PLACES

AMRAVATI TAHSIL

Physical Features,

Amravati tahsil is the headquarters tahsil of the Amravari district lying between 20° 41' and 21° 12' N. and 77° 32' and 78° 2' E. with an area of 2,157.47 km.² (833 sq. miles). It lies in the fertile valley of Berar (Varhad) but the almost uniform characteristics of this valley are broken by a low range of stony and barren hills which cropping up in the immediate vicinity of  Amravati camp, now incorporated in the town, extends over the  eastern border of the tahsil. The tahsil is bounded on the  north by the Acalpur tahsil of Amravati district and the Murtizapur tahsil of Akola district, and in the east and south it borders upon the Candur tahsil almost touching with its north-eastern extremity, the river Wardha. The tahsil is compact in shape though it narrows towards the north. The tract contains no large forests, but babul and mango trees are plentiful everywhere, though the latter tree does not attain to very great size. The tahsil has a great variety of soils ranging from the prevalent black agrillaceous mould to the worst of rocky soils. Though the latter are inferior in appearance they are, however, tolerably fertile owing to the iron felspar they contain, and in favourable seasons they produce excellent crops, but require periodical manuring. The black soil, however, except in the western part of the tahsil where it contains an excess of saline matter, is very fertile, requiring little or no manure nor even heavy ploughing, for the production of the prolific cotton for which this part of Berar is so justly renowned. The soil is deep and in the hot weather great fissures form in it, sometimes several feet deep. With the coming of the monsoon the surface matter is washed well below and the soil turned as effectually as it would be by the best ploughs. [This is the popular theory.] The climate is on the whole healthy, though trying in the months of April, May and June on account of the extreme heat. The only rivers of any importance are the Purna and the Pedhi: the former separates Amravati from Daryapur on the western border and contains a supply of water throughout the year. The Pedhi running through the centre of the tahsil also has a perennial supply- Many of the villages are dependent on wells for drinking water. The same salt bed, however, which underlies parts of the Akola district and Daryapur tahsil, infects Amravati. and hence well water is frequently very brackish especially in the western towns and villages. Two large tanks have been constructed near Amravati for supplying water to the city, but in years of short rainfall the supply is precarious. There are also tanks at Pohora, Anjanganv Bari, and one or two other places. In 1961 the population had attained the figure of 3,82.707 as against 3,15,410 in 1951. The tahsil contains two towns. Amravati (population 1,37,875) and Badnera (population 23.840) and 434 villages, of which 78 are uninhabited according to village lists. Besides the above towns the tahsil contains 18 villages with a population of more than 2,000 and 36 villages with less than 2.000 but over 1,000 (1961 Census).

The principal crops grown are cotton, jovar, wheat and tur. The total land revenue derived in the year 1961-62 amounted to Rs. 10.58.533-01.

Miscellaneous.

The tahsil contains 9 police stations of which three are located in Amravati city and one each at Badnera, Kholapur, Loni, Nandganv Khandesvar, Mahuli Jagir. and Valganv, respectively In the city there are five civil and criminal courts under the District and Sessions Judge, Amravati.

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