CENSUS OF INDIA 1971 DISTRICT CENSUS HANDBOOK THANA Part A-Town & Village Directory Part B-Primary Census Abstract Compiled by THE MAHARASHTRA CENSUS OFFICE BOMBAY Printed in India by the Manager, Government Central Press, Bombay and Published by the Director, Government Printing and Stationery Maharashtra State, Bombay-400 004. 1974 [ Price-Rs. 8' 00 ] -_ A ,. ... > .. \ THANA DfSTRICT HAHARASHTP.A o CENSUS OF INDIA 1971 Central Government Publications Census Report, Series ll-Maharashtra, is published In the following Parts I-A and B General Report I-C Subsidiary Tables II-A General Population Tables II-B General Economic Tables II-C Social and Cultural Tables III Establishments-Report and Tables IV Housing-Report and Tables VI-A Town Directory VI-B Special Survey Reports on Selected Towns VI-C Survey Reports on Selected Villages VII Report on Graduates and Technical Personnel VIII-A Administration Report-Enumeration (For official use only) VIII-B Administration Report-Tabulation (For official use only) IX Census Atlas of Maharashtra State Government Publications 26 Volumes of District Census Handbooks in English 26 Volumes of District Census Handbooks in Marathi Alphabetical List of Villages in Maharashtra (in Marathi) INTRODUCTION This is the third edition of district census handbooks brought out largely on the basis of the material collected during each decennial census of our population. Earlier editions had appeared after the 1951 and the 1961 censuses. The present volume generally follows the pattern of its predecessors in presenting the 1971 census tables for the district and basic demographic, economic and general information for each village therein. Particulars of the distribution of population down to the smallest administrative unit like village and town and their broad characteristics are required for puposes such as delimitation of electoral constituencies, adjustment of administrative boundaries, educational and manpower planning. The data provided for small areas serve as statistical frames for various surveys that may be taken up. Part A of this handbook gives information relating to each village and town in the district. Revenue and municipal officials all over the district helped us in collecting the data for this section. Part B carries the 1971 primary census abstracts which present the population for each village and urban block. The items covered are area, population and its sex break-up, housebolds, occupied houses, literacy, scheduled castes and scheduled tribes, workers and non-workers with a break-up of workers into broad industrial categories. The population figures given here have the sunrise of 1 April 1971 as the reference date. Part C, which will be published separately this time, will have a general note on the physical features of the district, its administrative set-up, its demographic and socio-economic characteristics. It wil1 include further census tables, detailed official statistics on cJimate, rainfall, agriculture, industry, education, health and the like. In 1941. the population figures for villages and towns were exhibited according to communities, in the village handbooks published by the Government of Bombay. In 1951, the basis of census classification changed from a social to an economic one; census data for villages and towns were presented according to eight livelihood classes in the primary census abstracts published in the district census handbooks. This was the first occasion when district census handbooks were brought out. The handbooks contained information about different amenities available in respect of each village and town. During the 1961 census, the scope of the handbook was enlarged. In addition to the census data in respect of each village and town, other official statistics for each district were made available, with an introductory note explaining the salient features of the districts. The village directory pub­ lished as a part of the 1961 handbook carried basic census data included in the primary census abstracts; it indicated the amenities available in each village and town by means of abbreviations. These included postal, medical and educational facilities, sources of water-supply and bazar day. It was found that the primary census abstract, which needed a large number of columns to present different data, allowed very little space for information on amenities. As a result, the district census handbook has been divided into three parts in 1971 as mentioned above. I The town and village directory of 1971 (Part A) gives information on amenities and facilities available in each town and village in the districts of Maharashtra. The particulars are presented tahsilwise under each district. The villages and towns :are arranged according to their census location code numbers. The particulars in the village directory were collected through the revenue agency of the district on a prescribed form. For the town directory, six statements were compiled. Statement I contains the 1971 census popUlation data compiled by the census office. The non-census data in the other statements were supplied by the municipal councils for their areas and by the revenue agency for non­ municipal towns. For purposes of the census, districts are divided into urban and rural areas. The urban area (towns) is defined in detail; those areas which do not satisfy this definition are treated as rural areas (villages). The following places have been treated as urban areas (towns) ~ (1) every place having a muni­ cipality or a cantonment board irrespective of its population; (2) every other place which had (i) a population of at least 5,000, (ii) at least three-fourths of its male working population engaged in non-agricultural pursuits, and (iii) a density of popUlation of at least 400 persons per sq. km; (3) any other place not falling under the above two categories but which possesses certain distinct characteristics to qualify for its being treated as urban such as its being a project area or a developing township. INTRODUCTION A place is called a village if it does not satisfy any of the criteria prescribed above fOT its being treated as urban. A ' village' for census pbrposes in Maharashtra has always been the' revenue village' which is the ultimate unit of area in which the State is sub-divided for land revenue administration. A few past censuses concerned themselves only with revenue villages which had some population and did not take into account deserted or uninhabited revenue villages. As in 1961, a village at the 1971 census is a revenue vi1lage having well-defined boundaries, a map and a separate set of land records irrespective of whether that defined area has any population or not and, if it has some population whether that population resides in one locality (gaothan) or is spread over one or more identifiable clusters of population known as wadis, padas or mazaras (hamlets). Each revenue village has a specified area marked as its own and its boundaries with other adjoining villages have always enjoyed a traditional sanctity. Hamlets do not have such defined boundaries or areas distinctly marked or allotted to them, nor do they have any locally recognised status. Revenue villages which do not have any residential population are also included in the 1971 census definition of villages. They figure in the census list but are described as uninhabited to distin­ guish them from the remaining inhabited villages. The census definition of an uninhabited village differs slightly from the revenue definition of village in that the latter defines an uninhabited village as one having a population of less than 25. Wherever a revenue village situated on the outskirts of a town is wholly or partly merged in that urban area, it has been treated as a separate village. The population residing in that area which is statutorily merged in the town limits has been treated as urban population of that town; the residual population, if any, residing in the area outside the limits of the town is alone treated as the population of that village. Thus, a few partly merged villages have returned some populations. The population for all fully merged villages has been treated as urban popUlation. While the 1971 census village is thus completely identified with the revenue village, forest villages make an exception. They are population centres situated within reserved forest areas. Their popu­ lation consists mainly of forest labourers and their families. Most of them are perm~nent or semi­ permanent localities and may have attached cultivated areas leased out by the forests department under certain conditions. The land records of such villages are not maintained by the revenue department. The census list of villages also includes all inhabited forest villages. Tahsilwise aplhabetical lists of all villages and towns are printed in a separate section which precedes part A. The district and tahsil maps show by name the district and tahsil headquarters, other towns and bigger villages. Smaller villages are indicated by location code numbers. An alpha­ betical list of villages and towns faces each map. Hilly regions and uplands are tinted. Rivers and communications are also shown. Shri D. V. Rangnekar, deputy director of census operations (Hq.), laid the groundwork for the entire operation. His experience and guidance have been of great value at every stage. Shri G. A. Walawalkar and Shri M. D. Baride, deputy directors of census operations, and Smt. V. Y. Joshi and Shri D. S. Pilpile, tabulation officers, were mainly responsible for the collection and processing of data for Part A. Kumari V. L Nimbalkar, tabulation officer, prepared Part B based on primary census abstracts. Shri S. Y. Pradhan, senior artist, drew the maps included in this volume. Shri C. M. Kane prepared the manuscript for the press. Shri R. B. Alva, Manager, Government Central Press, Bombay, was of great help in getting the book printed during a period of stress and strain. I am grateful to all of them.