Bindu, Kalimpong

Bindu is a village in the Gorubathan CD block in the Kalimpong subdivision of the Kalimpong district in West Bengal, India. Bindu lies in the Indo-Bhutan border, India's second oldest dam is situated at Bindu. It is located 85 km from Jalpaiguri city.

Bindu
Village
Bindu Location in West Bengal, India Bindu Bindu (India)
Coordinates: 27°05′53″N 88°52′18″E
Country	India
State	West Bengal
District	Kalimpong
Languages
• Official	Nepali, English
Time zone	UTC+5:30 (IST)
ISO 3166 code	IN-WB
Vehicle registration	WB
Website	kalimpongdistrict.in

Geography

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Places in the Kalimpong Sadar subdivision in Kalimpong district CT: census town, R: rural/ urban centre, M: municipality, F: facility, NP: national park Abbreviations used in names – TG for Tea Garden (town/village) Owing to space constraints in the small map, the actual locations in a larger map may vary slightly

Location

Bindu is located at 27°05′53″N 88°52′18″E.

Area overview

The map alongside shows the Kalimpong Sadar subdivision of Kalimpong district. Physiographically, this area forms the Kalimpong Range, with the average elevation varying from 300 to 3,000 metres (980 to 9,840 ft). This region is characterized by abruptly rising hills and numerous small streams.[1] It is a predominantly rural area with 77.67% of the population living in rural areas and only 22.23% living in the urban areas. While Kalimpong is the only municipality, Dungra is the sole census town in the entire area.[2] The economy is agro-based and there are 6 tea gardens in the Gorubathan CD block.[3] In 2011, Kalimpong subdivision had a literacy rate of 81.85%, comparable with the highest levels of literacy in the districts of the state.[4][5] While the first degree college in the subdivision was established at Kalimpong in 1962[6]the entire subdivision (and now the entire district), other than the head-quarters, had to wait till as late as 2015 (more than half a century) to have their first degree colleges at Pedong and Gorubathan.[7][8]

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.

The place

Bindu is the last village on the Indian side bordering Bhutan. It is known for its landscape with Jaldhaka River, hills and forests.[9] There is a conjunction of three streams at Bindu. The three streams are known as Bindu Khola, Dudh Pokhri and Jaldhaka that originates from the Kupup lake, a small glacial lake in Sikkim.[9] The combined streams meet at Bindu to form the Jaldhaka river. There is a dam known as Bindu Dam over the Jaldhaka river which is used for controlling water supply to the Jaldhaka Hydel Project at Jhalong and acts as a bridge for crossing over to Bhutan. However, one can cross the dam only by foot. Recently steel bridge construction will be done so that light weight vehicle can pass over.

People

People of different tribes live in this village.[10] Most of the people are engaged in orange and cardamom cultivation, which are exported to other places within India and abroad.

Hydel Project

A total 44 MWe power can be produced if it is subjected to peak flow.

References

1. "District Census Handbook, Darjeeling, Series 20, Part XII A, 2011 Census of India" (PDF). Page 13: Physiography. Directorate of Census Operations, West Bengal. Retrieved 6 April 2020.
2. "District Statistical Handbook 2013 Darjeeling". Table 2.4b. Department of Statistics and Programme Implementation, Government of West Bengal. Retrieved 6 April 2020.
3. "About Kalimpong District". Tea Gardens. District administration. Retrieved 6 April 2020.
4. "District Statistical Handbook 2013 Darjeeling". Table 4.5. Department of Statistics and Programme Implementation, Government of West Bengal. Retrieved 6 April 2020.
5. "Provisional Population Totals Paper 1 of 2011 : West Bengal". Statement-4 Ranking of Districts by Literacy Rate in 2001 and 2011. Office of the Registrar General and & Census Commissioner, India, Ministry of Home Affairs, Government of India. Retrieved 2012-06-20.
6. "Kalimpong College". College Admission. Retrieved 6 April 2020.
7. "Government General Degree College at Pedong". GGDC. Retrieved 6 April 2020.
8. "Government General Degree College, Gorubathan". GGDC. Retrieved 6 April 2020.
9. "Bindu - The last point of West Bengal to North". www.indyatour.com. Retrieved 2019-04-08.
10. "Bindu Dooars, Tourist interest places in Bindu, Offbeat destinations in Dooars. | North Bengal Tourism". northbengaltourism.com. Retrieved 2020-02-12.