Ghaziabad (Hindustani pronunciation: [ɣaːziːaːbaːd̪]) is a city in the Indian state [3] of Uttar Pradesh and a part of Delhi NCR.[4] It is the administrative headquarters of Ghaziabad district and is the largest city in western Uttar Pradesh, with a population of 1,729,000.[2] Ghaziabad Municipal Corporation is divided into 5 zones - City Zone, Kavi Nagar Zone, Vijay Nagar Zone, Mohan Nagar Zone and Vasundhara Zone.[5] The Municipal Corporation comprises 100 wards.[2] Well connected by roads and railways, it is a major rail junction for North India.[6][7] It is part of the Meerut Division of Uttar Pradesh.

Ghaziabad
City
Clockwise from Top:
Indirapuram Skyline, Shipra Mall, Clock House, Hindon Airport, Kaushambi Skyline and Institute of Management Technology
Nickname: 
Gateway of Uttar Pradesh
Map of Ghaziabad
Map of Ghaziabad
Ghaziabad
Map of Ghaziabad
Map of Ghaziabad
Ghaziabad
Map of Ghaziabad
Map of Ghaziabad
Ghaziabad
Coordinates: 28°40′N 77°25′E / 28.67°N 77.42°E / 28.67; 77.42
Country India
State Uttar Pradesh
DivisionMeerut
DistrictGhaziabad
Government
 • TypeMunicipal Corporation
 • BodyGhaziabad Municipal Corporation
 • MayorSunita Dayal (BJP)
 • Municipal CommissionerNitin Gaur, IAS[1]
Area
 • Total210 km2 (80 sq mi)
Population
 (2011)[2]
 • Total1,729,000
 • Density8,200/km2 (21,000/sq mi)
DemonymGhaziabadi
Languages
 • OfficialHindi
Time zoneUTC+5:30 (IST)
PIN
201 XXX
Telephone code91-120
Vehicle registrationUP-14
Websiteghaziabad.nic.in

It is sometimes referred to as the "Saya of Uttar Pradesh" because it is close to Delhi, on the main route into Uttar Pradesh.[8] Recent construction[9] work has led to the city being described by a City Mayors Foundation survey as the second fastest-growing in the world.[10][11] Situated in the Upper Gangetic Plains, the city has two major divisions separated by the Hindon River, namely Trans-Hindon on the west and Cis-Hindon on the east.[12][13]

History edit

 
A photograph of the Hindan Bridge taken in 1858 by Major Robert Christopher Tytler and his wife, Harriet. The Hindon River was the scene of a battle between the British and the insurgents in May 1857.

The city of Ghaziabad was founded in 1740 A.D. by Ghazi-ud-Din II, who served as a wazir in the court of Mughal emperor Muhammad Shah, and named it as "Ghaziuddinnagar" after his own name.[14] The name "Ghaziuddinnagar" was shortened to its present form, i.e. "Ghaziabad" with the opening of the Railways in 1864.[15][16][17][18] During the Mughal period, Ghaziabad and especially the banks of the Hindon in Ghaziabad, remained a picnic spot for the Mughal royal family.[16]

Establishment of the Scientific Society here, during the same period is considered as a milestone of the educational movement launched by Syed Ahmad Khan.[19] The Scinde, Punjab & Delhi Railway, connecting Delhi and Lahore, up until Ambala through Ghaziabad was opened in the same year.[20] With the completion of the Amritsar-Saharanpur-Ghaziabad line of the Sind, Punjab and Delhi Railway in 1870, Delhi was connected to Multan through Ghaziabad, and Ghaziabad became the junction of the East Indian Railway and Sind, Punjab and Delhi Railway.[21]

Ghaziabad, along with Meerut and Bulandshahr, remained one of the three Munsifis of the District, under the Meerut Civil Judgeship during most periods of the British Raj.[22]

Ghaziabad was associated with the Indian independence movement from the Indian Rebellion of 1857.[15]

Ghaziabad was part of Meerut district, it became a new district on 14 November 1976 by then chief minister N.D. Tiwari. [23]

