagarbhanga, Sri Radhanath Chattopadhyay of Gopalpur and the Zamindars of Bhiringi(presently a part of the area known as Benachity).

Archeological excavations at Birbhanpur, on the bank of the Damodar, have revealed a number of stone implements. These are dated to be around 5000 BC. Many of these are hunting implements used by pre-historic hunters. Earlier, some of the excavations at Pandu Rajar Dhibi, on the banks of the Ajay, just beyond Durgapur but in Bardhaman district, revealed traces of a civilization possibly linked with the Indus Valley Civilisation. These are important historical finds and are yet to be fully explored.

Mighty emperors reigned in this region over the centuries, but it is difficult to pinpoint who held sway over the area at different times. Historians talk of this region being a part of the Maurya and Gupta empires, the empire of Harsha Vardhan and the Mughals. Being a border region, it could have been on either side of the unmarked and flexible borders of the mighty empires. Moreover, the infertile soil with deep impenetrable forests and wild animals was probably not a very inviting proposal for any emperor on the look out for wealth and treasures. Even when coal mining made forays into the adjoining Asansol-Ranigunj area from the late eighteenth century, and factory chimneys reared their heads somewhat later, Durgapur remained an impenetrable jungle that few dared to trespass into.

In the mid-nineteenth century, the railway traversed the Durgapur area; even fairly recent pre-independence travelers describe Durgapur as a small station, with dim kerosene lanterns burning at night, where only a few passenger trains stopped. Local chieftains such as Bhabani Pathak and Ichhai Ghosh were the heroes of the jungle-territory and probably held many a great emperor at bay. Many of them must have passed through looking for wealth in the famed granaries of Bengal further east but probably never found the place attractive enough to show their prowess.

It is unlikely that Bhabani Pathak of Durgapur was the same person linked with Devi Choudhurani, made famous by Bankim Chandra Chatterjee. Their area of activity was around Rangpur, now in Bangladesh. Although barges used to carry coal down the Damodar in those days and the river was more navigable than now, the area was never a watery haven as some areas of east or north Bengal were. However, legends have more impact on people than the hard realities of history.

The area was part of the Bardhaman Raj, who ruled on the basis of a firman from the Mughal emperor. Mir Kassem, then Nawab of Sube Bangala, ceded Bardhaman along with Medinipur and Chittagong to the East India Company in 1760 (three years after the Battle of Plassey), and the Bardhaman Raj continued to function under British tutelage.

Geography

Durgapur is located at . 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 into the area. The area was deeply forested till recent times, and some streaks of the original forests are still there.

Two mighty rivers border it on the north and the south. The Ajay River flows past unhindered in the north; the Damodar River on the south has two obstacles in its path – first one is the Anderson Weir at Randiha constructed in 1932 and the second one is the massive 692-metre long Durgapur Barrage at Durgapur, constructed in 1955 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 hours.

The important high-speed 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.

Children enjoy a ride in Anand Amusement Park at Durgapur City Centre

At the entrance of Durgapur Steel city from NH-2

Demographics

In the 2011 census, Durgapur Urban Agglomeration had a population of 493,405 out of which 263,721 were males and 229,684 were females. The 0–6 years population was 51,930. Effective literacy rate for the 7+ population was 87.70.

Religions in Durgapur
Religion			Percent
Hindus			84%
Muslims			14%
Jains			1.0%
Others†			1.0%
Distribution of religions †Includes Sikhs (0.2%), Buddhists (<0.2%).

See also: List of cities in West Bengal

Transport

Durgapur is well connected via roads. It is the preferred gateway to the Rarh Region, which has under-developed transportation infrastructure. NH 2 and SH 9 pass through the city. Panagarh-Morgram Highway originates from Panagarh, a suburb of Durgapur, and joins NH 60 near Dubrajpur; this makes Durgapur a major road junction and an important destination for transportation toward North Bengal and North East India. SH 9 joins with NH 60 and connects Durgapur with Orissa and South India. It is also well connected by rail to major parts of India such as Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, Gorakhpur, Indore, Bhopal, Jabalpur, Nagpur, Guwahati, Amritsar, Jaipur, Lucknow, Kanpur, and others. Long distance buses connect Durgapur to places such as Jamshedpur, Dhanbad, Bokaro Steel City, Siliguri, and Malda Town.

