CENSUS OF INDIA 1981 PARTXB SERIES 4 BIHAR TOWN SURVEY REPORT DHANBAD Drafted by Rajendra Prasad Asstt. Director Edited by S.C. Saxena Deputy Director Supervised by V.K. Bhargava Deputy Director Directorate of Census Operations BIHAR FOREWORD Apart from the decennial enumeration of population, the Indian Census is ~teeped in the tradition of undertaking a variety of studies of topical interest. In fact, the publications brought out in connection with the earlier censuses contained veritable mines of informatfon!On racial, cultural, linguistic and a number of other aspects of life of the people of this country. With the advent of freedom, however, the scope and dimension of these special studies had to be re­ structured in a manner that would provide the basic feedbacks on the processes of development taking place in different spheres of life of the people especially under planned development. Thus, in connection with the 1961, Census, a massive programme wa~s launched inter-alia to conduct socio-economic survey of about 500 villages selected from different parts of the country. The main objective of this study was to know the way of life of the people living in Indian villages which accounted for 82 per cent of the total population as per the 1961 Census. There was, however, an imperative need to extand the area of the study to urban centres as well, to -provide a complete coverage of the people living in diverse sodo economic conditions. It was with this objective in view ancillary studies on towns were launched as part of the social studies programme in connection with the 1971 Census. The programme of social studies ta~en up in connection with the 1971 Census, was continued without any major change at the 1981 Census as well. A study on traditional rural based handicrafts was, however, added as a neW item under the social study projects of the . 1981 Census. For the conduct of urban study, 64 small and medium towns were selected from different parts of the country following the criteria such as (a) size, (b) demographic features, (c) functional characteristiCS, (d) specific industry or occupation dominating the economy, (e) location, (0 concentration' of different castes and communities and (g) other social-and cultural phenomenon like temple, town, health resort etc'. The research deSign, tools for data collection and formats for data tabulation and report writing required for urban studies were originally formulated by Dr. B.K. Roy Burman, the then Deputy Registrar General. Social Studies Division. His successor, Dr. N.G. Nag took considerable pains to revise all the formats to· make them more comprehensive. Dr .. K.P. Ittaman, the present Deputy Registrar General heading Social Studies Division, coordinated these studies at different levels as well as rendered necessary guidance to the Directorates of Census Operations for their successful consummation. Shri M.K. Jain_,. Senior Research Officer and Smt. Suman Prashar Assistant Director of Census Operations with the able assistance of Investigator, Smt. Renu Sabharwal did a commendable job in scrutihising the reports and cdmmunicating the comments thereon to the Directorates. I am grateful to all of them. The present report Is the out-come of a study. of Dhanbad town undertaken by the Directorate of Census Operations, Bihar. I am indebted to Shri V.K. Bhargava Deputy Director and his colleagues In the Census Directorate for their painstaking efforts in bringing out this report, V.S. VERMA New Deihl, REGISTRAR GENERAL, INDIA 1at June, ·1 S88 PREFACE Of the three towns selected for study as ancillary to 1981 Census, Dhanbad is one. The formats for collecting data were supplied from the Social Studies Division, New Delhi. Thi$ study covers the growth history of Dhanbad town; social, economic and cultural relations of the region; ethnic and demorgraphic characteristics of the town dwellers; nature and intensity of linkage with the rural hinterland and the neighbouring towns. Besides, it also gives certain basic details regarding migration, settlement pattern and other related matters. The data analysed in this volume was collected through intensive field survey organised and conducted by Shri Rajendra Prasad, Assistant Director with the help of a team comprising SIShri Vidya Prasad Sinha, Investigator, S.K. Das 'Sudhakar', Statistical ASSistant, Haldhar Prasad Singh, Gajendra Kumar Labh and Rajl1i Ranjan, Computors and LalaAshok Kumar Shrivastava. Assistant Compiler under the able guidance of Shri S.C. Saxena, Deputy Director. Compilation and tabulation work was also done by the same team. SIShri Madan Mohan Kanth, Statistical ASSistant, Mathura Prasad Bibhuti and Ani! Kumar Singh, Computors, joined the team at a later stage. The credit of drafting the report