Duliajan

Duliajan দুলীয়াজান
Town
Nickname(s): "Oil Town"
Duliajan Show map of Assam Duliajan Show map of India Location in Assam, India
Coordinates: 27°22′00″N 95°19′00″E / 27.3667°N 95.3167°E / 27.3667; 95.3167Coordinates: 27°22′00″N 95°19′00″E / 27.3667°N 95.3167°E / 27.3667; 95.3167
Country	India
State	Assam
District	Dibrugarh
Elevation	121 m (397 ft)
Population (2001)
• Total	23,763
• Rank	16th In Assam
Languages
• Official	Assamese, English
Time zone	IST (UTC+5:30)
PIN	786602
Vehicle registration	AS-06

Duliajan is an industrial town and one of the most Developed and advanced town from all over India located in Dibrugarh District in the upper north-east corner of India. The town is situated about 45 km east of Dibrugarh City. It is particularly known for its oil related industry, Oil India Limited, one of the country's largest oil and gas companies is headquartered in Duliajan and in Duliajan there was also other central government owned companies like B.C.P.L company of gas purifier, N.E.P.C.O is another company which produces electricity, B.F.C.L. is another company of gas production and modification, and the SHIVANI company which is India's largest chain private company of DRILLING^[1] and Assam Gas Company Limited, which carries out business related to natural gas in India, owned by the Government of Assam.^[2]

History

Duliajan derived its name from "Dulia" meaning "palanquin-bearers" of the Ahom kings and "Jan" meaning "a river stream". The Ahom kings, also known as Swargadeos, were very fond of hunting in the Upper Dihing forests. The Swargadeos would come by boats from their capital of Gargaon and Rangpur (in Sivasagar district) down the Dikhow river to the mighty Brahmaputra, then row uptream, enter the Dihing river and halt at the mouth of the stream near Tipling-Ghat in present-day Duliajan. The stream was a guiding pathway for the palanquin bearers of the Swargadeos. Thus, when a new oil town was constructed in this area, to honour the palanquin bearers, it became a natural choice for the historical name of Duliajan and it was very small town actually on other hand you can say it a village because earlier it was known as a village but duliajan was so developed people and the government of India have bound to refer Duliajan as a town. The Indian government has given many awards to Oil India Limited for doing such a wonderful world-class infrastructure development in such a small village-based town and in India there was no other small village like Duliajan was so developed till today the present 21st century in India. It was well known for its excellence not just in India but also abroad.

As per another legend, Dulia khel (a sub-community of Ahom) first settled on the bank of a small rivulet Duriajan which is still in the village of Kachari Pathar, near Duliajan. This Duriajan became Duliajan after it was used by the Dulia community and gradually people started calling the rivulet Duliajan. From this rivulet the whole area of this locality latter came to be called Duliajan. After the Ahom king Suhanfa was killed in a conspiracy, according to prevalent custom those days, the ministers of Suhanfa’s cabinet selected his son Supinfa as his successor. Immediately after ascending the throne, Supinfa investigated the killing of his father and found one of his minister Laturban and his sons as the main conspirators. Swargadeo Supimfa then ordered that Laturban and his sons be beheaded for the heinous crime. Accordingly, on the banks of a small river, far away from the Ahom capital, the order was carried out. As the place was far from the capital and near to a river bank, the place came to be known as ‘Duroijan’ where duroi means far long and Jan means rivulet in Assamese language. It is said from ‘Duraijan’ the word Duliajan came in focus.

There is no official record about the exact date of declaration of the oil town as Duliajan. But it started initially with a nucleus of experienced personnel drawn from the Assam Oil Company (AOC) as well as Burmah Oil Company (BOC), the pioneer organizations of Digboi Oilfield. Oil India formally set up its own organization on 1 January 1962 to look after all aspects of drilling and exploration operations, with its headquarters at Duliajan, then known as Zaloni in the Nahorkatiya area.

The establishment of Duliajan oil town may be said to have brought about an era of petroleum industries in the district of Lakhimpur which then comprised the present districts of Dibrugarh and Tinisukia on the south bank and Lakhimpur and Dhemaji on the north bank of the river Brahmaputra. Since its establishment, this fast growing town has been playing a vital role in the state’s as well as country’s economy.^[3]

Climate

In Duliajan, the climate is warm and temperate. In winter there is much less rainfall than in summer. According to Köppen and Geiger, the climate is classified as Cwa. The average annual temperature in Duliajan is 23.2 °C. The average annual rainfall is 2528 mm. The driest month is December with 21 mm. Most precipitation falls in July, with an average of 489 mm. The warmest month of the year is August with an average temperature of 27.8 °C. In January, the average temperature is 16.1 °C. It is the lowest average temperature of the whole year.

The difference in precipitation between the driest month and the wettest month is 468 mm. The average temperatures vary during the year by 11.7 °C.^[4]

Demographics

As of 2001 India census,[1] Duliajan had a population of 23,763. Males constitute 53% of the population and females 47%. Duliajan has an average literacy rate of 84%, higher than the national average of 59.5%: male literacy is 87% and, female literacy is 80%. In Duliajan, 10% of the population is under 6 years of age.^[5]

Transportation

Duliajan is well linked to the cities and towns of the state and also to the rest of the country. The closest airport is the Mohanbari Airport in the outskirts of Dibrugarh, which is at a distance of 41 km and connects the rest of the country to the Oil Town. From the airport, there are taxis available to Duliajan.