Railways

Durgapur being an important city in terms of both commercial and industrial establishments is connected to almost all major places of Bengal such as Kolkata (Calcutta), Bardhaman, Asansol, Siuri, Purulia, New Jalpaiguri (Siliguri), Maldah. Durgapur is also connected to other important cities and towns in the country such as New Delhi, Patna, Bokaro, Gaya, Ranchi, Dhanbad, Muzaffarpur, Gorakhpur, Jabalpur, Indore, Gwalior, Bhopal, Dehradun, Allahabad, Varanasi, Kanpur, Mumbai, Chennai, Nagpur, Guwahati and many more.

The main railway station is Durgapur railway station. Andal Junction is the main junction of the city. It is located at Andal, a western suburb of Durgapur, 15 km from Durgapur City Centre. The Andal-Sainthia branch line of Eastern Railway Zone originates from this station and terminates at Sainthia on Sahibganj Loop.

Road

Durgapur is the preferred gateway to the districts of Bankura, Birbhum, and Purulia, which are not well connected. NH 2 and SH 9 pass through the city jurisdiction. NH 60 passes through the north-western suburb of Pandabeswar and finally passes through Raniganj and heads away towards Orissa. It happens to be one of the very few cities that have an Asian Highway (AH) passing directly through the city jurisdiction. The AH1 links Japan with Turkey, through Korea, China, Vietnam, Cambodia, Thailand, Myanmar, India, Bangladesh, Pakistan, Afghanistan, and Iran.

Durgapur has bus termini at Benachiti-I, Benachiti-II (commonly referred as Prantika), City Center, and Station Morh. One bus terminus is coming up at Nadiha, but only for inter-city commuting.

• Prantika Terminus Generally, buses heading towards, east, i.e., Barddhaman, Katwa, Krishnanagar, Nabadwip and Kalyani leave from Prantika and the buses carry the term 'Benachity' instead of 'Durgapur', as the terminal point of journey, in order to avoid confusion, since 'Durgapur' implies to the Station Terminus. Buses for Ilambazar and Bolpur also use this terminus.
• City Centre Terminus Long-route buses use the City Centre Terminus. One can find buses to Kolkata, Bhubaneshwar, Jamshedpur, Cuttack, Puri, Dumka, Bokaro Steel City, Dhanbad, Barrackpore, Digha, Purulia, Bhagalpur, Ranchi or Chaibasa from this terminus.
• Station Bus Terminus Buses, especially, private ones, traversing deeper into the Rarh Region use this terminus. Buses, for Bankura, Bishnupur, Purulia, Raghunathpur, Barakar, Bokaro, Bhagalpur, Jamshedpur, Khatra, Mukutmanipur, Jhargram, Digha, Murshidabad, Tarakeswar, Arambag, Sonamukhi, Gangajalghati, Ilambazar, Bolpur, Bhedia, Morgram can be found here with ease.

Apart from this, South Bengal State Transport Corporation, popularly, SBSTC, which has headquarters in the city, has a separate depot, in Trunk Road Area. North Bengal State Transport Corporation or NBSTC has an office here, and operates buses to Siliguri, Maldah, Raiganj, Alipurduar, Jalpaiguri, Kochbihar, Balurghat and Baharampur. Private operators like Prithvi Travels, Jai Dada Travels or Shyamoli operates AC or sleeper buses to Kolkata, Siliguri, Bhubaneshwar or Puri.

Intra-city Transport

Within the city private mini-buses are the cheapest and most convenient mode of transportation. They operate from Prantika to Station terminus, via different routes through the city. Some of them operate to other termini from Prantika, like Nadiha, Madhaipur, Kasba, Sillyaghat, etc. Recently, CNG autos have been introduced plying between City Center and other parts of the city. They are non-polluting, environment friendly, convenient, less time-consuming, and cheap mode of transport. Cycle-rickshaws are available for traveling smaller distances, as a preferred commute. Recently, pre-paid taxis were introduced in the city from Station and City Center Terminus.

Air

The nearest domestic airport is Kazi Nazrul Islam Airport. The airport is roughly 15 km from Durgapur's City Centre. The nearest international airport is Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose International Airport in Dum Dum, Kolkata.

An air force station at Panagarh, (16.3 km from Durgapur City Centre) belonging to the Indian Air Force is used as a base for a C-130J Hercules squadron.

