Talcher
Talcher also named as City of Black Diamond or Coal City of Odisha is one of the fastest growing industrial and coal hubs in the state. Because of its huge coal reserves, the city has been ranked among the highest in terms of GDP in Odisha. It is also one of the 4 sub-divisions of Angul district in the Indian state of Odisha. Situated on the right bank of the river Brahmani, it is one of the fastest growing industrial and mining complexes of the country. The city is surrounded by the coalfields under MCL (Mahanadi Coalfields Limited) and has three Mega Power plants like NTPC, TTPS. Jindal power plant
Talcher | |
|---|---|
Urban agglomeration/Coal City | |
 View of Talcher Palace | |
| Nickname(s): City of Black Diamond, Coal City, Industrial City | |
  Talcher Location in Odisha  Talcher Talcher (India) | |
| Coordinates: 20.95°N 85.23°E | |
| Country |  |
| State | Odisha |
| District | Angul |
| Population (2011)[1] | |
| • Total | 40,841 |
| Demonym(s) | ତାଳଚେରିଆ |
| Languages | |
| • Official | Odia, English |
| Time zone | UTC+5:30 (IST) |
| PIN | 759100 |
| Telephone code | 06760 |
| Vehicle registration | OD-35 |
| Nearest city | Dhenkanal, Cuttack, Bhubaneswar |
| Literacy | 75% |
| Lok Sabha constituency | Dhenkanal |
History
During the British Raj Talcher was the capital of Talcher State, one of the princely states of the Eastern States Agency.[2]
Demographics
As of 2011 India census, Talcher had a population of 40,841 . Males constitute 55% of the population and females 45%. Talcher has an average literacy rate of 75%, higher than the national average of 59.5%: male literacy is 80%, and female literacy is 62%. In Talcher, 12% of the population is under 6 years of age.
Economy
Talcher is known for its coal reserves. It has numbers of underground and open-cast mines. Dera colliery is the oldest mine here. The coalfields are managed by Mahanadi Coalfields Limited (MCL), a subsidiary of Coal India Limited (CIL). The establishment of Talcher Thermal Power Station (TTPS) and Talcher Super Thermal Power Station (TSTPS) both owned by National Thermal Power Corporation, Fertilizer Corporation of India (FCI), Heavy Water Plant and the Collieries of Mahanadi Coalfields Limited(MCL) have enhanced the importance of the place.
Politics
Current MLA from Talcher Assembly Constituency is Brajokishore Pradhan of BJD, who won the seat in State elections in 2009. Previous MLAs from this seat were Mahesh Sahoo who won this seat as BJP candidate in 1994, Brundabana Behera who won this seat as an independent candidate in 1990 and also representing JNP in 1980 and 1977, and Bhajaman Behera of INC in 1985. Talcher is part of Dhenkanal (Lok Sabha constituency).
Landmarks
Talcher Palace, also known as the Samrat Sadan Palace is a lavish heritage property built around the 14th century. The main attraction of this palace is an imposing wheel-shaped stone structure that lies right above the main entrance. Talcher Palace is the official residence of Raja Rajendra Chandra Deb of Talcher who lives there along with his wife Rani Saheb Pushpa Devi and their two sons Yuvraj Vijayendra Chandra Deb and Pattayet Shailendra Chandra Deb. Talcher Palace is a popular tourist destination for visitors coming to Talcher. Talcher Autonomous College and numerous colleges are located here. Rengali Dam is another tourist spot located on the outskirts of Talcher.
Public Sector Industries
NTPC : The National Thermal Power Corporation, India's leader in power generation has 2 numbers of thermal power plant in Angul district. One, NTPC/TTPS located 7 km from Talcher on the way to Bhubaneswar is of 460MW and the other one, the bigger one NTPC/TSTPS also known as NTPC Kaniha is of 3000 MW super thermal power station located at Kaniha, in Talcher subdivision. The beneficiary states from the power generation are Odisha, Bihar, Sikkim, Damodar Valley Corporation, West Bengal, Jharkhand and Southern States. Coal for the power generation is sourced from the Talcher Coalfield and water for the thermal power is taken from Samal Barrage Reservoir. The location of NTPC, Talcher is at Kaniha which is 45 km from Talcher. NTPC Kanhia has its own township for its 1500 employees.
MCL : Mahanadi Coal Field Limited is located in Talcher, a well known mining centre of coal. A unit of Coal India Limited, MCL was previously under SECL (South Eastern Coal Field Ltd.). The major mines under MCL in Talcher are the Bhubaneswari OCP (Capacity-25 MT), Ananta OCP, Bharatpur OCP, Lingaraj OCP, Kaniha OCP, Jagannath OCP, Hingula OCP, Balram OCP, Nandira colliery(UG) Dera colliery(UG). Some new projects will also come up in future which are under progress of exploration by CMPDI Ltd.
FCI : The Fertilizer Corporation of India has its unit in Talcher. One of the oldest industries of this area, FCI Talcher has faced problems in its viable operation. Hence, the plant has faced a closure since 1998. The township & plants do exist, waiting for much needed revival. As per a recent report RCF (Rashtriya Chemicals and Fertilizers) plans to revive the FCI plant in Talcher with a capital outlay of about Rs. 3000 crores.
HWP : The Heavy Water Plant is located in Talcher is a Govt. of India organisation under the aegis of Ministry of Atomic Power & Energy. This plant is involved in production of Organic Solvents like TBP, D2EFHA, TAPO & TOPO etc. and other allied chemicals required as a part of the Nuclear Power Programme of the country.
TTPS : Talcher Thermal Power Station was one of the oldest power generation plant of the Government of Odisha, with a capacity of 460 MW power generation and it is located in Talcher. Coal for the power generation is sourced from the Talcher Coal Field and water for the thermal power is taken from nearby Brahmani river. It faced problems in its operations and was in the reds. The company was taken over by NTPC and its operation has once again become economically viable. The power plant is run efficiently by NTPC since 1998.
Place of Interest
- King's Palace
- Brahmani River
- Goddess Maa Hingula
- Paschimeshwar Mandir
- Bhimkhund
This is another tourist place situated about 8 kilometres (5.0 mi) from the town of Talcher. One can see the sleeping statue of Lord Vishnu on the river bed of Brahmani.
Transport
As Talcher is a commercial and industrial centre of Odisha, it has a developed transportation network. It is well connected with the capital Bhubaneswar, cuttack and other part of Odisha.
Rail
Talcher Railway Station and Talcher Road Railway Station are the most important stations of the East Coast Railway Zone headquartered at Bhubaneswar. Important train routes move through cities like Bhubaneshwar, Cuttack, Ahmedabad, Amritsar, Visakhapatnam, Delhi, Jaipur, Howrah making it helpful for citizens to commute to other parts of the nation. Talcher-Delhi is well connected for the people who wants to travel from Talcher to Delhi and Vice versa.
Road
It has connectivity to other major cities. NH 23 connects Talcher with northern part of Odisha and connects NH 42 via Banarpal to Bhubaneswar and Sambalpur. Besides other major state highways have access to other places. Bus connectivity is also available from Talcher to Kolkata, Tata Nagar, Bhubaneswar, Cuttack, Brahmapur, Sambalpur.
Local transport
The city is well connected to the other near by towns of Angul and neighbouring districts . Local transport includes mini buses, auto rickshaws & taxis that runs to nearby suburbs and scatter through the city.
References
- http://www.censusindia.gov.in/pca/SearchDetails.aspx?Id=420368
- Malleson, G. B.: An historical sketch of the native states of India, London 1875, Reprint Delhi 1984