Akola

This article is about the city in Maharashtra, India. For its namesake district, see Akola district.
For other uses, see Akola district.
Akola
अकोला
City
Akola
Coordinates: 20°42′N 77°00′E / 20.7°N 77.00°E / 20.7; 77.00Coordinates: 20°42′N 77°00′E / 20.7°N 77.00°E / 20.7; 77.00
Country  India
State Maharashtra
Region Vidarbha
District Akola
Settled 17th Century
Government
  Type Mayor–Council
  Body AMC
  Mayor Mrs. Ujwala Deshmukh
  Municipal Commissioner Ajay Lahane
Area
  City 60 km2 (20 sq mi)
  Urban 210 km2 (80 sq mi)
Elevation 286 m (938 ft)
Population (2011)
  City 427,146
  Rank 99th
  Density 7,100/km2 (18,000/sq mi)
  Metro 721,849
Demonym(s) Akolekar
Languages
  Official Marathi
Time zone IST (UTC+5:30)
PIN 444001
Telephone code 0724
Vehicle registration MH 30(Akola), MH 37(Washim)
Literacy 91.34%

Akola is a city in Vidarbha region in the state of Maharashtra in central India. It is about 584 km east of state capital Mumbai and 250 km west of second capital Nagpur. Akola is the administrative headquarters of Akola District located in Amravati Division, Akola city is governed by Akola Municipal Corporation.

Today, Akola is a developing city and it is one of the major cities of the vidarbha region. Akola has very good grain market, oil mills, dal (pulses) mills & is known for production of cotton. The IT sector is also growing at a fast pace.

Akola district has an area of about 5,431 square kilometers and population of 1,818,617 (2011 census). Akola is the third largest city in Vidarbha region after Nagpur and Amravati. Marathi is the most popular spoken language, though Hindi, English and Urdu are also used. Akola District is bordered on the north and east by Amravati District, on the south by Washim District, and on the west by Buldhana District.

History

Akola Fort - a part of history preserved.

Akola District along with the rest of the Berar province was part of the legendary kingdom of Vidarbha mentioned in the Mahabharata. Barar also formed part of the Mauryan Empire during the reign of Ashoka (272 to 231 BCE). Berar later came under the rule of the Satavahana dynasty (2nd century BCE–2nd century CE), the Vakataka dynasty (3rd to 6th centuries), the Chalukya dynasty (6th to 8th centuries), the Rashtrakuta dynasty (8th to 10th centuries), the Chalukyas again (10th to 12th centuries) and finally the Yadava dynasty of Devagiri (late 12th to early 14th centuries). A period of Muslim rule began when Ala ud din Khilji, Sultan of Delhi, conquered the region in the early 14th century. The region was part of the Bahmani Sultanate, which broke away from the Delhi Sultanate in the mid-14th century. The Bahmani Sultanate broke up into smaller sultanates at the end of the 15th century, and in 1572 Berar became part of the Nizam Shahi sultanate, based at Ahmadnagar. The Nizam Shahis ceded Berar to the Mughal Empire in 1595. The Mughals ruled the BBerar province during 17th century. As Mughal rule started to unravel at the start of the 18th century, Asaf Jah I, Nizam of Hyderabad seized the southern provinces of the empire (including Berar) in 1724, forming an independent state.

But the rise of Maratha Empire (from 1674 to 1760) under the command of Chhatrapati Shivaji succeeded by his son Sambhaji and grandson Shahu brought the whole Berar province including Akola district under the Maratha Empire around 1734. In 1749 at the time of his death, Shahu appointed the Peshwa as the head of the Maratha Empire with certain conditions to follow. The Berar province remained under the Marathas.

The Battle of Argaon, (or Adgaon near Akot) in took place on 28 November 1803 between the British under the command of Governor Arthur Wellesley and the forces of Maratha under Bhonsle of Nagpur during Second Anglo-Maratha War. In the third Anglo-Maratha War, the last Peshwa Baji Rao II, was defeated by the British. In 1853, Akola district together with the rest of Berar came under the administration of the British East India Company. Berar was divided into East and West Berar with Akola district being included in West Berar. In 1903, Berar was leased to the Nizam of Hyderabad by the British East India Company in return of the debt.

Sundarabai Khandelwal Tower is a landmark of Akola city.