Climate

Durgapur
Climate chart (explanation)
J F M A M J J A S O N D     14     26 11     19     29 15     25     34 19     31     38 24     87     39 26     275     39 26     334     32 26     338     32 25     239     32 25     78     31 22     15     29 17     24     26 12 Average max. and min. temperatures in °C Precipitation totals in mm
Imperial conversion J F M A M J J A S O N D     0.6     79 52     0.7     84 59     1     93 66     1.2     100 75     3.4     102 79     11     102 79     13     90 79     13     90 77     9.4     90 77     3.1     88 72     0.6     84 63     0.9     79 54 Average max. and min. temperatures in °F Precipitation totals in inches

Durgapur experiences a somewhat transitional climate between the tropical wet and dry climate of Kolkata and the more humid subtropical climate further north. Summers are extremely hot, lasting from March to the middle of June, with average daily temperatures near 32 °C. They are followed by the monsoon season with heavy precipitation and somewhat lower temperatures. Durgapur receives most of its annual rainfall of around 52 inches during this season. The monsoon is followed by a mild, dry winter from November to January. Temperatures are quite moderate, with average daily temperatures near 20 °C. There is a short autumn at the end of October and a short spring in February, both of which have relatively moderate temperatures of around 25 °C.

Industrialisation

Durgapur Steel plant

Queen Elizabeth at Durgapur

Durgapur is by far the most industrialised city in eastern India and the second planned city in India. It started with the first prime minister of independent India, Jawaharlal Nehru. His dream of transforming the backward agricultural country into an industrially advanced nation was picked up in West Bengal by Dr. B.C. Roy. At the earlier stages for the selection of a proper site for a new industrial township, Jnananjan Niyogi, a great business organizer and planner, was involved. Modernist American architect Joseph Allen Stein, invited to head the newly formed Department of Architecture and Planning at the Bengal Engineering College in Calcutta, plunged into a major project as soon as he reached India in 1952 – the designing of Durgapur city with Benjamin Polk, another American architect already living in Calcutta. Thereafter it was the task of local leaders such as Ananda Gopal Mukherjee and bureaucrats such as K.K. Sen to get Durgapur going.

Before independence, only one small refractory plant of the Martin Burn group was located at Durgapur: the abandoned chimney is visible near the station. Damodar Valley Corporation constructed Durgapur Barrage in 1955 and shortly followed with the Durgapur Thermal Power Station.

There was a massive follow up – Durgapur Steel Plant (commissioned 1960), Alloy Steels Plant (commissioned 1965), Durgapur Projects Ltd. (established 1961), Mining and Allied Machinery Corporation, ACC-Vickers Babcock (later ACC-Babcock and now Alstom Power Boilers Ltd.), Hindustan Fertiliser Corporation, Philips Carbon Black Ltd., Sankey Wheels (a unit of GKW), Bharat Ophthalmic Glass Ltd, Durgapur Cement Ltd. (now Birla Cement) (established 1975), Graphite India Ltd. (established 1967), Durgapur Chemicals Ltd. (DCL) was incorporated on 31 July 1963, Ispat Forgings and many others, large and small. A great new industrial city was bubbling with enthusiasm.

Durgapur Steel Plant was a showpiece of Indo-British cooperation in independent India. Dr. Rajendra Prasad, the first president of India, came for the inauguration of the first blast furnace. Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru was a regular visitor. He called these plants temples of new India. Many senior leaders and important foreign leaders visited Durgapur to see and to cheer. Displaying a rare gesture of solidarity, Queen Elizabeth came on a state visit.

As the numerous chimneys merrily belched out black, white and reddish brown smoke as pollution control norms were still some way off (for the past few years all the 65 chimneys of Durgapur Steel Plant are pollution free), the townships grew and prospered.

Regional Engineering College (established 1960) (now renamed National Institute of Technology) and Central Mechanical Engineering Research Institute (CMERI, CSIR) (established 1958) added to the stature of the new township. Schools, hospitals, parks, and playgrounds all came up. It was new life in new India.

Republic Day celebrations at Nehru Stadium, Durgapur

Revival

As the British industrialists left India after independence, many of the industrial empires they left behind were taken over by the Indian business community, who were mainly traders. With technological obsolescence the industries fell on bad times, labour unrest started and finally engulfed the state of West Bengal in the late 1960s. Even the new industries in Durgapur were affected by the militancy, and soon most of the industries in Durgapur were in shambles.

This continued for some years, resulting in many of the sick industries declining to the verge of closure. It was evident that some of the industries were technically unsound; for example, Durgapur Steel Plant was technologically obsolete and needed huge investment for modernization. The political chaos submerged all such concerns and no investor considered the region safe for any major investment. When unemployment started pinching, the left was settled comfortably in power. There was rethinking about revival of industries in West Bengal.

