Pilibhit district General information
The district of Pilibhit is the north-eastern most district of Rohilkhand division which is situated in the sub Himalayan belt on the boundary of Nepal. It lies between the parallels of 28o6' and 28o53' north latitude and the meridians of 79o57' and 80o27' east longitude. On the north are the district Udhamsingh Nagar and the territory of Nepal, on the south lies the Shahjahanpur district, on the east the district is flanked for a short distance by district Kheri and for the remaining distance by the Shahjahanpur district and on the west the district of Bareilly. According to the central statistical organization, the District Pilibhit had an area of 3,504 sq km on July 1, 1971, occupying 49th position in the state. Major part of Pilibhit District is covered by dense forest. Total 78478 hectare is forest. The Sharda canal is the main canal of the district, the others being its branches. Total length of canals in the district is 938 Km. Though Pilibhit District is a bit backword in the area of industry. The main crop in this area is sugar cane. So there are four sugar factories at Majhola, Puranpur, Bisalpur and Pilibhit. Three factories are in co-operative sector and one at Pilibhit is in private sector. Other major units are three solvent plants, one flour mill, one steel plant and one Alcohal Distillery. Small scale industries are Rice mills, engineering units, brick klins, candles and mainly bansuri (flute) manufacturing.
HISTORY
In 1801 when Rohilkhand was ceded to the British Pilibhit was a Pargana of The District Of Bareilly, which lost it in 1833, the arrangement being temporary and the tract being again united with Bareilly in 1841. In 1871 was formed the Pilibhit subdivision comprising Jahanabad, Pilibhit and Puranpur which was eventually converted into a seprate District in 1879. At the introduction of the British rule the parganas of Pilibhit, Jahanabad & Bisalpur was formed into seprate Tehsils. Puranpur was united for this purpose with Khutar. A redistribution of the area was effected in 1824, when the Bisalpur Tehsil contained the Parganas of Bisalpur and Maurari, which afterwords become a single area; Jahanabad was joined with Richha to form tehsil Pareva & Pilibhit with Bilheri, the HQ being at Pilibhit. In 1851 Bilheri and the other tarai pargana were taken under direct management and in 1863 Richha was attached to the new Baheri Tehsil, Pargana Jahanabad being assigned to Pilibhit which also received Puranpur on its transfer in 1865. The latter, in 1871, a became subtehsil dependent on Pilibhit. The promotion of Puranpur into a full Tehsil occurred in 1879, while Bisalpur throughout remained a seprate subdivision.Thus the area is now divided into three Tehsils and four Parganas. Puranpur & Bisalpur constituting individual Tehsils and Parganas & the Tehsil of Pilibhit comprising the paraganas of Pilibhit and Jahanabad.
AREA
According to the central statistical organisation the District Pilibhit had an area of 3,504 sq.km. on July 1, 1971, occupying 49th position in the state. Major part of Pilibhit District is covered by dense forest. Total 78478 hectare is forest.
LOCATION AND BOUNDARIES
The district of Pilibhit is the north-eastern most district of Rohilkhand division which is situated in the sub Himalayan belt on the boundary of Nepal. It lies between the parallels of 28o6' and 28o53' north latitude and the meridians of 79o57' and 80o27' east longitude. On the north are the district Udhamsingh Nagar and the territory of Nepal, on the south lies the Shahjahanpur district, on the east the district is flanked for a short distance by district Kheri and for the remaining distance by the Shahjahanpur district and on the west the district of Bareilly.
POPULATION
According to the census of 1991 the total population is 1283103, out of which 1046247 rural and 206775 urban population.
ORIGIN NAME OF DISTRICT PILIBHIT
The present town is of comaparatively recent origin but there is still a village known as 'Old Pilibhit' standing on the left bank of the Khakra river about 5 Km. to the north-east near the road to Neoria. This village had always been occupied by the Banjaras of the Periya clan. It is supposed that Pilibhit is the corruption of Periya Bhit or the village mound of the Periyas and also that the name Pilibhit has beed derived from a yellow mud wall which once surrounded the district.
TOPOGRAPHY
In its general appearence the district presents diverse features and topographically may be divided into several distinct tracts. In the north and north-west the tract is a continuation of the Terai. The southern portion of the Bisalpur Tehsil is similar in most respect to the adjacent tract of Bareilly and Shahjahanpur. The eastern and smaller section approximates rather to undeveloped forest areas of Khiri, though with the spread of cultivation the dissimilarity between Puranpur and the rest of the district is gradually becoming less marked.
RIVERS & WATER SOURCES
Sharda
Chauka or Chuka
Gomti
Khanaut
Mala
Deoha
Lohia
Khakra
Rapatua
Sundaria & Kailas
Absara
Pangaili
Fulhar Lake (Madhotanda)
Mahadev lake (Jamunia)
Bari lake(Bithora Kalan)
Anwar ganj lake (Anwarganj)
Balpur lake (Balpur mandalia)
INDUSTRY
Though Pilibhit District is a bit backword in the area of industry. The main crop in this area is sugar cane. So there are four sugar factories at Majhola, Puranpur, Bisalpur and Pilibhit. Three factories are in co-operative sector and one at Pilibhit is in private sector. Other major units are three solvent plants, one flour mill, one steel plant and one Alcohal Distillery.
Small scale industries are Rice mills, engineering units, brick klins, candles and mainly bansuri (flute) manufacturing.