| Voice of Faridkot :
Dr. Somnath Singla
Government is not helping the NGOs in any way. Drug abuse is another
grave problem we are facing. Mostly all the men in this district
are drug addicts. Government is not doing much to curb this issue.
There is high rate of female feticide. The sex ratio of women is
very less. The level of ground water has also gone down. There is
high amount of pollution due to plastic bags.
Faridkot District
Area, Population & Sex Ratio
Geographical Area : 1469.0 Km2
Population in Faridkot (Census 2011)
Total Population
Total : 6,18,008
Male : 3,27,121
Female : 2,90,887
Disabled population
Total disabled population : 10009
In seeing : 3508
In speech : 494
In hearing : 428
In movement : 4295
Mental : 1284
Rank ( VoiceOfBharat.org Analysis
)
Backwardness : 428
Sex Ratio Rank : 110
(Rank one is least sex ratio - Cenus 2001)
HIV Category District : C
(HIV Sentinel Surveillance 2004 - 2006)
Disability : 515 (Census 2001)
Literacy Ratio : 336 (Census 2001)
Minority : Does not figure in MCDWater : Flouride in Groundwater
above permissible limits
Brief About Faridkot District
History
The District derives its name from the headquarters town of Faridkot
founded by Mokalsi, grandson of Raja Manj, who ruled this territory
during the 13 th century and built a fort here. Among the men forced
to work as labourers on the constructiopn of this fort was one Baba
Farid. He was observed to possess miraculous powers which were demonstrated
amongst other ways by the fact that the basket full of mud which
he was given to carry floated above his head wirhout visible support.
He was, therefore allowed to depart. The name of the place was changed
to Faridkot after Baba Farid. It remained the capital during the
reign of Mokalsi's son Jairsi and Wairsi.
The
history of the Faridkot District pertaining to the ancient period
has been traced to the Indus Valley Civilization. A few sites explored
in the Moga Tehsil(Now a separate District) link it with Indus Valley
Civilization sites explored in the Rupnagar District. A vast area,
including the present area of Faridkot District was under the influence
of Indus Valley Civilization.
Location
Faridkot District was part of the then Ferozepur
Division but in the year 1996, Faridkot Division has been established
with a Divisional headquarter at Faridkot which includes Faridkot,
Bathinda and Mansa districts. It is situated between 29 degree
54 feet to 30 degree 54 feet north latitude and 74 degree 15 feet
to 75 degree 25 feet east longitude. It lies in south west of the
state and is surrounded by Ferozepur District in the north west,
Moga and Ludhiana Districts in the north east and districts of Bathinda
and Sangrur in the south.
Headquarter of the district administration, lies
on the Firozepur-Bathinda-Delhi Railway line. It is also connected
by road with Chandigarh (218 km), Firozepur (32 km),Muktsar (45
km) and Bathinda (65 km). Faridkot, Kot Kapura and Jaitu Towns are
linked by railway stations as well as by road.
Climate
It
is located on the Punjab Plain which in a macro regional context
forms a part of great Satluj Ganga plain. It is a low lying flat
area. The surface of the district is depositional plain which was
formed by alleviation by the rivers in the remote past. No river
is flowing through the district, butthere are some drains which
flow during heavy rains and serve as natural drainage. There is
a vastnetwork of canals i.e.Bikaner, Sirhind feeder and Rajasthan
Canal passes through district Faridkot.Sirhind feeder, Rajasthan
Canal and Abohar Branch of Sirhind canal run through the entire
length ofdistrict in north-south and northeast-southwest directions
respectively. Sirhind Canal system hasbeen serving the district
for irrigation since long times.The climate of the Faridkot District
is mainly dry, characterized by a very hot summer, a short rainy
season and a bracing winter. The year may be divided into four seasons.
The cold season is from November to March. This is followed by the
summer season which lasts up to about the end of June. The period
from July to the middle of September constitutes the southwest monsoon
season. The later half of September and October is the post-monsoon
or transition period. There is no meteorological observatory in
the district. The Temperatures increase ra.pidly beginning
with the end of March till June, which is generally the hottest
month, with the mean daily minimum temperature about 41 degree celtius
and the mean daily minimum about 26.5 degree celtius. It is intensely
hot during the summer, and the dustladen winds which blow, especially
in the sandy parts, are very trying. The maximum temperature may
go beyond 47 degree celtius on individual days. With the onset of
the monsoon by about the end of June or early July, there is an
appreciable drop in the day temperature. However, during breaks
in the monsoon during latter part of July and in August the weather
becomes oppressive due to increase in day temperatures. By about
the second week of September, when the monsoon withdraws from the
district, both day and night temperatures begin to decrease. The
fall in the night temperatures even in October is much more than
that in the day temperatures. After October both the day and night
temperatures decrease rapidly till January which is the coldest
month. The mean daily maximum temperatures in January is about
20 degree celtius and the mean daily minimum about 4.5 degree celtius.
In the cold season the district is affected by cold waves in the
wake of passing western disturbances and the minimum temperature
occasionally drops down to about a degree or two below the freezing
point of water. The average annual rainfall in the district
is 433 mm. about 71 percent of the annual rainfall in the
district is received during the monsoon months July to September,
July/August being the rainiest months. Some rainfall occurs during
the pre-monsoon months, mostly in the form of thundershowers and
in the cold season. Skies are moderately clouded during
the monsoon season and for short spells of a day or two during cold
season in association with the passing western disturbances. During
the rest of the year the skies are mostly clear or lightly clouded.
Winds are generally light in the district, and are northerly to
northwesterly, at times southeasterly, throughout the year. But,
during the summer and monsoon seasons winds from directions between
north-east and south-east blow on many days. Thunderstorms and more
frequently duststorms occur during the hot season. Rain during
the monsoon season is also sometimes accompanied with thunder. Fog
occurs occasionally in the cold season.
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