The late 1980s witnessed a turn-around in the fortunes of SAIL, with Durgapur Steel Plant being one of the plants to be modernized at a cost of Rs. 5,000 crore. However, it continued to suffer huge operating losses and by the mid-1990s there were rumors of a slow death of the plant along with the city.

Fortunately, DSP management — with public support of the trade unions — was able to turn around the dire situation with thousands of job cuts through voluntary retirement schemes and modernizing efforts. Now Durgapur Steel Plant is operating at above its rated capacity and earning profits after deduction of substantial amount of interest and depreciation resulting from the massive investment in modernization. The plant is undergoing further expansion and is ready for a momentous future. A number of other industries, such as Alstom Projects India Limited (erstwhile ACC-Babcock Ltd), Philips Carbon Black Ltd., and Graphite India|Graphite India Ltd., were doing well. Alloy Steels Plant has turned the corner. MAMC has been taken over by power giant Damodar Valley Corporation, Coal India Limited, and BEML. Therefore, Durgapur presents a dual picture of growth and hope on one side and collapse on the other. The darker side covers such units as Bharat Ophthalmic and Hindustan Fertiliser Corporation.

Recent changes

Durgapur has been witnessing radical changes, along with rapid development in segments like industry, real estates, I.T. and I.T.E.S. firms, education etc., since the advent of the twenty-first century. The changes are with respect to infrastructure as well as industrial growth for steel (direct reduced iron), metal, cement and knowledge-based industries. More than 12 engineering and technology, management as well as professional study colleges opened up at Durgapur during the last five years . Housing co-operatives and flats, shopping malls, multiplexes, a science and energy park, a software technology park (STPI), hotels and stadiums have also come up. A shopping mall by A.D.D.A., named Suhatta, was opened by the then Chief Minister Mr. Buddhadeb Bhattacharya, in 2007. He inaugurated seven institutes that day including a polytechnic college. Star hotels like Peerless Inn, City Residency, Rose Valley etc. are here now.

Durgapur saw the setting up of 10 to 15 middle/large scale industrial investments in the iron and steel manufacturing sector including value added products like sponge iron, wire rods, T.M.T. bars (thermo mechanical treatment) for construction, iron casting powder etc., during the years 2001-2007. The prominent investors are MB Group, Jai Balaji group, SPS group, Adhunik Group of Industries, Neo Metallic, Stolberg India, Super Smelters Ltd., Shyam Steel, UltraTech Cement etc.

The Regional Engineering College was upgraded to 'National Institute of Technology' – the first Deemed University in Durgapur, and SRIJONI, a public hall equipped with technically advanced audio and video systems came into being.

City Centre has now grown to be the most happening place in Durgapur, with shopping malls, restaurants, star hotels and upscale residential complexes. It houses the main bus depot.

An airport city, Aerotropolis (an integrated city with contemporary infrastructure for industries, a logistics hub, I.T., hospitality, healthcare, education, retail and residence) is being developed by Bengal Aerotropolis Projects Limited (B.A.P.L.) at Durgapur. The project is being developed over an initial 2,182 acres (8.83 km²) plot of land. The airport, as a part of this Aerotropolis, is being designed by the world-renowned Changi Airport of Singapore. Real estate in Durgapur has seen a major boom in recent years, with property prices being hiked exponentially during the past decade. Internet-based property search portals like Homes Located have brought properties in Durgapur to the web.

I.T.E.S. firms like Hinduja Global Solutions Limited have already made Durgapur their Eastern Developmental Centre.

Administrative changes

Durgapur is a new industrial city. The administrative setup came in stages. Once the British settled down to ruling the country in the nineteenth century, they started effecting administrative changes. In 1837, when Bankura district was formed, Durgapur area was part of it. In 1847, Ranigunj subdivision was formed with three police stations – Ranigunj, Kanksa and Neamatpur - and it was made a part of Bardhaman district. In 1906, the subdivisional headquarters was shifted to Burdwan and the subdivision renamed accordingly. In 1910, the police stations in Asansol subdivision were Asansol, Ranigunj, Kanksa, Faridpur and Barakar. On 14 April 1968, Durgapur subdivision was carved out of Asansol subdivision.

