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DISTRICT
PROFILE Historical Background: Historical studies show that people from
early Paleolithic age inhabited Dharwad district. A few places of antiquarian interest and several sites of
historical importance are found in the district. The district was ruled by
various dynasties from the 5th century onwards. Important among them are Badami and Kalyan
Chalukyas, Rastrakutas, Vijayanagar, Adilshahi, Mysore kingdom and Peshawas
of Pune. Due to the rule of Peshwas,
influence of Marathi is seen in the early decades of the 19th
century. During the British rule,
Dharwad became the divisional headquarter of educational administration and Kannada
the vernacular language of the people gained prominence The major religions in the district are Hinduism,
Islam, Jainism and Christianity. The
majority of Hindus are found in both urban and rural areas. The population of the district is divided mainly into 3
categories, viz., main workers, marginal workers and non-workers. In the district, dry farming is the
backbone of the agricultural economy.
Agriculture is even now labour-intensive enterprise. Hence the district has an above average
proportion of workers in its population and offers opportunities to seasonal
workers. In 1962 the erstwhile towns of
Dharwad and Hubli were amalgamated to constitute the Hubli Dharwad Municipal
Corporation. Thus strictly speaking,
the district takes its name from a portion of the pre-eminent town of the
district. In 1830, the southern
Maratha country was brought under Regulation VII and the territories were
formed into one Collectorate called Dharwad District or Zilla. Before trifurcation of the district into
Gadag and Haveri, the district consisted of 17 talukas. Geographical Features : Dharwad district is situated in the
Western sector of the northern half of Karnataka State. The District encompasses an area of 4263
sq. kms lying between the latitudinal parallels of 15002’ and 15051’
North and longitudes of 73043’ and 75035’ East. The district is bounded on the North by
the District of Belgaum, on the East by the district of Gadag, on the South
Haveri and on the West by Uttara Kannada district. All these districts, which surround Dharwad district, belong to
Karnataka State itself. The District lies
approximately about 800 mts above the sea level, which is why it enjoys a
moderate and healthy climate. The
District may be divided into 3 natural regions, viz., the Malnad, Semi-Malnad
and Maidan. These regions, on an average, receive moderate to heavy rainfall
and have dense vegetation.
Kalghatagi and Alnavar area in Dharwad taluka in particular receive more
rainfall than other talukas of the District. On the agricultural front, the presence of black
soil helps in raising crops like
Cotton, Wheat, Ragi, Jowar and Oil seeds and that of red soil is more
suitable for paddy Socio-Economic and
Cultural Characteristics The district is a
place for people belonging to various religions like Hinduism, Islam, Jainism
and Christianity. Hindus, in particular, are spread across rural and urban
areas. The widely spoken language in the district is Kannada, while a thin
population is found using languages like Urdu, Marathi, Hindi, Telugu,
Gujarati and Malayalam. Economy : The district falls
in Tropical Region, which is largely affected by monsoons. This explains that
the district is an agro-based economy, and also that agriculture is the main
occupation in the whole of rural area of the district. The prestigious
University of Agricultural Sciences at Dharwad has discovered new species of
cotton and chilies, which is the first of its kind in the world. The existence
of this prestigious institution has boosted the agro-based industries in the
district. Therefore other
activities of economy, i.e., trade and commerce are completely dependent on
agriculture. As monsoon is highly
uncertain in nature and as there is no major irrigation project or any hydel
power generating station in the district, there is high degree of dry-land
farming. The mineral wealth
is not quite impressive and forest wealth is equally unattractive.
Manufacturing industry, particularly agro-based industry makes a significant
contribution to the economy.
Hubli-Dharwad are two of the major commercial centres in the
State. Of the total
population, 39% makes up for working class. This consists of 26% of those
engaged in agriculture sector. Till today, agriculture is a labour intensive
enterprise. Many labourers largely
depend on seasonal employment. The per capita income at current prices is
Rs.14861 and at constant prices [93-94] it is Rs.10462. The State level per capita income at
current prices is Rs.14909. The main
kharif crops are cotton, chilies, sugarcane and groundnuts, and the main rabi
crops are jowar, wheat, rice etc.
Out of total cultivated land, only 12.10% is irrigated [as per the 4th
Economic Survey – 1998]. On the industrial side, it is seen that there are
50602 industrial units existing in the district. The district has as many as
216 banks and 535 ration shops. Transportation and Communication : Dharwad District
has 156 kms of National, 163 kms of State and 599 kms of District
Highways. Apart from this it has 777
village roads, 437 TDB roads, 32 Forest Roads and 189 other roads. There are 12 big bridges in the
district. There are 151 kms
of railway line, which has been converted into broad gauge. There are 21
railway stations on this line. There are 216 post offices, 167 telegraph and
73 telephone exchanges as means of communication for the general public. Public Health and Family Welfare : The public health
infrastructure of Dharwad District consists of 26 Primary Health Centres, 3
Sub-Health Units, 5 Govt. Hospitals, 27 Private Nursing Homes and Hospitals
and 6 Family Welfare Centres with 185 sub-Family Welfare Units. Cultural Characteristics : The district
receives a special recognition on the cultural map of the state. It has
enriched the cultural fields like music, literature and art by producing
famous and memorable names. The prestigious Jnanapeetha awardee Dr. D. R.
Bendre of Dharwad, has contributed to the field of literature, to the extent
of infinity. Renowned classical Hindustani singers like Kumar Gandaharva, Smt
Gangubai Hangal, Mallikarjun Mansur, Pt. Bhimasen Joshi, Basavaraj Rajguru
and Sangeeta Katti, have not only contributed to the field of music but have
also made the district proud. The well known artist Halbhavi also belongs to
Dharwad. On the religious
front, the district being secular, has no. of holy places, like Muraghamath
of Dharwad, Siddaroodhamatha and Moorsaviramath of Hubli, Amminbhavi Hiremath
and Holy the Christ Church of Dharwad, which has celebrated its 150th
year. District Administrative Structure
District
Administration ZP Deputy
Commissioner Executive Officer Office of
D.C. Block Level : Taluka Panchayat
Tahasildar of Revenue
Block
Taluka Executive Officer of T.P. Office of
Tahashildar President of T.P.
Vice-President and Members of
T.P. There are five revenue
blocks in the district : Dharwad, Hubli, Kalaghatgi, Kundagol and Navalagund. No.of. Revenue Blocks : 05 No. of. Grama Panchayat : 127 No.of
habitations : 466 No. of. Elected Grama Panchayat members : 1570 No. of. Elected Taluka Panchayat members : 66 No. of. Elected Zillla Panchayat members : 18 No.of constitutence: MP : 01 MLA : 07 |
