Cyclone and Storm Surge - Iczmpwb.org
Share Embed Flag
Download ePaper

Cyclone and Storm Surge - Iczmpwb.org

Cyclone and Storm Surge - Iczmpwb.org Cyclone and Storm Surge - Iczmpwb.org

iczmpwb.org
03.05.2015 Views

3.4 these merchants may have been to some extent responsible for Charnock's choice of the site. By 1696, when a rebellion broke out in the nearby district of Burdwan, the Mughal provincial administration had become friendly to the growing settlement. The servants of the company, who asked for permission to fortify their trading post, or factory, were given permission in general terms to defend themselves. The rebels were easily crushed by the Mughal government, but the settlers' defensive structure of brick and mud remained and in 1700 came to be known as Fort William. In 1698 the English obtained letters patent that granted them the privilege of purchasing the zamindari right (the right of revenue collection; in effect, the ownership) of the three villages. Although Job Charnock initiated the installation of the Kuthighat on the river, it was his son who brought the Zemindary rights of the fledgling city, six years after the death of his father. In 1757, the area was 5076 Bighas and 18 3/4 Katthas. The area was bounded by the Chitpur Creek on the north, present day Lalbazar and the Chittaranjan Avenuae on the east, the Maidan and the Fort William on the south and the Hooghly river on the west. In 1794, Lord Cornwallis first defined the boundaries of the city. However it was in 1840, when for the first time the city limits were legally determined. These were the Marhatta ditch on the north, Circular road on the east, and the Lower Circular road, Kidderpur bridge, the Tolly's Nala up to the Hooghly river, which of course formed the boundary. In 1840, the city limits were extended to include Entally, Bebiapukur, Ballyganj, Bhowanipur and northern part of Tollyganj. In this way the city went on to expand through inclusion of fresh suburban areas by stages in 1931, 1951 and 1984. Present area of the city is 187.33 sq. km. (72.33 sq miles). It may be noted that the Salt Lake area has now been brought under a separate municipality, called the Bidhan Nagar Municipality. The increase in population with time can be gauged from the Table 7: Table 3-1. Year wise Area and Population of Kolkata Year Area of the city Population Source and authorities 1698 5076 bighas and 18 3/4 cottah (1861 acres) Wilson, Early, Annals I. p 286 1746 5472 bighas and 1/2 cottah Holwell, Tracts, 3rd. Edition, p 209 1762 6057 bighas and 13 cottahs Long, selections, no. 581 1794 4997 acres/ 20.31 sq. km. A.K. Ray, A Short History of Calcutta l821 -do- 1,79,917 Assesor's estimate 1831 -do- 1,87,081 Captain Steele's estimate 1837 -do- 2,29,714 Captain Birch's estimate

3.5 1840 -do- 3,61,369 Simms's estimate 1850 -do- 4,13,182 Chief Magistrate's estimate 1866 -do- 3,77921 Dowleans's census 1872 -do- 447601 Chick's census (often considered unreliable) 1876 5037 acres/20.48 sq. km. 4,29,535 Beverley's census 1881 -do- 4,33,219 Census of 1881 1891 13,133 acres/53. 39 sq. km. 4,68,552 Census of 1891 1901 20,547 acres/83.52 sq. km. 8,47,796 Census of 1901 1911 -do- 8,96,067 Census of 1911 1951 28.34 sq. mile/73.40 sq. km. 25,48,677 Census of 1951 1961 95.62 sq. km. 29,27,289 Census of 1961 1971 98.79 sq. km. 31,48,746 Census of 1971 1981 98.79 sq. km. 33,05,006 Census of 1981 1991 187.33 sq. km. 43,99,819 Census of 1991 2001 187.33 sq. km. 45,80,544 Census of 2001 * Reduction in area is reportedly due to exclusion of Garden Reach It would be also interesting to have a look at the drainage pattern of the region from a map that approximately demarcates the regions at the beginnings of the British Colonial dominion in the Indian Subcontinent. Figure 10 shows a small portion of the map by William R. Shepherd, titled The Historical Atlas, in which it may be noticed that there are two distinct drainage channels flowing south and south east from Kolkata (Calcutta then) apart from the river Hooghly which flowed approximately towards the south west from Kolkata. In fact this provides a clue for the origin of the large tidal creeks like the Matla, Thakuran, Raimangal, etc., as mentioned in Chapter 2, but without any head water discharges. Actually, most of these creeks had been the erstwhile off-taking distributaries of the Ganga Delta, and had been quite actively conveying substantial discharges to carve out a wide channel. However, due to various reasons of which one could be human settlements, most of these channels lost their head water catchment flows. This trend has been continuing since, as has been apparent from the siltation of the river Hooghly, in he past decade. In fact, it was the reason why the Farakka Barrage was constructed to divert an assured quantity of water into river Hooghly and keeping it navigable. A further detail may also be observed from the river Hooghly channels around Sagar Island. It might be seen that the eastern channel (now almost defunct) had been quite comparable in size, though smaller, than the main channel of the river at that point of time.

