Baghpat District
History
Baghpat city, after which the district takes its name, derives its name either from vyagprastha ("land of tigers") or from vakyaprasth ("place for delivering speeches"). the city was finally named Baghpat, or Bagpat, during the Mughal era. Starting from a small commercial center known as the Mandi, the city grew in importance after the 1857 mutiny and became the headquarters of Baghpat tehsil.
Baghpat district was created in the year September 1997 and named after the erstwhile Baghpat tehsil of Meerut district.
Geography
The district has an area of 1,321 square kilometres (510 sq mi). Baghpat town lies on the east bank of the Yamuna River and is within the National Capital Region.
It borders Sonipat and Panipat districts of Haryana; Meerut, Muzaffarnagar, Shamli, and Ghaziabad districts of Uttar Pradesh; and the National Capital Territory of Delhi
It is 40 kilometres (25 mi) from Delhi, the national capital, 52 kilometres (32 mi) from Meerut, and 55 kilometres (34 mi) from Ghaziabad.
Water quality issues
Bagpat district, along with other districts in western Uttar Pradesh, faces significant challenges regarding water quality. The National Green Tribunal (NGT) has been addressing these issues, particularly concerning heavy metal contamination in groundwater.
The NGT has criticised local authorities for failing to provide clean drinking water to residents despite multiple directives. Reports indicate dangerously high levels of arsenic in the groundwater, posing severe health risks, including cancer and physical deformities. In the village of Jalalpur, arsenic levels were found to be 40 mg/l, 4000 times the acceptable limit.
There have been serious physical disabilities observed in children due to contaminated water. Villages along the Hindon, Krishni, and Kali rivers are particularly affected, with residents suffering from skin diseases, congenital deformities, and cancer due to heavy metals and toxins in the water.
The Central Ground Water Board (CGWB) has reported declining groundwater levels and quality issues in Bagpat district, particularly in Binauli, Pilana, and Khekra blocks. About 96.60% of the net irrigated area relies on groundwater.
To address these challenges, the NGT has ordered scientific studies of groundwater quality and directed the Uttar Pradesh Jal Nigam to ensure the supply of clean drinking water to affected villages. These measures are crucial for safeguarding public health and ensuring sustainable water management in Bagpat district.
Demographics
| Year | Pop. | ±% p.a. |
|---|---|---|
| 1901 | 347,045 | — |
| 1911 | 342,354 | −0.14% |
| 1921 | 341,292 | −0.03% |
| 1931 | 364,792 | +0.67% |
| 1941 | 431,893 | +1.70% |
| 1951 | 519,483 | +1.86% |
| 1961 | 606,642 | +1.56% |
| 1971 | 701,493 | +1.46% |
| 1981 | 852,462 | +1.97% |
| 1991 | 1,030,399 | +1.91% |
| 2001 | 1,163,991 | +1.23% |
| 2011 | 1,303,050 | +1.13% |
| source: | ||
According to the 2011 census, Bagpat district has a population of 1,303,048, which is roughly equal to that of African nation of Mauritius or the US state of New Hampshire. This gives it a ranking of the 376th most populous districts in India (out of a total of 640). The district has a population density of 986 inhabitants per square kilometre (2,550/sq mi) . Its population growth rate over the decade 2001-2011 was 11.87%. Bagpat has a sex ratio of 858 females for every 1000 males, and a literacy rate of 73.54%. 21.11% of the population lived in urban areas. Scheduled Castes make up 11.44% of the population.
Baghpat is a Hindu-majority district, with about 70% Hindu population and 28% Muslim population. Jains make up over 1% of the population.
96.74% of the population of the district spoke Hindi, and 2.54% Urdu, as their first language.
Administration
Legislative constituencies
The current Member of the Legislative Assembly (MLA) of the Uttar Pradesh Vidhan Sabha for Baghpat is Yogesh Dhama; the MLA for Baraut is Krishan Pal Malik; and the MLA for Chhaprauli is [Ajay Kumar ]. All of these state-legislature constituencies are part of the Baghpat Lok Sabha constituency, whose MP is Satya Pal Singh.
District administration
The present district magistrate of Baghpat is Jitendra Pratap Singh and Superintendent of Baghpat Police is Arpit Vijayvargiya.
Tehsils and blocks
Bagpat district is divided into 3 tehsils: Baghpat, Baraut, and Khekra. Baghpat tehsil comprises two blocks – Baghpat and Pilana; while Baraut comprises three – Binauli, Chhaprauli, and Baraut. Khekra tehsil comprises only the Khekra block. Baghpat, Baraut, Doghat Rural and Khekada are the major towns in the district.
Villages
Economy
Baghpat town has an agriculture-based economy where sugarcane is a main crop. There are sugar mills in Baghpat, Ramala and Malakpur. Wheat, mustard, and vegetables are also extensively grown.
Education
Colleges located in Baghpat include:
Notable people
- Nitin Tomar, professional Indian kabaddi player
- Satya Pal Malik, politician, serving as the 21st Governor of Meghalaya
- Satya Pal Singh, former minister
- Chandro Tomar, sharpshooter
- Prakashi Tomar, sharpshooter
- Sah Mal, freedom fighter who led the 1857 mutiny from Baghpat
- Mahima Chaudhry, Bollywood actress
- Ram Karan Sharma, Scientist
- Rajendra Singh, Social Worker