Gondia district (also known as Gondiya, Marathi pronunciation: [ɡon̪d̪iaː]) is an administrative district in the state of Maharashtra in India. The district headquarters are located at Gondia. The district occupies an area of and has a population of 1,322,507, of which 17.08% were urban (). Gondia district is located north eastern part of Maharashtra.

The district is part of the Nagpur Division. It is colloquially known as the "Rice City" due to its abundant rice production. Gondia is also known for the Navegaon-Nagzira Tiger Reserve, a major wildlife sanctuary in the Vidarbha region.

Geography

The district is situated in the Vidarbha region of Maharashtra. It is bordered by the Balaghat district of Madhya Pradesh to the north, Rajnandgaon district of Chhattisgarh to the east, Gadchiroli district to the south, and Bhandara district to the west.

The Wainganga River is the most important river in the district, flowing towards the south. The district is rich in water bodies and dense forest cover, often referred to as the "Green Lung" of Vidarbha.

Climate

thumb|left|300px|Gondia average temperature

Gondia experiences extreme variations in temperature with very hot summers and very cold winters and has an average relative humidity of 62 percent. Average recorded rainfall is more than in each rainy season (June to September).

May is the hottest month, when daytime temperature averages 42°C (108 °F), whereas the night temperature remains around 28 °C (82 °F). In recent times, the highest-recorded temperature in May has been , and the lowest May temperature has been .

The coolest months are December and January when temperatures reach highs of around and lows of . The highest-recorded temperature in January was and the lowest was .

Demographics

According to the 2011 census, Gondia district has a population of 1,322,507, roughly equal to the nation of Mauritius or the US state of New Hampshire. This gives it a ranking of 369th in India (out of a total of 640).

Government and politics

Members of Parliament

Prashant Yadaorao Padole represents Indian National Congress (INC) for the Bhandara-Gondiya constituency, while Namdeo Kirsan, also a member of Indian National Congress (INC) represents the Gadchiroli–Chimur constituency.

Guardian minister

Aditi Tatkare is the current Guardian Minister.

Following is a list of former guardian ministers:

  • Rajkumar Badole (31 October 2014 – 8 November 2019)
  • Anil Deshmukh (9 January 2020 – 5 April 2021)
  • Nawab Malik (5 April 2021 – 27 March 2022)
  • Prajakt Tanpure (27 March 2022 – 29 June 2022)
  • Sudhir Mungantiwar (27 September 2022 – 4 October 2023)
  • Dharamraobaba Bhagwantrao Aatram (4 October 2023 – 21 June 2024)
  • Aditi Tatkare (21 June 2024 – Present)

Divisions

The district is divided into four sub-divisions, each of which is further divided into talukas. These are:

  • Gondia sub-division: Gondia.
  • Deori: Deori, Amgaon, and Salekasa talukas
  • Tirora sub-division: Tirora and Goregaon talukas
  • Arjuni Morgaon sub-division: Arjuni Morgaon and Sadak Arjuni talukas

The district also includes 556 gram panchayats (village councils), 8 panchayat samitis, and 954 revenue villages. The eight municipalities in this district are Gondia, Tirora, Arjuni Morgaon, Deori, Amgaon, Goregaon, Sadak Arjuni, and Salekasa.

The district has four Vidhan Sabha (legislative assembly) constituencies: Arjuni Morgaon (Scheduled castes), Gondiya, Tirora and Amgaon (Scheduled tribes). While the first three are part of Bhandara-Gondiya Lok Sabha constituency, the last one is part of Gadchiroli-Chimur (ST) Lok Sabha constituency.

Tourism

The district is a significant destination for wildlife tourism in the Vidarbha region.

  • Navegaon-Nagzira Tiger Reserve: This reserve was notified as the 46th Tiger Reserve of India. It comprises Navegaon National Park and Nagzira Wildlife Sanctuary. It is a biodiversity hotspot home to tigers, leopards, sloth bears, and over 300 species of birds.

Transport

Rail

Gondia Junction railway station is a major railway hub located on the Howrah–Mumbai and New Delhi–Chennai trunk routes. It is an A-Grade station with lines diverging towards Balaghat-Jabalpur and Chandrapur.

Air

The district is served by Gondia Airport (Birsi Airport), located approximately 12 km from the city center. The airport is home to the National Flying Training Institute (NFTI), a joint venture between the Airports Authority of India and CAE, which trains pilots.

References

  • Gondia district website