Canning, South 24 Parganas

Canning is a city of the South 24 Parganas district in the Indian state of West Bengal. It is situated on the western banks of the Matla River. It is the headquarters of the Canning subdivision.

Canning
City
Canning Police Station
Canning
Location in West Bengal
Canning
Location in India
Coordinates: 22.3104°N 88.6579°E / 22.3104; 88.6579
Country India
StateWest Bengal
DivisionPresidency
DistrictSouth 24 Parganas
Elevation
6 m (20 ft)
Languages
 • OfficialBengali[1][2]
 • Additional officialEnglish[1]
Time zoneUTC+5:30 (IST)
PIN
743329
Telephone code+91 3218
Vehicle registrationWB-19 to WB-22, WB-95 to WB-99
Lok Sabha constituencyJaynagar (SC)
Vidhan Sabha constituencyCanning Purba, Canning Paschim (SC)
Websitewww.s24pgs.gov.in

Etymology

This city is named after Lord Canning, the former Governor General of India from 1856 to 1858, and Governor General and Viceroy from 1858 to 1862.[3]

History

H. E. A. Cotton writes, "The year 1864… It witnessed also the speculative mania over an unlucky scheme for the reclamation of the Sunderbans, of which nothing remains but the deserted wharves of Port Canning, but which resulted in ruin to many".[4] The idea of developing a major port at the city faded with the choking of the Matla River as a result of inadequate headwater supply.[5]

Lord Canning's Kuthi

Lord Canning had wanted to build a port that would be an alternative to Kolkata and a rival to Singapore. What no one heeded were the warnings of a lowly shipping inspector Henry Piddington, who had lived in the Caribbean and knew all about hurricanes and storms. He wanted the mangroves to be left alone, as they were Bengal’s defensive barrier against nature’s fury and absorbed the initial onslaught of cyclonic winds, waves and tidal surges. The settlement was built with a strand, hotels and homes, but in 1867 the Matla River surged and reduced the city to a "bleached skeleton".[6]

In 1862, the Eastern Bengal Railway opened a southward line from what was then known as Beliaghata station to Port Canning. In the same year, the East Bengal Railway had opened its line from Sealdah to Kushtia. The East Bengal Railway was taken over by the government in 1887. Services on the eastern side of Hooghly River were unified under the Eastern Bengal State Railway and after further amalgamation in 1942, the Bengal Assam Railway.[7]

Geography
Places in Canning subdivision (Canning I & II, Basanti, Gosaba CD blocks) in South 24 Parganas district
R: rural/ urban centre
Places linked with coastal activity are marked in blue
Owing to space constraints in the small map, the actual locations in a larger map may vary slightly

Area overview

Canning subdivision has a very low level of urbanization. Only 12.37% of the population lives in the urban areas and 87.63% lives in the rural areas. There are 8 census towns in Canning I CD block and only 2 in the rest of the subdivision. The entire district is situated in the Ganges Delta with numerous islands in the southern part of the region. The area (shown in the map below) borders on the Sundarbans National Park and a major portion of it is a part of the Sundarbans settlements. It is a flat low lying area in the South Bidyadhari plains. The Matla River is prominent and there are many streams and water channels locally known as khals. A comparatively recent country-wide development is the guarding of the coastal areas with special a coastal force.[8][9][10]

Note: The map below presents some of the notable locations in the subdivision. All places marked in the map are linked in the larger full screen map.

Location

Canning is located at 22°18′37″N 88°39′28″E. It has an average elevation of 6 metres (20 ft).[11]

Canning is the gateway of the Sundarbans.[12] It is situated on the western banks of the Matla River. One can cross the Matla River and then proceed to Basanti for a boat to the interior of the Sundarbans or hire a motor launch for travel to Sundarbans at the city itself. The first watch tower at Sajnekhali is about 5 hours away.[13]

Climate

Köppen-Geiger climate classification system classifies its climate as tropical wet and dry (Aw).

