Bagpat district

History

Baghpat city, after which the district takes its name, derives its name either from vyagprastha ("land of tigers") or from vakyaprasth ("place for delivering speeches"). the city was finally named Baghpat, or Bagpat, during the Mughal era. Starting from a small commercial center known as the Mandi, the city grew in importance after the 1857 mutiny and became the headquarters of Baghpat tehsil. Baghpat has a rich historical significance, particularly in the context of India's struggle for independence. The district provided shelter to several key freedom fighters. Notably, Chandrashekhar Azad sought refuge in Baghpat after the Kakori Train Action, a significant event in the Indian independence movement. Additionally, Subhas Chandra Bose visited Baraut city of Baghpat district in his efforts to recruit new members for his army, the Indian National Army (INA), during his fight against British colonial rule.

Baghpat district was created on 17 September 1997 and named after the erstwhile Baghpat tehsil of Meerut district.

Geography

The district has an area of 1321 sqkm. Baghpat town lies on the east bank of the Yamuna River and is within the National Capital Region.

It borders Sonipat and Panipat districts of Haryana; Meerut, Muzaffarnagar, Shamli, and Ghaziabad districts of Uttar Pradesh; and the National Capital Territory of Delhi

It is 40 km from Delhi, the national capital, 52 km from Meerut, and 55 km from Ghaziabad.

Water quality issues

Bagpat district, along with other districts in western Uttar Pradesh, faces significant challenges regarding water quality. The National Green Tribunal (NGT) has been addressing these issues, particularly concerning heavy metal contamination in groundwater.

The NGT has criticised local authorities for failing to provide clean drinking water to residents despite multiple directives. Reports indicate dangerously high levels of arsenic in the groundwater, posing severe health risks, including cancer and physical deformities. In the village of Jalalpur, arsenic levels were found to be 40 mg/l, 4000 times the acceptable limit.

There have been serious physical disabilities observed in children due to contaminated water. Villages along the Hindon, Krishni, and Kali rivers are particularly affected, with residents suffering from skin diseases, congenital deformities, and cancer due to heavy metals and toxins in the water.

The Central Ground Water Board (CGWB) has reported declining groundwater levels and quality issues in Bagpat district, particularly in Binauli, Pilana, and Khekra blocks. About 96.60% of the net irrigated area relies on groundwater.

To address these challenges, the NGT has ordered scientific studies of groundwater quality and directed the Uttar Pradesh Jal Nigam to ensure the supply of clean drinking water to affected villages. These measures are crucial for safeguarding public health and ensuring sustainable water management in Bagpat district.

Demographics

According to the 2011 census, Bagpat district has a population of 1,303,048, which is roughly equal to that of African nation of Mauritius or the US state of New Hampshire. This gives it a ranking of the 376th most populous districts in India (out of a total of 640). The district has a population density of 986 PD/sqkm . Its population growth rate over the decade 2001–2011 was 11.87%. Bagpat has a sex ratio of 858 females for every 1000 males, and a literacy rate of 73.54%. 21.11% of the population lived in urban areas. Scheduled Castes make up 11.44% of the population.

Baghpat is a Hindu-majority district, with about 70% Hindu population and 28% Muslim population. Jains make up over 1% of the population.

96.74% of the population of the district spoke Hindi, and 2.54% Urdu, as their first language.

Administration

Legislative constituencies

The current Member of the Legislative Assembly (MLA) of the Uttar Pradesh Vidhan Sabha for Baghpat is Yogesh Dhama; the MLA for Baraut is Krishan Pal Malik; and the MLA for Chhaprauli is Ajay Kumar. All of these state-legislature constituencies are part of the Baghpat Lok Sabha constituency whose MP is Rajkumar Sangwan.

District administration

The present district magistrate of Baghpat is Jitendra Pratap Singh and superintendent of Baghpat Police is Arpit Vijayvargiya. Additional district magistrate is Pankaj Verma and chief development officer is Neeraj Kumar Srivastava. Arun Kumar Tiwari is the district youth officer of Nehru Yuva Kendra Baghpat.