Demographics edit

Population edit

The provisional data derived from the 2011 census shows that Ghaziabad urban agglomeration had a population of 2,358,525, of which males were 1,256,783 and females were 1,101,742. The literacy rate was 93.81%.[24] Ghaziabad is a subcategory B1 district of category B i.e. having socioeconomic parameters below the national average.[25] It is the second largest industrial city in Uttar Pradesh after Kanpur.[26][27]

Religions in Ghaziabad (2011)[28]
Religion Percent
Hinduism
82.50%
Islam
14.18%
Sikhism
0.96%
Christianity
0.78%
Jainism
0.71%
Other or not stated
0.87%
Distribution of religions

According to the final data, Ghaziabad Municipal Corporation had a population of 1,648,643 and a sex ratio of 885 females per 1000 males. Ghaziabad had a literacy rate of 84.78%. 12.67% of the population was under the age of 6. Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes made up 13.68% and 0.18% of the population respectively.[29]

Languages in Ghaziabad (2011)[30]

  Hindi (94.24%)
  Urdu (1.52%)
  Punjabi (1.06%)
  Others (3.18%)

Hindi is the most spoken language. Other languages such as Urdu and Punjabi, are spoken by a minority. There is a smattering of speakers of other languages due to Ghaziabad's position in the Delhi metro area.[30]

Government and politics edit

Ghaziabad city is governed by the Ghaziabad Municipal Corporation under the Uttar Pradesh Municipal Corporation Act, 1959.[31] Ghaziabad city is spread over 210 km2 (81 sq mi) of municipal area.[32] It upgraded from a Municipal Board to a Municipal Corporation on 31 August 1994, following the 74th Constitutional Amendment Act.[32] Ghaziabad Municipal Corporation (or Nagar Nigam Ghaziabad) is divided into 5 zones - City Zone, Kavi Nagar Zone, Vijay Nagar Zone, Mohan Nagar Zone and Vasundhara Zone.[5] The Municipal Corporation comprises 100 wards, with councillors elected from each ward.[2][33] The local elections to all wards was last held in 2023.[34] The executive head is Nitin Gaur, the current Municipal Commissioner[citation needed] while the elected head is the Mayor, Sunita dayal from the BJP.[35] In 2022, Assembly Election Atul Garg, Bhartiya Janta Party candidate won the election.

The municipality has the following departments: Swachh Bharat Mission, Public Works Dept, I.T Dept, Property Tax Dept, Health Dept, Street Light Dept, Water Works Dept, Law, Garden/Horticulture.[36] It has an executive committee composed of businessmen.[37]

Representation in state assembly edit

The city is represented in the Lok Sabha through one MP elected from the Lok Sabha constituency represented by Gen. (Retd.) Vijay Kumar Singh from the BJP,[38] and one MLA elected from the Vidhan Sabha constituency, represented by BJP's Atul Garg elected in 2017.[39]

Law and order edit

In January 2020 it was announced that the police commissionerate system was likely to be introduced in Ghaziabad in phases.[40] The city police is under the state home department and is headed by Senior Superintendent of Police for the district.[41]

Development edit

The Ghaziabad Development Authority (GDA), established 1977, is responsible for planning, development and construction of housing projects, commercial lands, land management and infrastructure.

Civic utilities edit

Nagar Nigam Ghaziabad looks after the civic activities of the city. Other development agencies of the city include the Ghaziabad Development Authority, and the UP Jal Nigam. The master plan for the city is laid by the Town & Country Planning Department, Uttar Pradesh, which is department under the Department of Housing and Urban Planning for the state.[42]

The corporation supplies water and has nearly 2.35 lakh water connections, supplying nearly 388 MLD of water per day.[43] The city also receives water from the Ganga through 50 cusec (one cubic foot of water flow per second which translates into 28.32 litres) and 100 cusec plants[43] but a lot of areas in the city constituting multi-storied apartments do not receive Ganga water and rely on groundwater.[44] Treated water is supplied to only 36.2% of households.[45]

The municipality, as well as UP Jal Nigam sets up sewage treatment plants and water treatment plants for the city.[44] The Ghaziabad Development Authority is responsible for laying networks of sewer lines and piped drinking water supply.[45] Drinking water remains a concern with 55.6% of households accessing it from tube wells, bore wells and hand pumps.[45] Only 30.5% households are connected to piped sewer lines.[45]

As of 2019, Ghaziabad generates 1,000 metric tonnes of waste daily, some of which is sent to Meerut, while 300 metric tonnes are sent to Pilkhuwa, while almost 200 metric tons is used in various GMC owned parks to create compost.[46] The corporation also dumps garbage in Indirapuram landfill site, and would dump it in Pratap Vihar landfill until they stopped on the orders of a National Green Tribunal committee.[46] The corporation also announced in September 2020 that it was creating 10 'garbage factories[47]' as a permanent solution to the city's waste problem.