Climate data for Canning
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Average high °C (°F) 25.4
(77.7)		 27.7
(81.9)		 31.4
(88.5)		 33.1
(91.6)		 33.4
(92.1)		 32.3
(90.1)		 30.7
(87.3)		 30.8
(87.4)		 31.2
(88.2)		 30.8
(87.4)		 28.1
(82.6)		 25.1
(77.2)		 30.0
(86.0)
Daily mean °C (°F) 19.9
(67.8)		 22.7
(72.9)		 27
(81)		 29.3
(84.7)		 30
(86)		 29.5
(85.1)		 28.5
(83.3)		 28.6
(83.5)		 28.5
(83.3)		 27.5
(81.5)		 23.5
(74.3)		 20
(68)		 26.3
(79.3)
Average low °C (°F) 14.5
(58.1)		 17.7
(63.9)		 22.6
(72.7)		 25.6
(78.1)		 26.7
(80.1)		 26.8
(80.2)		 26.4
(79.5)		 26.4
(79.5)		 25.9
(78.6)		 24.2
(75.6)		 19
(66)		 14.6
(58.3)		 22.5
(72.6)
Average precipitation mm (inches) 14
(0.6)		 17
(0.7)		 20
(0.8)		 34
(1.3)		 96
(3.8)		 244
(9.6)		 323
(12.7)		 322
(12.7)		 321
(12.6)		 172
(6.8)		 30
(1.2)		 1
(0.0)		 1,594
(62.8)
Source: World Weather Online (altitude: 6m)[14]

Demographics

Canning is not identified as a separate place in the 2011 census records. The map of the CD block Canning I on the page number 333 in the District Census Handbook 2011 for the South 24 Parganas district shows Canning as being a part of the Matla and Dighirpar census towns.[15]

Civic administration

Police stations

Canning police station covers an area of 204.34 km2 (78.90 sq mi). It has jurisdiction over parts of the Canning I and Canning II CD blocks.[16][17]

Canning women police station has jurisdiction over parts of the Canning I and Canning II CD blocks.[18][17]

CD block HQ

The headquarters of the Canning I CD block are located at Canning.[19]

Economy

The District Human Development Report, South 24 Parganas, writes, "Canning has emerged as a major market for supply of fish to Kolkata. The fishermen of the area bring their catch to the all-night fish market at Canning. Here the commission agents receive the fish and auction them. It is bought by the wholesalers and transported to Kolkata for sale to retailers, who sell it in different markets. However, as greater part of Kolkata’s fish now come from South India and Madhya Pradesh, local wholesale trade at Canning has lost out in the competition. There is, of course, scope of reviving this market once again".[20]

In 1980-81, Canning produced 332.5 tonnes of fresh domestic fish and 60.2 tonnes of exportable prawns. While the exportable prawns were despatched to processors at Kolkata, 59% of the fresh domestic fish was sent to markets in Kolkata.[21]

As of 2019, the daily demand in the Kolkata fish market is around 550 tonnes. Andhra Pradesh-Telangana-Odisha supplies around 150 tonnes and the balance 400 tonnes is local supply from around Kolkata.[22]

Transport

Baruipur-Canning Road links Canning to the State Highway 1.[23]

Canning railway station is on the Sealdah–Canning line of the Kolkata Suburban Railway system.[24]

Commuters

With the electrification of the railways, suburban traffic has grown tremendously since the 1960s. As of 2005-06, more than 1.7 million (17 lakhs) commuters use the Kolkata Suburban Railway system daily. After the partition of India, refugees from East Pakistan/ Bangladesh had a strong impact on the development of urban areas in the periphery of Kolkata. The new immigrants depended on Kolkata for their livelihood, thus increasing the number of commuters. Eastern Railway runs 1,272 EMU trains daily.[25]

Education

Bankim Sardar College, established in 1955, is affiliated with the University of Calcutta. It offers honours courses in English, Bengali, Sanskrit, history, political science, education, physics, botany, zoology, B.Com. Hons., general courses in arts, science, commerce and post graduation in Bengali.[26][27]

Canning David Sasoon High School is a Bengali-medium coeducational school. It was established in 1933 and has facilities for teaching from class V to class XII.[28]

Canning Dwarikanath Balika Vidyalaya Up High School is a Bengali-medium school for girls. It was established in 1936 and has facilities for teaching from class V to class XII.[29]

Raybaghini High School is a Bengali-medium coeducational school. It was established in 1949 and has facilities for teaching from class V to class XII.[30]

St Gabrial High School is a Bengali-medium school for boys. It was established in 1930 and has facilities for teaching from class V to class X.[31]

Healthcare

Canning Subdivisional Hospital, with 100 beds, is the major government medical facility in the Canning subdivision.[32]

