Poonch district, India

Geography

Poonch district has a total area of 1674 sqkm. The district is bordered by Kulgam district, Shopian district and Budgam district in the east, Rajouri district to the south and Baramulla district and Haveli district, Pakistan administered Jammu and Kashmir to the north and Poonch district, Pakistani administered Kashmir to the west.

The district also de jure includes the areas of Poonch Division under Pakistani control (Bagh District, Haveli District, Poonch District, Sudhanoti District).

Administration

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The district headquarters is in the Poonch city. Presently, district Poonch in Jammu and Kashmir is divided into six tehsils:

• Haveli Tehsil
• Mandi Tehsil
• Mendhar Tehsil
• Surankote Tehsil
• Mankote Tehsil
• Balakote Tehsil

Each tehsil has its Tehsildar, who is the administrative head. The district is further divided into eleven blocks: Poonch, Mandi, Loran, Sathra, Mendhar, Mankote, Balakote, Surankote, and Buffliaz. The administrative head of each block is the Block Development Officer (BDO). Each block consists of a number of panchayats. Poonch district has a total of 179 villages.

Economy

The local economy depends on agriculture. Industrial environment is absent and commercial activity exists on a very low scale. Peoples have small pieces of land for cultivation of fruits and crops. In 2006, the Ministry of Panchayati Raj named Poonch one of the country's 250 most backward districts (out of a total of 640).

Politics

Poonch district has three assembly constituencies: Surankote, Mendhar and Poonch Haveli. Poonch district comes in Anantnag-Rajouri constituency. The present MP of Anantnag-Rajouri constituency is Mian Altaf Ahmed Larvi of JKNC.

The current MLAs of Poonch Haveli and Mendhar are Ajaz Ahmed Jan and Javed Ahmed Rana of the JKNC. While Surankote is represented by Independent politician Choudhary Mohammad Akram.

Demographics

| 1901 | 102011 | 1911 | 112009 | 1921 | 117759 | 1931 | 127477 | 1941 | 140446 | 1951 | 147489 | 1961 | 154532 | 1971 | 170787 | 1981 | 224197 | 1991 | 290727 | 2001 | 372613 | 2011 | 476835

According to the 2011 census Poonch district, India has a population of 476,835, roughly equal to the nation of Suriname.{{cite web | author = US Directorate of Intelligence | title = Country Comparison:Population | url = https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/rankorder/2119rank.html | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20070613004507/https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/rankorder/2119rank.html | url-status = dead | archive-date = 13 June 2007 | access-date = 2011-10-01 | quote = Suriname 491,989 July 2011 est.

Religion

, the proportions of different religions in the district were as follows: Islam (90.45%), Hinduism (6.84%), Sikhism (2.35%), Christianity (0.20%), not stated (0.15%), and others (0.02%).

Only 8.1% of the district's population lived in urban areas. The proportions of religions in urban areas differed from the district as a whole, being: Islam (51.38%), Hinduism (32.82%), Sikhism (14.62%), Christianity (0.96%), not stated (0.20%), and others (0.03%).

(no. females per 1,000 males)

Major clans and ethnicities include Muslim Gujars, Bakerwals, Jats, Mughals, Syeds, Paharis, Kashmiris and Muslim Rajputs. mostly reside on the slopes of mountains. The inhabitants typically cultivate small plots of land, and own some cattle. Muslim Gujjars and Bakerwals (nomadic tribes) speak Gojri, apart from Kashmiris who speak Kashmiri the rest of the population speak Pahari-Pothwari, mostly Poonchi, which is written in nastaliq script.

Transportation

Air

The Poonch Airport is a non-operational airstrip located in Poonch which is mainly used by the Indian Army. The nearest airport is Sheikh ul-Alam International Airport in Srinagar which is located 174 kilometres from Poonch town.

Rail

There is no railway connectivity to Poonch yet. There are plans to build the Jammu–Poonch line in the near future to connect Poonch with Jammu. The nearest major railway station is Jammu Tawi railway station which is located 235 kilometres from district headquarters Poonch.

Road

Poonch district is connected to the summer capital Jammu by the NH 144A alongside other intra-district roads. It also has road connectivity with Srinagar through the picturesque Mughal Road. There are plans to upgrade the existing NH 144A to four-lane for faster movement of traffic. A bus across the LOC, the Poonch–Rawalakot Bus has helped to re-establish ties across the border.