The CONGRESS's proposed linguistic provinces plan before the Independence of India had positioned Akola as the headquarters of the Berar region.[1][2]

After India gained its Independence in 1947, the states and provinces were reorganized in 1956. Berar was divided among different states. Akola became a part of bilingual Bombay state which was further divided into two states in 1960. Akola became a part of the new Maharashtra State. The Narnala fort, Akot fort, Akola fort and Balapur Fort are some of the famous monuments in Akola.

Geography and climate

Akola is located at latitude 20.7° North and longitude 77.07° East. It is at an altitude of 925 ft (282m) above sea level. Akola has a tropical savanna climate (Köppen climate classification Aw), and people predominately wear cotton clothes. Akola has a National Weather Station which serves as the local weather center. Annual temperatures range from a high of 47.6 °C (117.68 °F) to a low of 2.2 °C (35.96 °F). Akola lies on the Tropic of Cancer and becomes very hot during the summer, especially in May. Although it can be very hot in the day, it is cooler at night. The annual rainfall averages 800 mm. Most of the rainfall occurs in the monsoon season between June and September, but some rain does fall during January and February.

On the north, Akola is bordered by the Melghat Hills and forest region. The highest point in Akola District at about 950–970 m is present there in the northern Satpuda region. The Morna River flows through Akola. Purna River forms a part of the north border of the district, and the top north portion of the district lies within its watershed along with Aas River and Shahnur River. Vaan River forms a part of the northwest boundary of the district after entering from the Amravati district. Maan River drains the southwestern portion of the district. Morna River drains the mid-south portion of the district, while the southeast is drained by the Katepurna and Uma rivers.

Some of the rivers in Akola and their tributaries are Purna, Uma, Katepurna, Shahnur, Morna, Man, Aas and Vaan. There are many dams in Akola district; Mahan, on Katepurna river is one of them. There were floods in 1978, 1992, and 2003.

Climate data for Akola
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Record high °C (°F) 35.0
(95)
38.2
(100.8)
42.6
(108.7)
45.8
(114.4)
46.4
(115.5)
45.4
(113.7)
39.7
(103.5)
36.6
(97.9)
39.2
(102.6)
39.3
(102.7)
35.8
(96.4)
34.3
(93.7)
46.4
(115.5)
Average high °C (°F) 29.9
(85.8)
32.8
(91)
37.3
(99.1)
40.9
(105.6)
42.5
(108.5)
37.6
(99.7)
32.4
(90.3)
30.6
(87.1)
32.5
(90.5)
34.1
(93.4)
31.7
(89.1)
29.5
(85.1)
34.32
(93.77)
Average low °C (°F) 13.1
(55.6)
15.4
(59.7)
19.7
(67.5)
24.2
(75.6)
27.3
(81.1)
25.5
(77.9)
23.5
(74.3)
23.0
(73.4)
22.5
(72.5)
19.7
(67.5)
15
(59)
12.4
(54.3)
20.11
(68.2)
Record low °C (°F) 5.8
(42.4)
7.8
(46)
10.0
(50)
16.4
(61.5)
20.2
(68.4)
20.8
(69.4)
20.4
(68.7)
19.8
(67.6)
15.2
(59.4)
13.0
(55.4)
8.0
(46.4)
6.8
(44.2)
5.8
(42.4)
Average precipitation mm (inches) 10.4
(0.409)
8.1
(0.319)
10.0
(0.394)
4.1
(0.161)
9.8
(0.386)
144.9
(5.705)
217.2
(8.551)
196.6
(7.74)
122.7
(4.831)
47.7
(1.878)
18.7
(0.736)
12.1
(0.476)
802.3
(31.586)
Average rainy days 1.4 1.4 0.9 0.4 1.4 9.2 13.4 13.4 7.6 3.3 1.3 0.9 54.6
Average relative humidity (%) 46 37 26 24 31 56 73 78 68 55 48 47 49.1
Source #1: India Meteorological Department (1901-2000)[3]
Source #2: NOAA (extremes, mean, rain days, humidity, 1971-1990)[4]

Medical facilities

Akola is well known for its medical facilities. It is a major center for advanced medical treatments, such as the Elizarov Technique, IVF. Akola city has largest number of Hospitals and Clinics in Paschim Varhad (Western Vidarbha). Major hospitals in Akola include: Civil Hospital and Sant Tukaram Cancer Hospital

Demographics

As of 2011 India census,[6] Akola City had a population of 427,146 and the Akola urban area including the neighbouring areas of Khadki, Malkapur, Shivani had a population of about 721,849 (2011 est.). Of the total population, males constitute about 52% and females about 48%. Thirteen percent of the total population is under the age of 6. Akola has an effective literacy rate of 91.34% as of 2012.