Economy edit

 
Residential apartments near Vaishali metro station, Ghaziabad
 
MAIT Administrative Block in Ghaziabad.

Although connected by railway since 1865, it was not until 1940 that the first modern industry appeared in Ghaziabad. However, it was in the post-independence period that industry really expanded, with a further 22 factories opening in the four years after 1947. This development can be attributed to the influx of people from the newly formed Pakistan and the relocation of businesses from what was now the Pakistani province of Punjab.[48] John Oakey and Mohan Ltd., one of India's largest concerns manufacturing coated and bonded abrasives, and originally functioning under the name of 'National Abrasives' at Rawalpindi was shifted here under the proprietorship of 'Dyer Meakins' in 1947.[49] Subsequently, the Mohan Meakin breweries were also set up in the year 1949.[50] This period also saw the development of Ghaziabad as one of India's most famous centres of the Oil Engines industry.[51]

In 1967, the municipal limits were extended up to the Delhi-UP border. Starting in the early 1970s, many steel-manufacturing units also came up in the city making it one of the primary industries of the city. This period also saw the emergence of the Electronics industry, with the setting up of Bharat Electronics Limited and Central Electronics Limited[52] Over the years, planned Industrial development saw participation from major industrial houses of the country including Mohans (Mohan Nagar Industrial Estate, 1949), Tatas (Tata Oil Mills), Modis (Modinagar, 1933; International Tobacco Co. 1967), Shri Rams (Shri Ram Pistons, 1964), Jaipurias etc. and also significant participation through foreign capital in concerns such as Danfoss India Ltd. (estd. 1968); Indo- Bulgar Food Ltd. and International Tobacco Company (estd. 1967).[53]

Transportation edit

Road edit

 
Delhi–Meerut Expressway connects Ghaziabad with Delhi and Meerut.

A proposal has been made to widen[when?] National Highway 24 (NH-24) from four to fourteen lanes on the stretch between the Ghaziabad-Delhi border and Dasna. Many residential and commercial projects are being built along the highway.[54]

Rail edit

 
The Blue and Red lines of Delhi Metro serve Ghaziabad

The Blue and Red lines of Delhi Metro serve Ghaziabad and connect it with Delhi. The Red Line has 8 stations in the city, with its eastern terminus Shaheed Sthal being located here. The Blue Line has 2 stations in Ghaziabad, viz., Kaushambi, which serves the area of Kaushambi, and Vaishali, which serves the areas of Vaishali, Vasundhara and Indirapuram.[55]

The main railway station in the city is Ghaziabad Junction, which, as per the categorization of Indian Railway stations by commercial importance, has been ranked NSG-2.[56] The station has been operating since 1864 and is an important one on the Delhi-Howrah line. It is spread across 150,000 square metres (37 acres) and has a daily footfall of 50,000 passengers.[57]

The Delhi–Meerut RRTS is an 82.15 km (51.05 mi) long under-construction semi-high speed rail connecting Delhi, Ghaziabad, and Meerut.[58][59][60] It is partly operational, with its priority section from Sahibabad to Duhai opened to public on 20 October 2023.[61]

Air edit

Hindon Airport is an airport serving Ghaziabad and has been operational since 2019. It is the second commercial airport in the Delhi–NCR after Indira Gandhi International Airport. The airport was inaugurated by the Prime Minister of India Narendra Modi on 8 March 2019. The Indira Gandhi International Airport is the closest international airport. Hindon Airport currently operates flights to Pithoragarh, Uttarakhand, and Hubli, Karnataka.[62]

Education edit

Ghaziabad has also emerged as one of the major educational destinations with many higher education colleges and institutes operating in the city. Some of the main institutes are:-