Durgapur being an industrial city, the civic amenities of different company/ plant townships are taken care by the respective company/ plant authorities. However, there are civil localities such as the area around the railway station (what was the original Durgapur), the City Centre, Sepco, Bidhannagar, Benachitty, Muchipara and so on, which need civic facilities. In 1962, Durgapur Notified Area Authority was formed for the purpose. It was upgraded to a municipal corporation on 7 October 1996 and the company/ plant townships included in it, although civic amenities continue to be provided by the respective companies/ plants. Presently Durgapur Municipal Corporation (DMC) has 43 administrative divisions or Wards. The Wards are organised under 5 boroughs. It is one of the cleanest corporations of India. Asansol-Durgapur Development Authority or ADDA was established under the provision of West Bengal Town and Country (Planning & Development) Act 1979, (West Bengal Act XIII of 1979)by the merger of the former Asansol Planning Organization, Asansol, which was established in 1964, and the erstwhile Durgapur Development Authority, Durgapur established in 1958. ADDA started its functioning from 1 April 1980. Jurisdiction of ADDA is co-terminus with the jurisdictions of Asansol Municipal Corporation, Jamuria Panchayet Samiti, Community Development Blocks of Andal, Pandabeswar and Durgapur-Faridpur, Durgapur Municipal Corporation and a small part of Kanksa Community Development Block.

Education

National Institute of Technology

Durgapur is home to National Institute of Technology, Durgapur, an autonomous institution in eastern India of national importance. It is one of the 30 N.I.T.s in the country. N.I.T. Durgapur is one of the 8 old R.E.C.s established in 1956.

Central Mechanical Engineering Research Institute

The Central Mechanical Engineering Research Institute (also known as CSIR-CMERI Durgapur or CMERI Durgapur) is a public engineering research and development institution in Durgapur, West Bengal, India. It is a constituent laboratory of the Indian Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR). The institute is the only mechanical engineering research and development institution in India, dedicated to work in the mechanical and allied engineering disciplines.

National Power Training Institute (ER)

The National Power Training Institute (Also known as NPTI(ER) and formerly known as PETS, Durgapur) is an institute under Ministry of Power, Government of India. The Institute offers post graduate education in the field of power plants and also offers B. Tech. in Power Engineering. This institute is also associated with several industrial bodies for imparting training to plant personnel.

Other Important Colleges

Durgapur has many educational institutions. Schools include St. Peter's School (formerly Benachity High School, the oldest I.C.S.E. school in Durgapur), St. Xavier's School, Durgapur, Carmel Convent High School (M.A.M.C.), Carmel High School (Steel), St. Michael's School (Bidhannagar), Guru Teg Bahadur Public School, Assembly Of God Church School, Bidhan School, D.A.V. Model School, Hem Sheela Model School, Durgapur Projects Boys High School (H. S.), Durgapur Projects Township Boys' High School (H.S.), Durgapur M.A.M.C. Township Modern High School (H. S.), Kendriya Vidyalaya (C.M.E.R.I. and C.R.P.F.), Sainik School, Surenchandra Modern School (High), Durgapur Ispat Vidyalaya(D.I.V.), R. P. Vivekananda Vidyapith, Gopalmath High School, Durgapur A.V.B. High School, Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalaya, Aurobindo Vidya Mandir, Pranavananda Vidyamandir, Amrita Vidyalayam and Bidhan Chandra Institution. Other schools include A-Zone M.P. Boys' High School, B-Zone M.P.Boys' High School, Kashiram Das Road Boys' High School, Joydev Boys', Joydev Girls', G.M.P.S., Akbar Road Girls' High School, Benachity (Mohiskapur plot) High School (H. S.), and Amrai High School(H.S). There are quite a few new schools founded in the last few years. Notable among them are Beachwood School, D.I.C.V. School, Nirjhar Day Boarding School, Durgapur Public School, Durgapur Public Institute, and Zoom School and Delhi Public School, Durgapur The schools are mainly affiliated to WB Board, ICSE or CBSE boards. Others are seeking N.O.C. and affiliation. There are also Hindi medium schools like the Benachity Netaji Vidyalaya (H.S.), Nepali Para Hindi (H. S.)The Bharatiya Hindi (H. S.) and Gopalpur High(+2) School, Gopalpur