Local government

Akola city is divided into 73 electoral wards and 4 zones. The Akola Municipal Corporation was established on 1st Oct. 2001 is headed by a Municipal Commissioner & Mayor who is assisted by the Deputy Mayor. They carry out the work through various committees such as Standing Committee, Law Committee, Education Committee, Women and Child Welfare Committee, City Development Committee and Four Zonal Committees for the Four Zones. Mrs. Ujwala Deshmukh is the mayor of Akola city. Akola Municipal Transport (AMT) runs Akola's public transport service. The neighbouring suburbs like Shivani, Malkapur, Akoli, Kharab and so on are decided to be encluded into Municipal limit. Akola Municipal Corporation has launched its website from 29 December 2011[7]

Industry and economy

Mahabeej Bhavan, Akola.

Akola, called as Cotton City, is known for its cotton production and is the largest cotton-producing district in India. The city is also famous for its pulses (dal), oil, and textile mills. The city had all along been an important commercial and trading center. The facility of goods transportation & communication system in the form of Railway and roads in addition with the extension of the electric grid system and establishment of the Paras Thermal Power Station ensuring adequate electric power supply have contributed to the industrial development of the city in recent years.

The Dr. Panjabrao Deshmukh Krishi Vidyapeth with its headquarters at Akola came into existence on 20 October 1969 and it added to the importance and development of the city. The city is also very famous for its one Indian game "Carrom" that is produced in this city because of availability of good quality raw material

Akola MIDC Industrial Area

The Akola MIDC Industrial Area is the largest and most economical industrial area in the division, it has three prominent industrial zones on the outskirts of the city.Cotton and Jowar are the predominant crops grown in the district. Oil and Dal mills are also rampant. The economy is mostly agriculture based. Nowadays, soyabean crop is an important crop as major soyabean plants have come up in the area. The total land under Akola MIDC Industrial area is 6.25  km2. There are about 25 factories (3 large factories and 22 small factories) currently in production and another 10 small factories are in the process of being constructed. Maharashtra Government has sanctioned growth centres close to Akola MIDC area. An application of the Maharashtra Industrial Development Corporation (MIDC) for setting up an Agro- processing Special Economic Zone (SEZ) in Akola district has been approved. Maharashtra State Seeds corporation (Mahabeej) has head office at Akola. There is a growing demand for setting up divisional MIDC office at Akola to cater to Akola, Washim and Buldhana districts which are away from current divisional office and also lack good industrial growth.

Well known industrial groups like the Birla Group and the Mafatlal Group have established their industries and important industries such as Berar Oil Industries, Simplex Mill, Polyophin Industry now known as NOCIL, Co-operative Spanning mill, Mohata Cotton Mill (NTC Ltd ) etc. are located in the city.

Power Supply

Maharashtra State Electricity Distribution Company Limited (MAHAVITARAN) provides the electric supply to the city.

Paras Thermal Power Station: Paras thermal power station is the oldest of all Mahagenco Power plants which is located about 20 km to west from the city. The station has witnessed the third generation technology. The station had 30 MW installed capacity in 1961 with a stroke boiler. The same unit was abandoned in 1993 due to aging.[8]

Media and communication

Banking and financial services

In the 2000s (decade), Akola has seen a spurt in financial activities, with almost all public sector and private banks have opened up branches including the State Bank of India, State Bank of Hyderabad, Axis Bank, Canara Bank, Saraswat Bank, Citi Bank, ICICI Bank, Bank of India, HDFC Bank, IDBI Bank, Bank of Maharashtra, Bank of Baroda, Allahabad Bank, Akola Urban Co-Operative Bank, Shamrao Vithhal Sahkari Bank, TJSB Bankb and ADCC Bank,Akola Janata Commercial cooperative Bank

Education

Dr. Panjabrao Deshmukh Krishi Vidyapeeth (PDKV) Akola - Agricultural University.
College of Engineering & Technology, Akola

Higher education

Akola has a famous Agricultural University Dr. Panjabrao Deshmukh Krishi Vidyapeeth (PDKV) established by Government of Maharashtra on 20- 10-1969. Earlier, it was part of Maharashtra Krishi Vidyapeeth since 1-6 1968. The university attracts students from far distances for its Agricultural science and Agricultural Engineering and Technology courses. All other professional colleges in Akola are affiliated with Sant Gadge Baba Amravati University.

