Kharaghoda is a
census town
In India and some other countries, a census town is designated as a town that satisfies certain characteristics.
India
In India, a census town is one which is not statutorily notified and administered as a town, but nevertheless whose population ...
in
Surendranagar district
Surendranagar is an administrative district in Saurashtra region of Gujarat state in India. It has a population of approximately 1.7 million people. Surendranagar city, along with the twin city of Wadhwan, has a total of 400,000 inhabitants, ...
in the
India
India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the so ...
n
state
State may refer to:
Arts, entertainment, and media Literature
* ''State Magazine'', a monthly magazine published by the U.S. Department of State
* ''The State'' (newspaper), a daily newspaper in Columbia, South Carolina, United States
* ''Our S ...
of
Gujarat
Gujarat (, ) is a state along the western coast of India. Its coastline of about is the longest in the country, most of which lies on the Kathiawar peninsula. Gujarat is the fifth-largest Indian state by area, covering some ; and the ninth ...
.
Under the
Bombay Presidency
The Bombay Presidency or Bombay Province, also called Bombay and Sind (1843–1936), was an administrative subdivision (province) of British India, with its capital in the city that came up over the seven islands of Bombay. The first mainl ...
of
British Raj
The British Raj (; from Hindi ''rāj'': kingdom, realm, state, or empire) was the rule of the British Crown on the Indian subcontinent;
*
* it is also called Crown rule in India,
*
*
*
*
or Direct rule in India,
* Quote: "Mill, who was himsel ...
, Kharaghoda was a part of the then Ahmedabad district, and had the terminus of a branch railway line. A government salt factory was established here under the brand name of "''Bharat Salt''".
Hindustan Salts Limited
''Hindūstān'' ( , from '' Hindū'' and ''-stān''), also sometimes spelt as Hindōstān ( ''Indo-land''), along with its shortened form ''Hind'' (), is the Persian-language name for the Indian subcontinent that later became commonly used by ...
, the only
public sector
The public sector, also called the state sector, is the part of the economy composed of both public services and public enterprises. Public sectors include the public goods and governmental services such as the military, law enforcement, infra ...
company in India engaged in the manufacture and sale of salt, has salt plants in Karaghoda. Recent studies have uncovered that the
bitterns
Bitterns are birds belonging to the subfamily Botaurinae of the heron family Ardeidae. Bitterns tend to be shorter-necked and more secretive than other members of the family. They were called ''hæferblæte'' in Old English; the word "bittern" ...
produced in Kharaghoda are rich in
bromide
A bromide ion is the negatively charged form (Br−) of the element bromine, a member of the halogens group on the periodic table. Most bromides are colorless. Bromides have many practical roles, being found in anticonvulsants, flame-retardant ...
s and can become a source for
bromine
Bromine is a chemical element with the symbol Br and atomic number 35. It is the third-lightest element in group 17 of the periodic table (halogens) and is a volatile red-brown liquid at room temperature that evaporates readily to form a simila ...
.
Demographics
India
census
A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording and calculating information about the members of a given population. This term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common censuses incl ...
, Kharaghoda had a population of 10,927. Males constitute 54% of the population and females 46%. Kharaghoda has an average literacy rate of 41%, lower than the national average of 59.5%: male literacy is 52%, and female literacy is 29%. In Kharaghoda, 16% of the population is under 6 years of age.
The main business of the Kharaghoda is salt production. During the British Raj, well water was used to produce salts. The salt is called ''Varagadum'' (વરાગડું).
There is one hospital, operated by HSL. There is an old library, started by the British.
Kharaghoda is located at the end of
Little Rann of Kutch
The Little Rann of Kutch is a salt marsh which is part of the Rann of Kutch in Kutch district, Gujarat, India.
Attractions
Indian wild ass sanctuary
The Little Rann of Kutch is home to the Indian wild ass (khur). To conserve this species ...
. In 2006,
Rann Utzav was held for the first time there.
References
Cities and towns in Surendranagar district
Salt industry in India
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