goes to Shri Rajendra Prasad, Assistant Director who was assisted by S/Shri Vidya Prasad Sinha, Investigator and S.K. Das 'Sudhakar' Statistical Assistant. Shri· S.C. Saxena, Deputy Director finally edited the report. Maps inciuded in the report and the cover design were prepared by Shri j.Lakra, Investigator under the supervision of Shri R.P. Singh, Research Officer (Map). Shri G.C. Mishra, Assistant Director, Shri B.K. Shrivasatava, Printing Inspector assisted by S/Shri K.K. Prasa(l, D.S. Singh and S.K. Sinha, Computers have helped in getting the volume printed. Md. Ashraful Hoda, L.D.C. typed the manuscript. I would like to record my appreciation and thanks to all of them. I am also thankful to the officials of Dhanbad Municipality, the Deputy Commissioner's Office and the various other def,iartments and organisations in the town for their whole hearted co-operation during the field operations. My thanks are due to Dr. K.P. Ittaman, the Dy. Registrar General, Shri M.K. Jain Senior Research Officer and Smt. Suman Parashar, Assistant Director and Sh. K.K. Kalra Artist of the Office of the Registrar General, India for their useful comments and suggestions for making the report pressworthy. - I must record my deepest sen~e of gratitude to Shri V.S. Verma, the Registrar General, India for his valuable suggestions and encouragement to complete the report. I am also thankful to Shri B.P. Jain, Dy. Director (Printing), Office of the Regi.strar General. India and pross for their help in bringing out this volume quickly. I have myself snClPped the photographs included til the volume. V.K. BHARGAVA Patna Dy Director'o~ Census Operations, 30th March, 1989 Bihar, Patna CONTENTS PAGES FOREWORD iii PREFACE v List of Tables xi List of Photographs xv MAPS CHAPTER-I Introduction 1-18 Population (1), Topography and physical environment (1), Flora (2) Fau~a (2), Climate (2), Communication with other places (7), Morphology including streets (10), Functional areas and land use pattern (10), Administrative area (11), Commercial area (12), Educational area (13), Res~ntialarea (13), Industrial area (14), Important Public places (15), Residential pattern with reference to ethnic groups (15), Location of slum (18). Photographs (in between pages 18-19) CHAPTER-II History of growth of town 19-26 Myth, legend or history connected with the growth of town (19), Pre-urbanisation details of the town (22), Events connected with the growth of town (22), Land utilisation pattern (23) I Population characteristics of town (24), Rules and regulations framed for control of land use (25), History of Inmigration and out migration (25), Impact of topography in the pattern of growth of the town (26) CHAPTER-III Amenities and services-History of growth and the present position 27-46 Administrative and other government offices (27), Municipal office (31), Water supply (31), conservancy (32), Electricity (33), Road lighting (34), Transport and communication (34), Educational facilities and educational instituttons (36). Abhay Sundari Girls Middle and High School (37), Bal and Vinay Mandir (37), D.A.V. Middle and High School (37), Khalsa Middle ancl High School (38), Guru Nanak College (39), P.K. Roy Memorial College (39), S.S.L.N.T. Mahila Mahavidyalaya (40), B.S.S. Mahila College (41), Law Coflege (41), Indian School of Mines (41), Medical facilities and Medical Institutions (42). Other amenities (45). Photographs (in between pages 4647) viii PAGES CHAPTER-IV Economic life of the town 47-98 Working force (47), working force in the sample households (48). Photographs (in between pages 98-99) CHAPTER-V Ethnic and selected socio-demographic characteristics of the population 99-137 Ethnic composition of population (99), Mother tongue (100), Scheduled castes and scheduled tribes (108), Others (111), Distribution of population by age, sex and marital status (114), Age, sex and education (115), Religion and age at marriage (124), Inter religion/caste marriages (127), Correlates of age at marriage (127), Education by religion (128), Educational score by caste/community (136), knowledge of subsidiary languages and educational score (136), Non-enrolment in school (137), Discontinuation of study (137). CHAPTER-VI Migration and settlement of families 139-170 CHAPTER-VII Neighbourhood pattern 171-175 Jharudih (172), Bhattacharya colony' (172), Yatim Khana (172), Matkuria (172), Baramasia (173). CHAPTER-VIII Family life In the town 177-188 Size of household (177), Type of household and its correlates (178). CHAPTER-IX Housing and material ~ulture 189-222 Photographs (in between pages 222-223). CHAPTER-X Slums, blighted and other areas with sub-standard living condition 223-224 Photographs (in between Pages 224-225) CHAPTER-XI Organisation· of power and prestige 225-235