Engineering Colleges:

Medical Science colleges:

Other prominently known colleges of Akola city are:

Education

Noel English High School, Akola
Mount Carmel School, Akola

Most schools in Akola are affiliated to Maharashtra State Board of Secondary and Higher Secondary Education. The Municipal Corporation controls all public schools in the city.

Sports

Akola has very good tradition of sports. A number of state level tournament as well as national tournaments of various indoor and outdoor games are hosted here. Mostly played sports in Akola city include Cricket, Carrom, Football, Hockey, Volleyball, Boxing, Kabaddi, Chess, Badminton etc.

Some of the famous stadiums and playground in Akola region include:

Akola Cricket Club Ground referred as ACC is the prominent cricket grounds in the region & is the homeground of the Akola cricket club. The ground has held two first-class matches, the first of which came in the 1983/84 Ranji Trophy when Vidarbha played the Railways, while the second saw Rajasthan as the visitors in the 1984/85 Ranji Trophy.[12]

Vasant Desai Stadium is the stadium which is famous in the region as it is always hosts the district level tournaments of games like running, volleyball, swimming, boxing, kabbadi etc.

Lal Bahadur Shastri Stadium is located near Sundarabai Khandelwal Tower which is a landmark of Akola city, the stadium hosts the games like Football, Cricket, etc.

Other prominent stadiums of Akola include:

Agriculture

A full-grown cotton plant

Agriculture is the main occupation of the people in rural parts of the region. Cotton, soybean and Jawar (sorghum) are the essential crops grown in the district. Other important crops of the region are wheat, sunflower, canola, peanut, Bajra (pearl millet), Harbara (chick peas), Toor (pigeon peas), Urad and Moong (Green Gram), etc. Most crops are dependent on the monsoon. Only 15% of Maharashtra's gross cropped area is irrigated, compared with the national average of 32.9% in 1989–90. Vidarbha's Amravati division's (including Akola District) share of gross cropped area under irrigation of 9%.

Considered one of Maharashtra's least developed regions, Vidarbha has seen not only farmers' suicides but also deaths caused by malnutrition. In some tribal are major reasons[13] of recent suicide deaths of farmers in the Akola region and other surrounding parts of Vidarbha, which has rung alarm bells in the Maharashtra state government and government of India. Bharat Krishak Samaj, one of the leading organizations of farmers in India, is very active in Akola region. It has played a crucial role in promoting the voice of the common farmers of the Vidarbha region to the attention of the Indian government under the chairmanship of Prakash Shriram Mankar. Vidarbha region has long demanded a separate state to support the economy and agriculture of the region, which has been neglected by the Maharashtra State government in all sectors. The Government of India's intervention has failed to provide government aid packages and has also failed to bring any change in the working conditions of the farmers of the region. Oil and Dal mills are becoming rampant in this region because of the crops taken. Textile mills are also increasing to support the cotton growing industry.

Transportation

Akola has the vehicle registration code of 30.

Air

Main article: Akola Airport

Akola Airport, (also known as Shivani Airport) (IATA: AKD, ICAO: VAAK) is the domestic airport of Akola city at an elevation of 999 ft. Akola Airport(Name - Shivani Airport) was built by British authorities in 1940's and was operated regularly for flights to Mumbai. But it is a non functional airport now and has one runway (4,600×145 ft). The expansion and functioning of the airport has been delayed as it is unable to get land from Dr. Panjabrao Deshmukh Krishi Vidyapeeth . It is one of the oldest airports in India. The airport is just 7 km from the city on National Highway No. 6. The nearest international airport is at Nagpur (250) and at Aurangabad, Maharashtra (265) . Renovation and operation of Akola airport is taken by Airport Authority of India. The Nagpur bench of Mumbai High Court has recently given the decision to take-over the required land for extension of Akola Airport from the Dr. PDKV. The work is expected to be started soon. After the extension of runway and renovation of other infrastructure, the regular flight service is supposed to be commenced.