D.S.M.S. is a management college. N.S.H.M. is a hotel management college in Durgapur. Engineering colleges at Durgapur are B. C. Roy Engineering College, Bengal College of Engineering and Technology which is better known as B.C.E.T., Aryabhatta Institute Of Engineering & Management (also known as Aryabhatta Engineering College / A.I.E.M.D.), Durgapur Institute Of Advanced Technology and Management (also known as D.I.A.T.M.), Kanksa Academy of technology and Management, also known as K.A.T.M., Institute of Engineering & Industrial Technology, Durgapur (I.E.I.T.), ABS Academy-College of Science, Technology and Management Anupam Das Asst. Professor (Computer Science Department) and N.S.H.M.- College Of Engineering & Technology. Most of the colleges here are affiliated to the West Bengal University of Technology. National Institute of Management, popularly known as N.I.M. Durgapur, is making a debut in the field of education in Durgapur. National Power Training Institute, previously known as P.E.T.S. is also an engineering and technical institute in the region. Situated in City Center, under the Ministry of Power (Govt. of India), it offers courses in power engineering, post graduate diploma course and P.D.C. There are many other graduation colleges in Durgapur. Durgapur Government College (University of Burdwan) is the only N.A.A.C.-accredited college in the region, and received a grade of B++. Durgapur Women's College is a reputed college for over 40 years now. Michael Madhusudhan College is another new graduation college in Durgapur.

Sports facilities

• Nehru Stadium is the biggest sports stadium in the city. It has a huge football ground, basketball and volleyball courts, athletic tracks, modern fully equipped gymnasium etc. It is managed by Durgapur Steel Plant Authority.
• ASP stadium is another sporting center with a large ground, with all facilities for cricket, football, gymnastics, etc. It is managed by the Alloy Steel Plant Authority.
• 'Shahid Bhagat Singh Stadium' is a newly developed stadium, run by the Durgapur Municipal Corporation. Its football ground is one of the best in West Bengal. Teams like Mohun Bagan A.C. conduct their pre-season training camps here.
• 'Sidhu Kanu Indoor Stadium' is one of the best indoor stadiums in eastern India. It houses many sporting organisation and sporting association of Burdwan district, including Durgapur Sub-divisional Women's Sports Association, School Sports Association-Durgapur Sub-division, Burdwan District Badminton Association, Burdwan District Table Tennis Association and Burdwan District Physical Culture Association.

Some sporting clubs like Durgapur Boys Club, Santos Club, Tansen Athletic club etc. are active in the sporting sphere of the city and organize sporting events for young people.Many cricket clubs are situated in the town like Durgapur Cricket Club and many more.

Media

Durgapur is home to a large number of electronic media houses. In fact, it is next, only to Kolkata and Guwahati, in serving as the operation bases and headquarters for the largest number of electronic media channels in Eastern India. Express News, Axes Info Media, TV 7, Shaan (formerly HTV, DSTV (DSP owned channel), Hallow India, TV Bangla are some of them., Ganashakti, I-Core Ekdin, Sakalbela, Good Morning Asansol, Shilpanchal Express, are printed from the city. Anandabazar Patrika is published from Ghutgoria, near Durgapur, in Bankura District, and has a separate Asansol-Durgapur edition. Samay Sanket is the most controversial news paper publish from Durgapur .Dainik Jagaran has a Durgapur Edition, too. Durgapur Adda - the online news portal of Durgapur with daily news updates for all that is happening in and around the city of Durgapur is catering to all those who rely on online channels for news updates. Durgapur does not have any F.M. stations. However 92.7 Big FM and 93.5 Red FM has stations at Asansol and serves the twin cities of Asansol and Durgapur.

