Darjeeling
Darjeeling District (Bengali: দার্জিলিং
জেলা; Nepali: दार्जीलिङ
जिल्ला) is the northernmost district of the state of West Bengal in eastern India in the foothills of
the Himalayas. The district is famous for its beautiful hill stations (and is often referred to as the Queen of the Hills) and Darjeeling
tea. Darjeeling is the district headquarters. Kurseong and Siliguri, three other major towns in the district, are the subdivisional
headquarters of the district. Mirik, another town of the district, has been developed as a lake resort since the late 1970s. Geographically,
the district can be divided into two broad divisions, the hills and the plains. The entire hilly region of the district comes under the
Gorkhaland Territorial Administration, a semi-autonomous administrative body under the state government of West Bengal. The council covers
the three hill subdivisions of Darjeeling, Kurseong and Kalimpong district. The foothills of Darjeeling Himalayas, which comes under the
Siliguri subdivision, is known as the Terai. The Terai is bounded on the north by the mountains, on the south by Kishanganj district of
Bihar state, on the east by Jalpaiguri district and on the west by Nepal. It has a length from north to south of 18 miles (29 km), and a
breadth from east to west of 16 miles (26 km). As of 2011 it is the second least populous district of West Bengal (out of 19), after Dakshin
Dinajpur.
Geography
The Darjeeling hill area is formed of comparatively recent rock structure that has a direct bearing on landslides. However, heavy monsoon
precipitation is however a very common cause of the landslides. Soils of Darjeeling hill areas are extremely varied, depending on
elevation, degree of slope, vegetative cover and geolithology. The Himalayas serve as the source of natural resources for the population
residing in the hill
Divisions
Administrative subdivisions
The district comprises four subdivisions: Darjeeling Sadar, Mirik, Kurseong and Siliguri. Darjeeling is the district headquarter.
There are 17 police stations, 06 community development blocks, 4 municipalities, 1 municipal corporation and 134 gram panchayats in
this district. Darjeeling contain one municipality each and Kurseong has two. Siliguri has a municipal corporation instead. The community
development blocks are divided into rural areas with gram panchayats. and census towns. In total there are 9 urban units: 4 municipalities,
1 municipal corporation and 4 census towns. Also, Darjeeling city and Pattabong Tea Garden are part of a urban agglomeration.
Darjeeling Sadar Subdivision
- Darjeeling Municipality
- Darjeeling Pulbazar (Community development block) consists of rural areas with 23
Gram Panchayats and one census town: Pattabong Tea Garden.
- Rangli Rangliot (Community development block) consists of rural areas only with
11 Gram Panchayats.
- Jorebunglow Sukhiapokhri (Community development block) consists of rural areas only
with 16 Gram Panchayats.
Kurseong Subdivision
- Kurseong Municipality
- Mirik municipality
Mirik Subdivision
- Mirik (Community development block) consists of rural areas only with 6 Gram Panchayats.
- Kurseong (Community development block) consists of rural areas with 14 Gram Panchayats
and one census town: Cart Road.
Siliguri Subdivision
- Siliguri Municipal Corporation (Area under Darjeeling District)
- Matigara (Community development block) consists of rural areas with 5 Gram Panchayats
and one census town: Bairatisal.
- Naxalbari (Community development block) consists of rural areas with 6 Gram Panchayats
and one census town: Uttar Bagdogra.
- Phansidewa (Community development block) consists of rural areas only with 7 gram
Panchayats.
- Kharibari (Community development block) consists of rural areas only with 4 gram
Panchayats.