| Voice of Nainital :
Santosh Malhotra
People living below the poverty line is scrupulously high
The percentage of literacy is very low. The road infrastructure
is very weak. The connectivity between villages is yet to develop.
The transportation facilities are not upgraded. There are very few
trains running in our district. Even the timings are erratic.
Women face lot of challenges in Nainital. Around 20% of children’s
eyesight is getting weak. This should be the concern of the government.
Health infrastructure is retarded. There is also high carbon emission
due to traffics and some industries. This is affecting the tourism
business.
Nainital District
Area, Population & Sex Ratio
Geographical Area : 3860.4 Km2
Population in Nainital (Census 2011)
Total Population
Total : 955128
Male : 494115
Female : 461013
Disabled population
Total disabled population : 15572
In seeing : 5623
In speech : 1599
In hearing : 1484
In movement : 4942
Mental : 1924
Rank ( VoiceOfBharat.org Analysis
)
Backwardness : Does not figure in list of 447 backward
districts
Sex Ratio Rank : 174
(Rank one is least sex ratio - Cenus 2001)
HIV Category District : C
(HIV Sentinel Surveillance 2004 - 2006)
Disability : 453 (Census 2001)
Literacy Ratio : 71 (Census 2001)
Minority : Does not figure in MCD
Brief About Nainital District
Historical Background
Nainital is referred to in the ‘Manas Khand’ of the ‘Skanda Purana’
as the Tri-Rishi-Sarovar,the lake of the three sages ,Atri,Pulastya
and Pulaha who were reputed to have arrived here on a penitential
piligrimage, and, finding no water to quench their thirst dug a
hole and siphoned water into it from Mansarovar the sacred lake
in Tibet.
The Second important mythological reference to Nainital is as one
of 64 ‘Shakti Peeths’.These centres were created wherever parts
of charred body of Sati fell ,when Lord Shiva was carrying around
her corpse in grief .It is said that the left eye (Nain) of Sati
fell here and this gave rise to patron deity of town Nainital .
It is said that the lake is formed in the emerald eye shape . Naina
Devi temple is located at the northern end of the lake . Thus name
of Nainital derivated from Naina and the tal (Lake).
British Settlement
The british occupied Kumaon & Garhwal in 1815 .After the British
Occupation E. Gardiner was appointed as the commissioner of Kumaun
Division on May’8th 1815 .In 1817 the second commissioner of Kumaun
Mr. G.W. Traill has conducted the second revenue settlement of Kumaun
, Mr. Traill was the first European to visit Nainital but he did
not popularize his visit in respect for the religious sanctity of
the place.
In the year 1839 an English businessman from Rosa , Mr. P. Barron
a sugar trader and his friend an avid hunter strayed into the hills
while hunting they got lost and while finding there way back chanced
on the wondrous spot. So enamored was Barron with the vision of
the placid lake that he left the sugar business and build a European
Colony on shores of the lake .In 1841, Nainital appeared in issue
of the ‘Englishman Calcutta’ announcing the discovery of a lake
in the vicinity of Almora.
According to the earliest data available on tourist in Nainital
by 1847, it had become a popular hill resort. On 3rd October 1850,
the Nainital Municipal Board was formally constituted. It was the
second Municipal Board of North Western Provinces. To catalyse the
formation of a town the administration transferred land to the wealthy
Sah community of Almora, on condition that they build houses on
the land. In 1862, Nainital became the summer seat of the North
Western Provinces. After it was made the summer Capital, a remarkable
expansion of the town occurred with the growth of magnificent bungalows
all around and construction of facilities such as marketing areas,
rest houses, recreation centres ,clubs etc together with the secretariat
and other administrative units. It also became an important centre
of education for the British who wanted to educate their children
in the better air and away from the discomforts of the plains.
Geography
In the Uttranchal, district of Nainital lies in the Kumaun division
. To it’s north is Almora district and to its south lies the Udham
Singh Nagar district. Champawat district flanks it in the east and
district of Pauri Gahwal is in the west. It is located approximately
in between 80º14’ and 78º80’ east longitude and 29º00’
and 29º05’ north latitude . On the northern side lies the Himalayan
ranges while on the southern side lies the plains making the resultant
climate of the district enjoyable one.
The total geographical area is 3422 Kms. Geographically the district
is divided in to 2 zones viz. Hilly and Bhabar.The hilly region
in outer Himalayas is known to geologist as Krol. The highest peak
of the district is Baudhansthali 2623 mts. high near Binayak adjoining
Nainital town.The hilly region of the district .The hilly region
of the district used to have big & small lakes. Bhimtal ,Sattal,
Naukuchiatal,Khurpatal, Nainital, Malwatal, Harishtal , Lokhamtal
etc. are known lakes of bigger size.
The foothill area of the district is known as Bhabhar. The name
Bhabhar is derived from a tall growing grass growing in the region
. The underground water level is very deep in this region .
Kosi is the main river of the district .River Kosi arising out
of Koshimool near Kausani flows on the western side of the district.
There are number of smaller rivulets like Gaula , Bhakra , Dabka
, Baur etc . Most of these have been dammed for irrigation purposes.
Nainital district has good received good rainfall in recent years
. As per 1999 records total average rainfall of district was 1338.08
MM while total average rainfall up to Aug. 2000 was 1602.69 MM.
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