Places of interest

• City Centre - This is the only central business hub of the city, and is the costliest area of the city. The famous movie theatre Duragapur Cinema - popularly known as DC is located here.
• Junction Mall - Located in City Centre. Spread over 4,00,000 sq ft, on six floors over a total land area of 2.8 acres. Developed by the Shrachi group and designed by the renowned architect, Stephen Coates of aCTa International, Singapore, this mall is tagged as the biggest shopping destination in Durgapur. The mall has many high end retail stores like Pantaloons, Shopper's Stop, Max Lifestyle, Reliance Footprint, American Tourister, Sonodyne, Peter England, Story, Canon, Louis Philippe, Van Heusen, Allen Solly, Wrangler, Nike, Lee, Pepe, Levis, Provogue, Raymond, Turtle, Fabindia, Reebok, Adidas, Woodland, Café Coffee Day, United Colors Of Benneton, Converse, VIP, The Mobile Store, Bioscope (3 screens) (capacity - 800), KFC, Pizza Hut, Mc Donald's, Mainland China, Tamara, Spencer's Hyper(the first Spencer's Hyper mart in whole West Bengal) and many other popular brands. The mall houses cafes, gaming zones, branded restaurants and a host of important facilities.
• Mohan Kumar Mangalam Park - Located at Priyadarshini Indira Ave, B-Zone, Steel Township. Park area is 80 acres. Named after Late Mohan Kumar Mangalam (the first Steel Minister of India). Exalt Services manages the park. The park has a large artificial lake spread over an area of 10 acres and greenery all around. Major highlights include the presence of 1500 tall trees, two small hillocks, well maintained lawns with lots of flowers, meandering lake with boating facility and about six kilometer long pathway for moving around to breath the fresh air of the greens. Apart from its awesome natural beauty, the main attraction of the MKM Park is the 16-channel computerized Musical Fountain along the Lake. There are two entrances and each entrance is shaped like a horse-shoe, the opening of which faces the street outside. A large bronze statue of Ganesha, dancing and playing cymbals with an expression of fierceness on his face is placed at the entrance. A multi-cuisine restaurant and a fast food plaza inside the park provide a good option to pamper your taste buds. For the children there is a separate play arena. There are facilities to enjoy the paddle boat ride with your family and friends. Toy train and several other amusement rides are added attraction of the park. There are also separate party arenas for birthdays, marriages, celebrations and picnics.
• Dreamplex Mall - is not only the first shopping mall in Durgapur but also the first air-conditioned shopping mall in West Bengal beyond Kolkata, covering an area of 100,000 sq. ft. Big Bazaar(spread over 46,000 sq. ft.) is the anchor store here, and also the first Big Bazaar to open in West Bengal beyond Kolkata, this mall also houses a multiplex (Carnival Cinemas - 3 screens)(capacity - 999 seats), other shopping and entertainment stores.
• Fast food chains - KFC (Junction Mall, City Centre), Domino's (Beside Junction Mall, City Centre), Pizza Hut (Junction Mall, City Centre), Subway (Recol Park, City Centre), Mc Donald's (Junction Mall, City Centre).
• Multiplexes - 1. Carnival Cinemas (3 screens) (capacity - 999 seats) (Dreamplex Mall, City Centre). 2. Bioscope (3 screens) (capacity - 800) (Junction Mall, City Centre). 3. Arti Cinemas (3 screens) (Fortune Plaza, Benachity).
• Benachity Bazar- This is the largest shopping market place in Durgapur. Thousands of people flock the streets of this widely popular market area especially during the Puja season marketing.
• Fortune Plaza - A shopping mall located in Benachity. It has Reliance Digital, Reliance Trend, Arti Cinema (Multiplex). This multiplex has 3D screen facility.
• Suhatta is another shopping complex which has famous brands & designer retail outlets.

