Howrah: Difference between revisions

{{Use dmy dates|date=December 2020}}

| image_skyline          = File:Howrah bridge betwixt Lights.jpg

| image_caption          = [[Howrah Bridge]]

'''Howrah''' ({{IPAc-en|ˈ|h|aʊ|r|ə}}, {{IPA-bn|ˈɦao̯ɽa|lang}}, alternatively spelled as '''Haora'''<ref name="britannica">{{cite web |title=Haora - India |url=https://www.britannica.com/place/Haora |website=Encyclopedia Britannica |access-date=12 January 2021 |language=en}}</ref>) is a city in the [[India]]n [[States and union territories of India|state]] of [[West Bengal]]. Howrah is located on the western bank of the [[Hooghly River]] opposite its twin city of [[Kolkata]]. Administratively it lies within [[Howrah district]], and is the headquarters of the [[Howrah Sadar subdivision]]. It is a part of the area covered by the [[Kolkata Metropolitan Development Authority]]. Howrah is an important transportation hub and gateway to Kolkata and West Bengal.

[[Howrah Municipal Corporation]] is responsible for the administration of Howrah. As of March 2021, the [[Trinamool Congress]] is controlling the municipal board.{{citation needed|date=May 2019}} The [[Howrah Police Commissionerate|Howrah City Police]] is responsible for law enforcement in the city.

[[Howrah Municipal Corporation|Howrah Municipality]] was established in 1862.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://wbdma.gov.in/htm/DIS%5CMUNI_COR_Howrah.htm |title=Howrah Municipal Corporation |publisher=Official website of Department of Municipal Affairs, Government of West Bengal |access-date=29 December 2008 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120317203441/http://www.wbdma.gov.in/HTM/DIS/MUNI_COR_Howrah.htm |archive-date=17 March 2012 }}</ref> From 1896, it started supplying filter water across the city.<ref>{{Harvnb|O'Malley|Chakravarti|1909|p=28}}</ref> During 1882–83, [[Bally Municipality]] was formed separating it out from Howrah.<ref name=OMC31/> As per the ''Howrah Municipal Corporation Act of 1980'', Howrah became a municipal corporation in 1984.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.wbdma.gov.in/htm/MUNI_Legislation_OtherMunicipalCorporationActs.htm |title=Other Municipal Corporation Acts |publisher=Official website of Department of Municipal Affairs, Government of West Bengal |access-date=29 December 2008 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090810200753/http://wbdma.gov.in/htm/MUNI_Legislation_OtherMunicipalCorporationActs.htm |archive-date=10 August 2009 }}</ref> The corporation area was divided into fifty wards, each of which elects a councillor.<ref name=hmc /> The Mayor-in-council, which is led by Mayor and supported by Commissioner and officers, is responsible for administration of the corporation area.<ref name=hmc/> In 2015, the Bally Municipality was re-amalgamated into Howrah Municipal Corporation which increased the total number of wards to 66.<ref name='HC'/><ref>{{cite news |title=HMC sets up 'Mayor's Cop' to monitor civic amenities|journal=Millennium Post|url=http://www.millenniumpost.in/hmc-sets-up-mayors-cop-to-monitor-civic-amenities-118977|first=Pritesh|last=Basu|date=4 January 2016}}</ref>

Even though it is one of the largest cities in the state, Howrah did not undertake appropriate infrastructure development in the last century.{{citation needed|date=April 2019}} As a result, Howrah is continuing to face its perennial problems like traffic congestion, population explosion and pollution.<ref>{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=cGZPAAAAMAAJ|title=Howrah, a Study in Urbanization|last=Mukherjee|first=Alok Kumar|date=1992|publisher=Chatterjee Publishers|isbn=9788185089089|language=en}}</ref>{{citation needed|date=April 2019}} The ratio of roadspace to the population is low in this city, even comparatively smaller towns like [[Baharampur]] enjoy a better ratio.{{citation needed|date=April 2019}} The emigrant labour force from the rest of the state's rural areas and neighbouring states take refuge in the cheaper quarters in Howrah, bringing the already poor infrastructure to the brink of collapse.{{citation needed|date=April 2019}} Many times such migrations reduce a locality to a poor-infrastructure slum.{{citation needed|date=April 2019}} The name of the novel [[City of Joy]], which has been often the name the [[Kolkata]] metropolis been called, is actually based on one such slum of Howrah.<ref name="cityofjoy">{{cite web|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/a-city-of-joy-an-ocean-of-human-misery-1189306.html|access-date=22 September 2019|title=Review of the book 'City of Joy', authored by Dominique Lapierre|date=5 December 1998}}</ref>

However, recently, work has been done on broadening the National Highways and several local roads.{{citation needed|date=April 2019}} These activities are expected to help in improvement of traffic conditions. Of late, Howrah has seen a lot of new industrial proposals like the Kona Truck Terminus,<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.telegraphindia.com/business/kona-truck-terminal-in-limbo/cid/938760|title=KONA TRUCK TERMINAL IN LIMBO|website=www.telegraphindia.com|language=en|access-date=8 November 2019}}</ref> [[Kolkata West International City]] and relocation of the old smoky foundry plants.{{citation needed|date=April 2019}}

The [[Kolkata Metropolitan Development Authority]] also plans growth in Howrah, as the city lies within the Kolkata Metropolitan Area.

Howrah is planned to be served by the [[Kolkata Metro Line 2]] with Salt Lake in Kolkata via a tunnel under River Hooghly. On the Howrah side, the 2 Stations will be at [[Howrah metro station|Howrah Station]] and [[Howrah Maidan metro station|Howrah Maidan]].  As of June 2021 these stations are under construction.

The [[Sailen Manna Stadium]] also known as the Howrah Municipal Corporation Stadium is a multi-use stadium that hosts sporting events for Football and Rugby.

{{commons category|Howrah}}

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