Notable people edit

Arts, entertainment and television edit

Business edit

Politics and government edit

Sports edit

References edit

  1. ^ "In a reshuffle before civic polls, Ghaziabad Municipal Corporation". The Times of India. 20 September 2022. Retrieved 20 September 2022.
  2. ^ a b c d e "Ghaziabad Information".
  3. ^ CareersHelp (29 March 2022). "Slums Problems 2022 - A Reality Of India Slums Problems And Solutions". Careers Help - More Than Just Career Help. Retrieved 19 November 2022.
  4. ^ "National Capital Region- Constituent Areas". NCRPB. Archived from the original on 7 May 2015. Retrieved 1 June 2015.
  5. ^ a b "Zone-division of Ghaziabad Nagar Nigam". Archived from the original on 24 November 2020. Retrieved 9 April 2020.
  6. ^ Athique and Hill, Adrian and Douglas (17 December 2009). The Multiplex in India: A Cultural Economy of Urban Leisure (2010 ed.). New York. pp. 110–114. ISBN 9781135181888.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
  7. ^ "District and Sessions Court Ghaziabad- History". NIC. Archived from the original on 4 June 2013. Retrieved 27 July 2013.
  8. ^ "Ghaziabad-Gateway of U.P". Ghaziabad.nic.in. Archived from the original on 28 July 2015. Retrieved 29 July 2015.
  9. ^ "Ghaziabad slum dwellers clash with authorities". The Indian Express. 29 June 2009. Retrieved 19 November 2022.
  10. ^ "Business". 17 November 2011. Archived from the original on 20 November 2011.
  11. ^ Ghaziabad was first listed in early 2010 as # 420 by size. "The largest cities in the world and their mayors: Cities ranked 301 to 450". City Mayors. Archived from the original on 9 March 2010., current listings: "World's fastest growing urban areas (1)". City Mayors. Archived from the original on 25 November 2010. Retrieved 1 November 2010.
  12. ^ "Ghaziabad Nagar Nigam: About Us". Archived from the original on 1 February 2013.
  13. ^ Sad State Of Ghaziabad Slums, People Deprived of Basic Amenities, retrieved 19 November 2022
  14. ^ Anu Kapur, In 1864, with the advent of the railways, the name was shortened to Ghaziabad for administrative purposes p. 83-85, Mapping Place Names of India
  15. ^ a b "history1". nagarnigamghaziabad.com. Archived from the original on 2 October 2015. Retrieved 14 September 2015.
  16. ^ a b Roy, Debashish (14 August 2011). "Ghaziabad has a long way to go to become a part of NCR backbone". The Hindu. Archived from the original on 20 July 2014. Retrieved 12 June 2014.
  17. ^ "[IRFCA] Indian Railways FAQ: IR History: Early Days - 1". Irfca.org. Archived from the original on 7 March 2005. Retrieved 17 June 2014.
  18. ^ "History". ghaziabad.nic.in. District Administration, Ghaziabad. Archived from the original on 8 December 2008. Retrieved 5 November 2008.
  19. ^ Azimabadi, Badr (2007). Great Personalities in Islam. Daryaganj, Delhi: Adam Publishers. p. 218. ISBN 9788174351227.
  20. ^ "[IRFCA] Indian Railways FAQ: IR History: Early Days - 1". Irfca.org. Archived from the original on 22 September 2014. Retrieved 17 June 2014.
  21. ^ "[IRFCA] Indian Railways FAQ: IR History: Early Days - 2". Irfca.org. Archived from the original on 11 June 2014. Retrieved 17 June 2014.
  22. ^ Statistical, descriptive and historical account of the North-western ... - North-western provinces - Google Books. 8 June 2007. Retrieved 17 June 2014.
  23. ^ "About District | ghaziabad | India". Retrieved 13 November 2023.
  24. ^ "Urban Agglomerations/Cities having population 1 lakh and above" (PDF). Provisional Population Totals, Census of India 2011. Archived (PDF) from the original on 2 April 2013. Retrieved 7 July 2012.