File:Suhatta Mall Durgapur.jpg

Suhatta Mall

• Durgapur Barrage – A dam and a tourist spot on river Damodar.
• Bhabani Pathak’s Tilla (Durgapur Science and Energy Park) – is located near the City Centre of Durgapur. Earlier there was a tunnel system from here to the Damodar River, but now that is closed from public view. Now, people can visit only the Tilla and the Science park. The park which was built by the WEBREDA is now closed.
• Ichhai Ghosh's Deul - Remains of an age old fort, now mostly in ruins. The brick built temple of Ichhai Ghosh is more than 500 years old, still stands erect against the backdrop of Garh jungle. Located on the bank of river Ajay, adjacent to it is the Shyamarupa temple.
• Rahreswar Shib Mandir – Located 3 km from the NH-2 Muchipara crossing on the Muchipara-Shibpur Road in the Arrah village opposite the NSHM Knowledge Campus, this 11th century Shiva temple is protected by the Archaeological Survey of India. It is located in the Gopalpur Gram Panchayet of Kanksa block. Thousands of people rush to this temple at the Maha Shivaratri.
• Santiniketan – location of Visva Bharati, established by Rabindranath Tagore. It is about 60 km away from Durgapur.
• Bishnupur – the famous terracotta temple town and home to major art and crafts. It is about 70 km away from Durgapur. The Bankura horse, symbol of Indian handicrafts is produced at Panchmura, near Bishnupur. It is also the home of the Baluchari sari, originally woven with motifs based on stories from the Ramayana and the Mahabharata, but now modernized.
• Jaydev Kenduli – temple and birthplace of Sanskrit poet Joydeb, on the banks of the Ajay River. This place is about 30 km away from Durgapur. On the occasion of Makar Sankranti (Winter Solstice), a fair is organized here. Bauls, religious singers with a detached philosophy and spontaneity of their own, participates in this fair, which is held in mid January every year.
• Bakreshwar – a hot spring and temple, lying about 60 km away from Durgapur.
• Churulia - birthplace of the famous Bengali poet Kazi Nazrul Islam. He is considered the national poet of Bangladesh. The village is about 60 km from Durgapur, and contains a museum with his works and a memorial for him.
• Randiha – The Anderson Weir (named after John Anderson, 1st Viscount Waverley, who inaugurated it), a diversion constructed in 1932, 19 km downstream of Durgapur Barrage on river Damodar is a wonderful serene tourist spot located in the Chaktentul Gram Panchayet in Galsi I block. Across the river lies Sonamukhi. A tourist to Randiha must visit the Ancient Mound at Bharatpur on the Silampur-Randiha Road, a monument of National Importance, has been excavated jointly by the Archaeological Survey of India and the University of Burdwan has yielded evidence of habitational sequence from the Chalcolithic times to the 12th century. Randiha is about 10 km from Panagarh railway station.
• Nehru Park, Burnpur – Originally named (& popular as Lahmeyer Park, after F.W.A.Lahmeyer, a General Manager of IISCO who had inaugurated it) Riverside Park, it has been renamed after Jawaharlal Nehru in 1989 on his birth centenary. Undulating terrain, meandering brook and a musical fountain are added attractions to the park. Located on the banks of the Damodar river in Burnpur. It is located 14  km south-west of the Asansol railway station with minibuses aplenty.

Non-governmental and charity organisations

• Rashtriya Sawyamsevak Sangh -the world's largest Non Governmental Organisation has 8 daily sakha in city of Durgapur.
• Third Eye Durgapur is Durgapur's first photography club and was established with an objective to promote photography in the steel city. Renowned photographer and travel writer Mr. Abhishek Roy is the founder and the present director of this club.
• Swami Vivekananda Vani Prachar Samity: Influenced by the teachings of Swami Vivekananda, few like minded people of Durgapur Steel Township.Many discourses and seminars are held.
• Bharat Sevashram Sangha is a charitable organization, having its roots in the ideals of Swami Pranavanandaji Maharaj. It organizes health camps, disaster reliefs, vocational trainings, and other activities.
• Art of Living center is in the town.
• Rarh Bangla katha sahitya Akademi (RBKA) is an important literary organization.
• Vivekananda Academic Aid Fund established to help the cause of talented but needy students inspired by the doctrine of selfess service of Swami Vivekananda.Mr.Jiban Banerjee,lecturer of Statistics at Bidhan Chandra Institution,Durgapur, and at Ramakrishna Mission Vidyamandira,kolkata is the current secretary of the organisation.
• GAIRIK BANDHAN is one of the well known cultural & social organisation of Durgapur.

Founder members of GAIRIK BANDHAN are Abhijit mukherjee,Ranjan Mukherjee,Sanjay Roy,Sekhar Ganguly,Subrata Mahapatra.

literary activities

Durgapur has a long history of art & literature. Nilkontha Mukherjee, a famous poet cum musician of 18th century was hailed from Durgapur. A reputed Literary movement called "Neem Sahitya Aandolon " in Bengali literature was originated from Durgapur. Since then, many powerful writers & poets have been emerged from this city who have got widely recognized and appreciated for their creative writings.Sudhangsu Sen,Chaitali Majumder, Mrinal Banik, Biman Chottopadhyay, Brajakumar Sarkar,Narayan Majumder, Dishari Mukhopadhyay, Kollolshri Majumdar, Manobendu Roy, Biman Majhi, snehasish Mukhopadhyay are notable poets/writers of this city. As many as 20 literary magazines with good reputation are published from Durgapur.

• Important Literary Magazines of Durgapur
• TRISTOOP (Edited by Brajakumar Sarkar since 2001 )
• Ujjol Ek Jhank( Edited by Mrinal Banik )
• Dhitang Dhitang ( Edited by Narayan Majumder/Chaitali Majumder )
• Astoraag edited by Manobendu Roy/Sunitiprosad Mondal
• Kurukshetra edited by Snehasis Mukhopadhyay
• Anwesha edited by Ashok Majumdar

External links

• Bardhaman district official site
• Durgapur travel guide from Wikivoyage