Bakkhali

Bakkhali is a village within the jurisdiction of the Namkhana police station in the Namkhana CD block in the Kakdwip subdivision of the South 24 Parganas district in the Indian state of West Bengal.

Not to be confused with the Bakkhali river in Cox's Bazar District, Bangladesh

Bakkhali
Village
Bakkhali
Location in West Bengal
Bakkhali
Location in India
Coordinates: 21.5631°N 88.2595°E / 21.5631; 88.2595
Country India
StateWest Bengal
DistrictSouth 24 Parganas
CD BlockNamkhana
Elevation
4 m (13 ft)
Languages
 • OfficialBengali[1][2]
 • Additional officialEnglish[1]
Time zoneUTC+5:30 (IST)
PIN
743339
Telephone code+91 3210
Vehicle registrationWB-19 to WB-22, WB-95 to WB-99
Lok Sabha constituencyMathurapur (SC)
Vidhan Sabha constituencySagar
Websitewww.s24pgs.gov.in

History
Remains of the house of Sir Andrew Fraser, Lieutenant Governor of Bengal (1903–1908) (1903–1908), at Frasergunj

Sir Andrew Fraser, Lieutenant Governor of Bengal (1903–1908) in the early twentieth century, is credited with "discovery" of the place. In recognition of his efforts, a part of the town is named Fraserganj. There is a dilapidated house near the beach, which according to the locals was the one in which Fraser used to stay.[3]

Geography
Places in Kakdwip subdivision (Kakdwip, Sagar, Namkhana, Patharpratima CD blocks) in South 24 Parganas district
R: rural/ urban centre
Places linked with coastal activity are marked in blue
Owing to space constraints in the small map, the actual locations in a larger map may vary slightly

Area overview

Kakdwip subdivision has full rural population. The entire district is situated in the Ganges Delta. The southern part of the delta has numerous channels and islands such as Henry Island, Sagar Island, Frederick Island and Fraserganj Island. The subdivision is a part of the Sundarbans settlements. A comparatively recent country-wide development is the guarding of the coastal areas by special coastal forces. The area attracts large number of tourists – Gangasagar and Fraserganj-Bakkhali are worth mentioning. Gobardhanpur holds a promise for the future.[4][5][6]

Note: The map alongside presents some of the notable locations in the subdivision. All places marked in the map are linked in the larger full screen map.

Location

Bakkhali is located at 21°33′47″N 88°15′34″E. It has an average elevation of 4 metres (13 ft).

Activities

Bakkhali is unique in many ways. The windmills in Frasergunj serve as a power generating location. The rickshaw van is the only form of local transport.

Fishing is the primary occupation of the people. Agriculture is almost non-existent because of the extreme salinity of adjacent sea which inundates the land heavily affecting the fertility of the land.

There is a fishing harbour at Frasergunj run by Benfish, a wing of the state government has a presence nearby.[7]


Tourism
  • Bakkhali Beach during low tide
  • Bakkhali Beach during high tide

Accessibility
Ferry crossing across the Hatania Doania creek at Namkhana

Jambudwip and Lothian are two forested islands nearby. The only means of travel to the islands is by crude motorised country boat as there are no jetties in the islands. These islands are also places of tourist attraction nowadays.

Transport

Bakkhali is located on the National Highway 12, approximately 125 kms from Kolkata.[8] Namkhana railway station is located nearby.[8]

Healthcare

There is a primary health centre at Fraserganj, with 10 beds.[9]

References
  1. "Fact and Figures". Wb.gov.in. Retrieved 5 July 2019.
  2. "52nd Report of the Commissioner for Linguistic Minorities in India" (PDF). Nclm.nic.in. Ministry of Minority Affairs. p. 85. Archived from the original (PDF) on 25 May 2017. Retrieved 5 July 2019.
  3. Islam, Sirajul (2012). "Fraser, Sir Andrew". In Islam, Sirajul; Jamal, Ahmed A. (eds.). Banglapedia: National Encyclopedia of Bangladesh (Second ed.). Asiatic Society of Bangladesh.
  4. "District Statistical Handbook 2014 South Twety-four Parganas". Table 2.1 , 2.2, 2.4b. Department of Statistics and Programme Implementation, Government of West Bengal. Archived from the original on 21 January 2019. Retrieved 5 December 2019.
  5. "Census of India 2011, West Bengal, District Census Handbook, South Twentyfour Parganas, Series – 20, Part XII-A, Village and Town Directory" (PDF). Page 13, Physigraphy. Directorate of Census Operations, West Bengal. Retrieved 5 December 2019.
  6. "District Human Development Report: South 24 Parganas". Chapter 9: Sundarbans and the Remote Islanders, p 290-311. Development & Planning Department, Government of West Bengal, 2009. Archived from the original on 5 October 2016. Retrieved 5 December 2019.
  7. "Beach festival to tickle senses". The Times of India. 13 January 2004.
  8. Google maps
  9. "Health & Family Welfare Department" (PDF). Health Statistics – Primary Health Centres. Government of West Bengal. Retrieved 11 November 2019.
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