The town also has a railway station for transportation within Assam and the rest of the country. As the closest railway junctions are at Dibrugarh and Tinsukia (which is at a distance of only 20 km), most trains do not stop at Duliajan even when they pass through the town. However, the few trains that make stoppages at the station are Kamrup Express, Intercity Express, Dibrugarh-Kamakhya SPL, New Tinsukia-Ranjendra Nagar SPL and Dibrugarh-Rangiya SPL.

Road transport is another important backbone for the town to connect with the rest of the state. Easily accessible by road by a branch-off (40 km) from national highway NH-37, Duliajan is also well connected to the nearest district headquarters of Tinsukia and Dibrugarh. NH-37 traverses the state of Assam connecting all major towns and cities. Buses, both private and ASTC, on a daily basis, ply to Guwahati, Nagaon, Jorhat, Dibrugarh, Tinsukia and even to parts of Arunachal Pradesh. Buses are sometimes, locally referred to as "Supers".^[6]

Educational Institutions

Colleges

• Duliajan College,
• Duliajan Girls College,
• Duliajan Junior College

Distance Education-

• Under Dibrugarh University at Duliajan College
• IGNOU Partner Institute at Duliajan College
• Kirshna Kanta Handique Open University at Duliajan College

Schools –

• Oil India H.S. School
• St. Xavier’s H.S. School
• Delhi Public School
• Kendriya Vidayalaya
• Duliajan Adarcha Valika Vidyapith
• Adarsha Valika Vidyalaya
• Rastrabhasha School
• Duliajan Uccha Vidyalaya
• Tipling Ghat H.E. School
• Duliajna Jatiya Vidyalaya
• Dihing valley high school
• Assam Public School
• New Vista Higher Secondary School
• Netaji Shishu Niketan High School
• Lal Bahadur Shastri High School

Hospitals

OIL India Hospital, Duliajan is run by the OIL India Limited. It mainly facilitates for the employees of the OIL India company and also for outsiders who resides in Duliajan. It is located just near to the Nehru Maidan.

AGCL (Assam Gas Company Limited) Medical Centre is run by the public sector Assam Gas Company. It is located inside the campus of the company.

Life Care Nursing Home is a privately owned Hospital located at Tipling Road, Jayanagar.

Sports

Sports has always been an important and enthusiastic topic for the locals of the town. The local youths and children indulge in different sports throughout the year.Athletics, Football, cricket, lawn tennis, table tennis, Golf, Tiekeondo, badminton, Boxing, kick boxing, swimming, Baseball, squash, golf and martial arts are the most popular ones. The two main town clubs, Duliajan Club and Zaloni Club, provide the basic sports facilities and trainings for enthusiastic local kids from an early age.^[7]

The local football club, Oil India Ltd FC is a member of the AIFF and plays in I-League 2nd Division. The team is the current winner of Assam Club Football Championship.^[8]

The Oil India Ground or Nehru Maidan, which is also the home ground of Oil India Ltd FC, has hosted a number of national and state level football tournaments. District level cricket tournaments and also state level Athletics Games have also been hosted here. It has a capacity of 10,000 people.^[9]

Festivals

By being the headquarters of OIL, Duliajan has become home to people from all corners of the country, some of whom have settled down to start businesses and others as employees in OIL. The main festivals celebrated are Bihu, Krishna Janmashtami, Maha Shivaratri, Eid al Fitr, Christmas, Eid al-Adha, Durga Puja, Kali Puja, Saraswati Puja, Dussehra and Vishwakarma Puja. Chhath Puja is celebrated by the Bihari community and Ganesh Chaturthi is mainly celebrated by the Telugu community of the town.^[10]

Rath Yatra or Kang is celebrated by the Manipuri community to worship Lord Jagannath.

Me-Dam-Me-Phi is celebrated by the Tai-Ahom community on 31 January every year in memory of the departed. It is the manifestation of the concept of ancestor worship that the Ahoms share with other peoples originating from the Tai-Shan stock. It is a festival to show respect to the departed ancestors and remember their contribution to society.

Sankardev Tithi, Madhavdev Tithi and janmasthami are observed by the Assamese community in memory of the two Vaishnavite saints from Medieval Assam.^[11]

Businesses

Duliajan is very often considered as a major hub for Oil India Limited. But in recent years many new institutions/enterprises and private companies coming to duliajan in different areas/fields are coming up. Fofatt^[12] - an internet start-up providing local service information is such an example.

Notable Personalities

• Plabita Borthakur, a Bollywood actress was born in Duliajan. She did her schooling from Delhi Public School, Duliajan. The 'Manu' from the band Manu&Chow, she acted in the film PK.^[13][14]
• Dipannita Sharma, a Bollywood actress was born in Duliajan. She did her schooling from Kendriya Vidyalaya, Duliajan. She is now married and settled in Mumbai.

Politics

Duliajan is part of Dibrugarh (Lok Sabha constituency).^[15] Terash Gowalla of BJP is the sitting MLA from the Duliajan seat in Legislative Assembly. Rameswar Teli an Indian politician from Duliajan, and a member of the Bharatiya Janata Party has been elected to the Lok Sabha from the Dibrugarh (Lok Sabha constituency) in the general elections of 2014.^[16]

References