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References
  1. "Fact and Figures". Wb.gov.in. Retrieved 5 July 2019.
  2. "52nd REPORT OF THE COMMISSIONER FOR LINGUISTIC MINORITIES IN INDIA" (PDF). Nclm.nic.in. Ministry of Minority Affairs. p. 85. Archived from the original (PDF) on 25 May 2017. Retrieved 5 July 2019.
  3. Edwardes, Michael, A History of India, paper back edition 1967, p.326, The New English Library.
  4. Cotton, H.E.A., Calcutta Old and New, 1909/1980, p. 183, General Printers and Publishers Pvt. Ltd.
  5. Ray, Animesh, The Calcutta Port, in Calcutta, the Living City, Vol. II, edited by Sukanta Chaudhuri, p. 124, Oxford University Press, ISBN 0-19-563697-X.
  6. Bhimani, Rita (16 July 2004). "Sunderbans shadow lines". The Telegraph. Calcutta, India. Retrieved 30 September 2007.
  7. Sukanta Chaudhuri, The Railway Comes to Calcutta, in Calcutta, the Living City, edited by Sukanta Chaudhuri, Vol. I, p. 239, Oxford University Press, ISBN 978-0-19-563696-3.
  8. "District Statistical Handbook 2014 South Twety-four Parganas". Table 2.1 , 2.2, 2.4b. Department of Statistics and Programme Implementation, Government of West Bengal. Archived from the original on 21 January 2019. Retrieved 5 December 2019.
  9. "Census of India 2011, West Bengal, District Census Handbook, South Twentyfour Parganas, Series – 20, Part XII-A, Village and Town Directory" (PDF). Page 19, Physiography. Directorate of Census Operations, West Bengal. Retrieved 5 December 2019.
  10. "District Human Development Report: South 24 Parganas". Chapter 9: Sundarbans and the Remote Islanders, p 290-311. Development & Planning Department, Government of West Bengal, 2009. Archived from the original on 5 October 2016. Retrieved 5 December 2019.
  11. Falling Rain Genomics, Inc - Canning
  12. Bandopadhyay, Raghab, Calcutta’s Markets, in Calcutta, the Living City, Vol. II, pp. 118-121.
  13. "A Rendezvous with Sundarban". The Journey…. Chilli Breeze. Archived from the original on 22 September 2007. Retrieved 30 September 2007.
  14. "Climate: Canning". World Weather Online. Retrieved 14 January 2014.
  15. "Census of India 2011, West Bengal, District Census Handbook, South Twentyfour Parganas, Series – 20, Part XII-A, Village and Town Directory" (PDF). Page 333 - Map of Canning I CD block. Directorate of Census Operations, West Bengal. Retrieved 17 October 2019.
  16. "Canning police station". Baruipur police district. West Bengal police. Retrieved 19 October 2019.
  17. "District Statistical Handbook 2014 South 24 Parganas". Table No. 2.1. Department of Statistics and Programme Implementation, Government of West Bengal. Archived from the original on 21 January 2019. Retrieved 17 October 2019.
  18. "Canning women police station". Baruipur police district. West Bengal police. Retrieved 19 October 2019.
  19. "BDO Offices under South 24 Parganas District". West Bengal Public Library Network, Government of West Bengal. Archived from the original on 3 October 2018. Retrieved 19 October 2019.
  20. "District Human Development Report: South 24 Parganas". Pages 76-77: Chapter 4.5.2 Pisciculture. Department of Planning and Statistics, Government of West Bengal. Archived from the original on 5 October 2016. Retrieved 16 December 2019.
  21. "Inland Fish Marketing in India, An IIM, Ahmedabad Study Series, Volume 6". Page 316. Concept Publishing Company, New Delhi. Retrieved 16 December 2019.
  22. "Kolkata: Demand-supply gap leaves fish dear". The Times of India, 15 April 2019. Retrieved 16 December 2019.
  23. Google maps
  24. "34520 Sealdah-Canning Local". Time Table. India Rail Info. Retrieved 16 December 2019.
  25. Mondal, Bhaswati. "Commuting and Metropolitan Development of Kolkata". ResearchGate. Retrieved 29 December 2019.
  26. "Bankim Sardar College". BSC. Retrieved 16 November 2019.
  27. "Bankim Sardar College". CollegeDunia. Retrieved 16 November 2019.
  28. "Canning David Sasoon High School". ICBSE. Retrieved 1 January 2020.
  29. "Canning Dwarikanath Balika Vidyalaya Up High School". ICBSE. Retrieved 1 January 2020.
  30. "Raybaghini High School". ICBSE. Retrieved 1 January 2020.
  31. "St Gabrial High School". ICBSE. Retrieved 1 January 2020.
  32. "Health & Family Welfare Department" (PDF). Health Statistics - Hospitals. Government of West Bengal. Retrieved 17 December 2019.
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