Road

National Highway No.6 Passes Through Akola

The "NH6" runs through Akola from Hazira (Surat) to Kolkata. NH6 is a part of Asian Highway 46.The NHAI has declared to build up a new national highway from Akola to Hyderabad in Telangana State. It has been numbered as National Highway 161 (New) : Akola - Nanded - Sangareddy. State Highway no. 68 & 69 also pass through the municipal limits. Another highways include - State Highway 204, State Highway 200 : Akola - Amravati, State highway 197.

Bus

City Transport: Akola Municipal Transport (AMT) runs Akola's public transport service. Autorickshaw is also widely used in Akola city for city transport. Traffic is generally a problem, in the form of congestion due to increasing number of vehicles. Road accidents are often fatal and are very common. The municipal corporation is working with the IRDP (Integrated Rural Development Planning) to develop the roads of the city. This may create a new face of the city. The stopped service of AMT bus transport is getting restarted by December 2015 with total 35 buses and an improved face. The local government has decided to reserve three buses for ladies of the 15 buses to be introduced in the 1st phase of installation of service. This decision considered appreciable.

Inter-city transport: Maharashtra state transport buses are most commonly used by people to travel to rural parts of the region. They are the cheapest means of transport. State-owned and private air-conditioned bus services run daily to most major cities to and from Akola. The bus frequency is good. Bus service is available for cities like Pune, Nagpur, Bhopal, Indore, Hyderabad, Nanded, Amravati, Mumbai, Nashik, Surat and Jabalpur and other important cities and towns in Maharashtra and the neighboring states.

Railway

Main article: Akola railway station
Mount Carmel School Chowk - Railway Station Road, Akola.
Newly Built Railway Station at Shivani

Akola has good railway connectivity with direct trains to Mumbai, Delhi, Ahmedabad, Rajkot, Okha, Surat, Nanded Jodhpur, Bikaner, Jaipur, Kolhapur, Pune, Kamakhya, Indore, Mhow, Ujjain, Khandwa, Ratlam, Bhopal, Chittorgarh, Nagpur, Gondia, Bilaspur, Howrah, Hatia, Puri, Madras, Hingoli, Purna, Parli Vaidnath, Tirupati, Ganganagar, Secundarabad and Nampally, Hyderabad and a lot more important railway stations in the country.

Akola, situated on both the broad gauge Howrah-Nagpur-Mumbai line and the Kacheguda-Jaipur meter gauge line, is an important junction for passengers from North and South India and also for freight trains.

Broadgauging of Akola Junction-Purna railway line under Unigauge has recently completed and passenger train have started running on this route. The work of (meter gauge-broad gauge) gauge conversion of Akola Junction - Indore Junction MG and Indore Junction MG - Ratlam railway line of SCR zone has started and is projected to be completed in upcoming 2–3 years.

Important railway stations in Akola region with their codes are Paras, Gaigaon, Akola Junction (AK), Murtizapur Junction (MZR) and are under Bhusawal-Badnera Section of Bhusawal Division of Central Railway.

Some of the trains originated from Akola Junction are:

The other stations under meter gauge are Hiwarkhed (HWK), Adgaon Buzurg (ABZ), Akot (AKOT), Patsul (PTZ), Ugwe (UGWE), Akola Junction, Shivani Shivpur (SVW), Barshitakli (BSQ), Lohogad (LHD), Aman Vadi (AMW), Jaulka (JUK) are under Purna - Khandwa Section of South Central Railway.

The stations under narrow gauge are Lakhpuri, Murtizapur Junction, Karanja under two Narrow Gauge Branch lines viz Murtizapur-Achalpur and Murtizapur-Yavatmal of Bhusawal Division of Central Railway.