Tehsils and blocks

Bagpat district is divided into 3 tehsils: Baghpat, Baraut, and Khekra. Baghpat tehsil comprises two blocks – Baghpat and Pilana; while Baraut comprises three – Binauli, Chhaprauli, and Baraut. Khekra tehsil comprises only the Khekra block. Baghpat, Baraut, Doghat Rural and Khekada are the major towns in the district.

Villages

• Badagaon
• Baoli
• Baraut
• Bijrol
• Bodha
• Budhpur
• Chamrawal
• Faizpur Ninana
• Katha
• Ramala
• Tyodhi

Economy

Baghpat town has an agriculture-based economy where sugarcane is a main crop. There are sugar mills in Baghpat, Ramala and Malakpur. Wheat, mustard, and vegetables are also extensively grown. The district is known for its home furnishing industry, which produces items like bedsheets, towels and mattresses, that are supplied across the country.

Education

Colleges located in Baghpat include:

• JagMohan Institute of Management and Technology
• Janta Vedic College

Notable people

• Yuvika Chaudhary, actress
• Saurabh Kumar, cricketer
• Sah Mal, freedom fighter who led the 1857 mutiny from Baghpat
• Satya Pal Malik, politician, serving as the 21st Governor of Meghalaya
• Rajendra Singh, social worker
• Satya Pal Singh, former minister
• Shirash Pal Singh, chief coach of Indian national kabaddi team (Asian and SAF Games gold medalist)
• Chandro Tomar, sharpshooter
• Nitin Tomar, professional Indian kabaddi player
• Prakashi Tomar, sharpshooter
• Sachin Yadav, athlete

References

References

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2. "District-specific Literates and Literacy Rates, 2001". Registrar General, India, Ministry of Home Affairs.
3. (23 June 2023). "Occupational Mobility in Contemporary India: Beyond One Generation Into the Future". Taylor & Francis.
4. "About District".
5. "विकास की ओर बढ़े कदम, जिला बनने से लगे पंख". [[Amar Ujala]].
6. (7 September 2016). "DM, CMO Baghpat appear before NGT on issue of water contamination". The Times of India.
7. Team, N. L.. (7 September 2016). "No water-borne diseases in Baghpat, says district administration".
8. "DISTRICT GROUND WATER BROCHURE OF BAGHPAT DISTRICT, U.P.".
9. SHARMA, VANI. (2 February 2022). "We Drink This Poison Every Day".
10. Rai, Sandeep. (16 January 2018). "Toxic West UP rivers: NGT forms special panel to conduct 'intensive' survey of 316 industrial units". The Times of India.
11. (7 September 2016). "Order of the National Green Tribunal regarding contaminated water being supplied in Bagpat District, Uttar Pradesh, 07/09/2016". India Environment Portal.
12. [http://www.censusindia.gov.in/2011census/PCA/A2_Data_Table.html Decadal Variation In Population Since 1901]
13. (2011). "Census of India 2011 – Uttar Pradesh – District Census Handbook – Baghpat".
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16. (2011). "Table C-01 Population by Religion: Uttar Pradesh". [[Registrar General and Census Commissioner of India]].
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18. "Jitendra Pratap Singh (IAS) {{!}} Bagpat District {{!}} India".
19. "Mr. Arpit Vijayvargiya (IPS) {{!}} Bagpat District {{!}} India".
20. "Who's Who {{!}} Bagpat District {{!}} India".
21. "Other Important Contact {{!}} Bagpat District {{!}} India".
22. "Tehsils".
23. "Blocks".
24. (July 2025). "Katha {{!}} Village {{!}} GeoIQ".
25. "Economy".
26. "One District-One Product(Home Furnishing) {{!}} Bagpat District {{!}} India".