3.5<br />

1840 -do- 3,61,369 Simms's estimate<br />

1850 -do- 4,13,182 Chief Magistrate's estimate<br />

1866 -do- 3,77921 Dowleans's census<br />

1872 -do- 447601 Chick's census (often considered unreliable)<br />

1876 5037 acres/20.48 sq. km. 4,29,535 Beverley's census<br />

1881 -do- 4,33,219 Census of 1881<br />

1891 13,133 acres/53. 39 sq. km. 4,68,552 Census of 1891<br />

1901 20,547 acres/83.52 sq. km. 8,47,796 Census of 1901<br />

1911 -do- 8,96,067 Census of 1911<br />

1951 28.34 sq. mile/73.40 sq. km. 25,48,677 Census of 1951<br />

1961 95.62 sq. km. 29,27,289 Census of 1961<br />

1971 98.79 sq. km. 31,48,746 Census of 1971<br />

1981 98.79 sq. km. 33,05,006 Census of 1981<br />

1991 187.33 sq. km. 43,99,819 Census of 1991<br />

2001 187.33 sq. km. 45,80,544 Census of 2001<br />

* Reduction in area is reportedly due to exclusion of Garden Reach<br />

It would be also interesting to have a look at the drainage pattern of the region from a map that<br />

approximately demarcates the regions at the beginnings of the British Colonial dominion in the Indian<br />

Subcontinent. Figure 10 shows a small portion of the map by William R. Shepherd, titled The<br />

Historical Atlas, in which it may be noticed that there are two distinct drainage channels flowing south<br />

<strong>and</strong> south east from Kolkata (Calcutta then) apart from the river Hooghly which flowed approximately<br />

towards the south west from Kolkata. In fact this provides a clue for the origin of the large tidal creeks<br />

like the Matla, Thakuran, Raimangal, etc., as mentioned in Chapter 2, but without any head water<br />

discharges. Actually, most of these creeks had been the erstwhile off-taking distributaries of the<br />

Ganga Delta, <strong>and</strong> had been quite actively conveying substantial discharges to carve out a wide<br />

channel. However, due to various reasons of which one could be human settlements, most of these<br />

channels lost their head water catchment flows. This trend has been continuing since, as has been<br />

apparent from the siltation of the river Hooghly, in he past decade. In fact, it was the reason why the<br />

Farakka Barrage was constructed to divert an assured quantity of water into river Hooghly <strong>and</strong><br />

keeping it navigable.<br />

A further detail may also be observed from the river Hooghly channels around Sagar Isl<strong>and</strong>. It might<br />

be seen that the eastern channel (now almost defunct) had been quite comparable in size, though<br />

smaller, than the main channel of the river at that point of time.

logo

products

Resources

Company

Terms of service
Privacy policy
Cookie policy
Cookie settings
Imprint
Change language
Made with love in Switzerland
© 2024 Yumpu.com all rights reserved

Hooray! Your file is uploaded and ready to be published.

Saved successfully!

Ooh no, something went wrong!