Khanakul II is a community development block that forms an administrative division in Arambag subdivision of Hooghly district in the Indian state of West Bengal.
Overview
The Khanakul II CD Block is part of the Dwarakeswar-Damodar inter-riverine plain with alluvial soil. The Mundeswari flows through the region, carrying water from the Damodar and joins the Rupnarayan at the tri-junction of the Hooghly, Howrah and Purba Medinipur districts. It is a flood prone area.
Geography
Natibpur, a constituent panchayat of Khanakul II block, is located at .
Khanakul II CD Block is bounded by Khanakul I CD Block in the north, Udaynarayanpur CD Block, in Howrah district, in the east, Amta II CD Block, in Howrah district, in the south, and Daspur II and Ghatal CD Blocks, in Paschim Medinipur district, in the west.
It is located 72 km from Chinsurah, the district headquarters.
Khanakul II CD Block has an area of 121.83 km2. It has 1 panchayat samity, 11 gram panchayats, 145 gram sansads (village councils), 53 mouzas and 52 inhabited villages. Khanakul police station serves this block. Headquarters of this CD Block is at Khanakul.
Gram panchayats of Khanakul II block/ panchayat samiti are: Chingra, Dhanyaghori, Jagatpur, Marokhana, Natibpur I, Natibpur II, Palaspai I, Palaspai II, Rajhati I, Rajhati II and Sabal Singhapur.
Demographics
Population
As per the 2011 Census of India, Khanakul II CD Block had a total population of 184,734, all of which were rural. There were 93,379 (51%) males and 90,755 (49%) females. Population below 6 years was 22,035. Scheduled Castes numbered 55,544 (30.07%) and Scheduled Tribes numbered 29 (0.02%).
As per the 2001 census, Khanakul II block had a total population of 160,861, out of which 79,564 were males and 81,297 were females. Khanakul II block registered a population growth of 6.90 per cent during the 1991-2001 decade. Decadal growth for Hooghly district was 15.72 per cent. Decadal growth in West Bengal was 17.84 per cent.
Large villages (with 4,000+ population) in Khanakul II CD Block are (2011 census figures in brackets): Hirapur (5,486), Ramchandrapur (5,299), Kaknan (5,833), Dhanyaghari (5,482), Ghoradaha (6,707), Jagatpur (7,142), Bara Nandanpur (4,763), Nandanpur (7,778), Marakhana (5,526), Hayatpur (7,805), Harish Chak (9,705), Sabalsinghapur (10,109), Rajhati (6,677), Routkhana (6,114), Ranjitbati (4,208), Chinra (12,924), Natibpur (6,466), Balpai (5,856), Palashpai (6,450) and Mostafapur (5,670).
Literacy
As per the 2011 census the total number of literates in Khanakul II CD Block was 128,790 (79.16% of the population over 6 years) out of which males numbered 71,206 (86.12% of the male population over 6 years) and females numbered 57,584 (71.96% of the female population over 6 years). The gender disparity (the difference between female and male literacy rates) was 14.16%.
As per the 2001 census, Khanakul II block had a total literacy of 49.27 per cent. While male literacy was 72.54 per cent, female literacy was 38.76 per cent.
See also – List of West Bengal districts ranked by literacy rate
Language and religion
As per the 2011 census, majority of the population of the district belong to the Hindu community with a population share of 82.9% followed by Muslims at 15.8%. The percentage of the Hindu population of the district has followed a decreasing trend from 87.1% in 1961 to 82.9% in the latest census 2011. On the other hand, the percentage of Muslim population has increased from 12.7% in 1961 to 15.8% in 2011 census.
In 2011 census Hindus numbered 155,566 and formed 84.21% of the population in Khanakul II CD Block. Muslims numbered 28,946 and formed 15.67% of the population. Others numbered 222 and formed 0.12% of the population.
Bengali is the predominant language, spoken by 99.95% of the population.
Rural poverty
As per poverty estimates obtained from household survey for families living below poverty line in 2005, rural poverty in Khanakul II CD Block was 16.47%.
Economy
Livelihood
In Khanakul II CD Block in 2011, amongst the class of total workers, cultivators formed 19.14%, agricultural labourers 29.25%, household industry workers 7.68% and other workers 43.93%.