Education

The urban area has both govt and private schools but the no of govt schools is significantly higher in rural areas. Most of the govt schools have a MDM(MID DAY MEAL) of nutritious food on a regular basis. The city also has a college named Shri Krishan Chander degree college Poonch offering bachelor courses in fields of humanities, science, commerce, languages, etc. Most schools are affiliated to JKBOSE, whereas schools having CBSE, and ICSE boards are also there.

Tourism

Poonch is well known for its tourism across the country. It has the famous, Budda amarnath temple located in Mandi zone. Other places which are well known are Ziarat Sain Miran Sahib, LOC Trade Centre, Mughal Road & Pir ki Gali, Than Pir, Noori chammb waterfall, Nandishool Waterfall, Poonch view(Mountain Top). Every year in the month of August, a yatra known as chhadi yatra takes place in which people from all over India travel to the city and join the yatra to seek blessings.

The annual Shri Budha Amarnath Ji Yatra remains a significant religious pilgrimage in Poonch, drawing thousands of devotees from across India. Despite intermittent cross-border shelling and civilian casualties caused by Pakistani artillery, the pilgrimage continues with full support from the administration, security forces, and religious organizations. The Budha Amarnath Ji Mela and associated spiritual events are held each year with elaborate arrangements to ensure the safety and well-being of pilgrims.

Food

The city is known for its delicious vegetarian, non-vegetarian and vegan cuisines. Most people here follow a non-vegetarian diet, followed by lacto-ovo-vegetarian, lacto-vegetarian diet. People here follow diet due to personal, cultural, or religious reasons. Various non-vegetarian restaurants serve finger-licking delicious meat dishes of kashmiri cuisine. People here eat a variety of meat like poultry, mutton, lamb, beef, fish and lean meats. The city also serves few vegetarian and vaishnav food in various restaurants. Most fast foods are non-vegetarian. Since the majority is Muslim, halal meat is available in abundance.

Battle of Poonch (1971)

The famous Battle of Poonch, also known as Defence of Poonch, was fought here in 1971. This battle, which lasted from December 3 - December 16, was a pivotal defensive operation on the Western Front of the India-Pakistan war of 1971, where Indian forces successfully thwarted a major Pakistani offensive aimed at capturing the strategically vital town of Poonch.

Pakistan sought to capture Poonch to isolate Indian forces in Jammu and Kashmir and gain a bargaining chip for negotiations. The main assault occurred between December 3 and December 6, 1971, following Pakistan's pre-emptive air strikes on Indian airfields. The defense by Indian Forces was led by the 93 Infantry Brigade, commanded by Brigadier Anant Vishwanath Natu. Key units included the 6th Sikh Battalion, supported by the 8th Jat Regiment, and the 195 Mountain Regiment (Artillery). Pakistan deployed a division-sized force of approximately eight battalions (two brigades), including the 5th Frontier Force Rifles and the 51st Punjab Regiment.

The assault started on December 3. Pakistan launched heavy artillery shelling followed by infantry attacks on Indian forward piquets, specifically targeting heights like Durga, Banwat, and Doda. A critical engagement took place at the Poonch helipad, where Indian troops, including two platoons under Captain Mamik, held firm against overwhelming numbers. After blunting the initial Pakistani push by December 10, Indian forces launched a counter-attack on the night of December 10–11, capturing the strategic Nangi Tekri feature.

The Indian Army successfully defended Poonch without losing a single post. Pakistan suffered significant losses, with an estimated 322 killed and 761 wounded. The 6th Sikh Battalion was awarded the Battle Honour "Defence of Poonch 1971". Brigadier A.V. Natu and Lt Col K.L. Rattan (Commanding Officer of 6 Sikh) were awarded the Maha Vir Chakra (MVC) for their leadership. By holding Poonch, India secured its lines of communication in the sector, preventing a potential collapse of its defenses in Jammu and Kashmir.

2025 Artillery Shelling

On 7 May 2025, Pakistan launched a significant artillery offensive along the Line of Control (LoC) in response to India's Operation Sindoor. The Pakistani shelling resulted in the deaths of at least 15 Indian civilians and injured 43 others, with areas like Poonch and Rajouri being heavily affected.

Gallery

File:Poonch1.jpg File:Poonch2.jpg File:Poonch3.jpg File:Poonch4.jpg File:Poonch5.jpg File:Poonch city by Ajaz Khawaja.jpg|By Naeem

References

References

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