  25. ^ "Meeting of Empowered Committee" (PDF). Minutes of the Meeting Report. Government of India. Archived from the original (PDF) on 30 September 2011. Retrieved 18 March 2013.
  26. ^ "district and session court-ghaziabad". Ghaziabad.nic.in. Archived from the original on 14 February 2014. Retrieved 17 June 2014.
  27. ^ "Caste will play role in casting votes in Ghaziabad". Hindustantimes. 11 April 2019. Retrieved 23 April 2023.
  28. ^ "Table C-01 Population by Religion: Uttar Pradesh". censusindia.gov.in. Registrar General and Census Commissioner of India. 2011.
  29. ^ "District Census Handbook: Ghaziabad" (PDF). censusindia.gov.in. Registrar General and Census Commissioner of India. 2011.
  30. ^ a b "2011 Census of India, Population By Mother Tongue - Uttar Pradesh (Town Level)". censusindia.gov.in. Registrar General and Census Commissioner of India. Retrieved 27 June 2022.
  31. ^ "The role of female human resource for regional development a case study of kanpur metropolis". hdl:10603/223280.
  32. ^ a b "Ghaziabad City". ghaziabadnagarnigam.in. Retrieved 26 August 2020.
  33. ^ "Parshad List". ghaziabadnagarnigam.in. Retrieved 29 October 2020.
  34. ^ Desk, India com News (25 November 2017). "Ghaziabad Nagar Nigam Polls 2017: Ward-Wise Candidate and Municipal Corporation Details of Ghaziabad, UP". India News, Breaking News, Entertainment News | India.com. Retrieved 26 August 2020.
  35. ^ Ayaskant Das (12 December 2017). "BJP leader Asha Sharma sworn in as new Ghaziabad mayor | Noida News - Times of India". The Times of India. Retrieved 26 August 2020.
  36. ^ "Nagar Nigam Ghaziabad Official Website". ghaziabadnagarnigam.in. Retrieved 29 October 2020.
  37. ^ "Organization|GMA- Ghaziabad Management Association". gmaindia.org. Retrieved 29 October 2020.
  38. ^ "Vijay Kumar Singh(Bharatiya Janata Party(BJP)):Constituency- GHAZIABAD(UTTAR PRADESH) - Affidavit Information of Candidate". myneta.info. Retrieved 23 September 2020.
  39. ^ "Atul Garg(Bharatiya Janata Party(BJP)):Constituency- GHAZIABAD(GHAZIABAD) - Affidavit Information of Candidate". myneta.info. Retrieved 23 September 2020.
  40. ^ "Commissionerate: New police system in Ghaziabad, Varanasi, Kanpur likely". The Indian Express. 15 January 2020. Retrieved 29 October 2020.
  41. ^ "Who's Who | District Ghaziabad, Government of Uttar Pradesh | India". Retrieved 29 October 2020.
  42. ^ "Official Website of Town And Country Planning Department, Uttar Pradesh, India. / About Us / Profile". uptownplanning.gov.in. Retrieved 26 August 2020.
  43. ^ a b "Ghaziabad's residential areas to get water ATMs before summer". Hindustan Times. 9 January 2017. Retrieved 26 August 2020.
  44. ^ a b "Ghaziabad: New Ganga water treatment plant to tackle city's water scarcity". www.cityspidey.com. Retrieved 26 August 2020.
  45. ^ a b c d "Treated water doesn't reach over half of Ghaziabad homes | Noida News - Times of India". The Times of India. TNN. 4 September 2015. Retrieved 26 August 2020.
  46. ^ a b Abhijay Jha (25 January 2019). "Meerut allows Ghaziabad to dump 200 tonnes of waste daily | Ghaziabad News - Times of India". The Times of India. Retrieved 8 September 2020.
  47. ^ Pioneer, The. "GZB Municipal corp to set up 10 garbage factories". The Pioneer. Retrieved 8 September 2020.
  48. ^ Saxena, Aruna (1989). Perspectives in industrial geography : a case study of an industrial city of Uttar Pradesh. New Delhi: Concept Pub. Co. pp. 30, 92, 98. ISBN 8170222508.
  49. ^ Saxena, Aruna (1989). Perspectives in industrial geography : a case study of an industrial city of Uttar Pradesh. New Delhi: Concept Pub. Co. p. 172. ISBN 8170222508.