In 2009, a new railway station was built at Shivani-Shivar to reduce the load of goods transport of Akola Junction railway station. It is the modification of meter gauge station into broad gauge station. It now connects Purna to Hyderabad through Akola. Akola Junction railway station is one of the Top 100 Booking Stations in India. Now Akola urban area has two stations - Akola Junction and Shivani-Shivapur Railway Station

Culture and religion

Marathi Sahitya Sammelan, the conference on Marathi Literature, was held twice in Akola city. They were presided by Hari Narayan Apte in 1912 and Gopal Nilkanth Dandekar in 1981.

Religion in City (2011)[14]

  Hinduism (54.93%)
  Islam (29.93%)
  Christianity (0.41%)
  Sikhism (0.20%)
  Buddhism (12.90%)
  Jainism (1.45%)
  Other Religions (0.02%)
  Atheist (0.11%)

Akola is city with mix of religions and cultures. There are several Hindus, Buddhists, Muslims, Sikhs, Jains, Christians places of worship in Akola.

Temples:

Raj-Rajeshwar Temple, Akola.

Mosques: There are a number of mosques in the town. Important amongst them are the Badi Masjid (Markaz), Masjid Mominpura & Kachchhi Masjid. Other Mosques in Akola city:

Churches:

Notable personalities

Places of Interest

Shegaon (in Buldana District), a very famous pilgrimage place of "Gajanan Maharaj is just 35 km from Akola. Gajanan Maharaj Sansthan is the biggest temple trust in the Vidarbha region and is called "Pandharpur of Vidarbha". The origin of Gajanan Maharaj is untraceable in history. People from all over Maharashtra visit Shegaon and offer their prayers to Gajanan Maharaj.

(Marathi नरनाळा) also known as "Shahanur Fort" is an Indian hill fortress in Maharashtra, India. The name Narnala was given after the Rajput Ruler Narnal Singh or Narnal Swami. The fort was built in 10 A.D. by Gond Kings. Narnala Wildlife Sanctuary which is situated 40 km from Akola city is a principal tourist destination. Home to leopard, birds and sambar, this wildlife sanctuary encompass many trees like teal, kusum and salai.

'Nehru Park is the well-known Amusement and Water Park. It became the pride of city by installing India's first 3D Planetarium.[16] Laser show and musical fountain have now become added attractions in Nehru Park. The first of its kind in Vidarbha and second in Maharashtra.A 350-seat stadium has been set up in the park.

Ashok vatika is an important religious place for buddhist & dalit peoples in Akola city, there are the statues of Dr. B R Ambedkar, Siddharth Gautam Buddha and Mahatma Jyotirao Phule inside, People gather in a large number to pray, it is located at the centre of Akola city.

Akola’s oldest Shiva temple is Rajeshwar Mandir, the city derives its nickname as Rajeshwar Nagari by it.

See also

References

  1. "101". Retrieved 19 September 2014.
  2. "101a". Retrieved 19 September 2014.
  3. "Climate of Ahmedabad" (PDF). India meteorological department. Retrieved 31 May 2014.
  4. "Akola Climate Normals 1971–1990". National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Retrieved December 24, 2012.
  5. "Mahapopulation" (PDF). Census of India (in Marathi). www.maharashtra.gov.in. Retrieved 2008-06-04.
  6. "Census of India 2001: Data from the 2001 Census, including cities, villages and towns (Provisional)". Census Commission of India. Archived from the original on 2004-06-16. Retrieved 2008-11-01.
  7. amcakola.org
  8. "Paras Thermal Power Plant". Maharashtra State Power Generation Company Ltd.
  9. http://rltsc.org RLT Science College, Akola
  10. "shivajiakola.org". Retrieved 19 September 2014.
  11. "First-class Matches played on Akola Cricket Club Ground, Akola". CricketArchive. Retrieved 29 October 2011.
  12. "+dayarray[day]+", "+montharray[month]+" "+daym+", "+year+". "Agriculture". LiveAkola. Retrieved 2013-07-23.
  13. "Population by religion community - 2011". Census of India, 2011. The Registrar General & Census Commissioner, India. Archived from the original on 25 August 2015.
  14. "BFI | Film & TV Database | BARR, Patrick". Ftvdb.bfi.org.uk. Retrieved 2013-07-23.
  15. "akola 3d planetarium". YouTube. Retrieved 19 September 2014.

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Akola.
This article is issued from Wikipedia - version of the Monday, April 11, 2016. The text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share Alike but additional terms may apply for the media files.