  50. ^ "Mohan Meakin Group". Mohanmeakin.com. Retrieved 17 June 2014.
  51. ^ Saxena, Aruna (1989). Perspectives in industrial geography : a case study of an industrial city of Uttar Pradesh. New Delhi: Concept Pub. Co. p. 92. ISBN 8170222508.
  52. ^ Saxena, Aruna (1989). Perspectives in industrial geography : a case study of an industrial city of Uttar Pradesh. New Delhi: Concept Pub. Co. pp. 97, 98. ISBN 8170222508.
  53. ^ Saxena, Aruna (1989). Perspectives in industrial geography : a case study of an industrial city of Uttar Pradesh. New Delhi: Concept Pub. Co. pp. 124, 93, 11, 39, 69. ISBN 8170222508.
  54. ^ "Make NH-24 eight-lane to ease mess: Akhilesh Yadav". Hindustan Times. Archived from the original on 4 June 2013. Retrieved 20 June 2013.
  55. ^ "Ghaziabad boards Metro for first traffic-free ride to work". The Indian Express. 15 July 2011. Retrieved 16 April 2013.
  56. ^ "List of zone/category-wise railway stations opened for passenger services in Indian Railways" (PDF). indianrailways.gov.in. Indian Railways. 1 December 2022. p. 61. Retrieved 22 December 2023.
  57. ^ Ranjput, Abhinav (21 December 2023). "Ghaziabad railway station on track for revamp". Times of India. New Delhi. Retrieved 22 December 2023.
  58. ^ "Delhi–Meerut RRTS – Information, Route Map, Fares, Tenders & Updates". themetrorailguy.com. The Metro Rail Guy. Retrieved 22 December 2023.
  59. ^ "Project Overview - NCRTC". ncrtc.in. NCRTC. Retrieved 22 December 2023.
  60. ^ Journal, Tunnelling (31 December 2021). "EPBMs ready for India's Delhi-Meerut Rapid Rail Project". The Tunnelling Journal. Retrieved 31 December 2021.
  61. ^ Anand, Jatin (20 October 2023). "PM Modi flags off RRTS: What is this mass transport system, how it can benefit NCR". The Indian Express. Retrieved 22 December 2023.
  62. ^ UDAN flights from Hindon airport, Ghaziabad, will connect to Hubli, Jamnagar, Shimla, Kalburgi, Kannur, Nashik, Faizabad, Pithoragarh Livemint
  63. ^ "Delhi NCR Campus". NCR, Christ University. Retrieved 16 April 2023.
  64. ^ "RKGIT:: Top Private engineering college in AKTU".
  65. ^ "Happy Birthday Lara Dutta: Her top moments". The Indian Express. 16 April 2015. Archived from the original on 10 January 2018. Retrieved 10 January 2018.
  66. ^ "Google's Nikesh Arora: Man with a plan". Live Mint. Archived from the original on 10 January 2018.
  67. ^ Thomas, Maria. "Old Monk's old man is no more". Quartz. Archived from the original on 10 January 2018. Retrieved 10 January 2018.
  68. ^ "FIR against unknown bike bourne criminals for attack on Loni MLA Nand Kishore Gurjar, NCR Hindi News - Hindustan". Archived from the original on 16 August 2018. Retrieved 15 August 2018.
  69. ^ "Mafia don, News Photo, the notorious 'mafaia don' Mad". Archived from the original on 7 August 2018. Retrieved 15 August 2018.
  70. ^ "Bharatiya Janata Party". Archived from the original on 7 August 2018. Retrieved 15 August 2018.
  71. ^ "Members Bioprofile: Pilot, Smt. Rama". Lok Sabha. Archived from the original on 7 November 2017. Retrieved 4 November 2017.
  72. ^ "Former UP deputy CM Ram Chander Vikal dies". Archived from the original on 17 February 2013. Retrieved 8 September 2018.
  73. ^ "पहलवान राजकुमार व निशानेबाज फरीद अली सम्मानित".
  74. ^ "Digital Marketing Companies in Ghaziabad". 28 April 2023.
  75. ^ "Suresh Raina Profile - ICC Ranking, Age, Career Info & Stats". Cricbuzz. Archived from the original on 3 July 2017. Retrieved 10 January 2018.

Further reading edit

External links edit