Battagram District

Battagram District ضلع بټګرام
—  District & Town  —
ضلع بٹگرام
Location of Battagram District (highlighted in yellow) in the Abaseen Division.
Coordinates: 34°25′N 73°06′E / 34.41°N 73.1°E / 34.41; 73.1
Country	Pakistan
Province	Khyber Pakhtunkhwa
Capital	Battagram
Established	July 1993
Area
• Total	1,301 km2 (502 sq mi)
Elevation	1,038 m (3,406 ft)
Population (1998)
• Total	307,278
• Density	236/km2 (610/sq mi)
Time zone	PST (UTC+5)
Area code(s)	0997
District Council
Number of Tehsils	2

Battagram (Urdu: ضلع بٹگرام , Pashto: ضلع بټګرام) is a district in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province of Pakistan. It has a total land area of 1301 square kilometres and the estimated population of Battagram District in 2004-2005 was 361,000. The main language of the district is pashto.

Etymology

Battagram in Sanskrit means Village of the Brahmins. Many other small villages in district Battagram are also named after Sanskrit words or their old Hindu residents e.g. Chohan, JB Village (Jesole Bazar) , Ajmera, Rashmera, Chapargram, Banian and Shalkhay etc.

Science & Technology

Like other areas of Pakistan, the residents of Battagram realized the importance of education. Though the older generation especially women have not received formal education themselves, but they are keen to send their children to schools. The first primary school was set up in Battagram city in 1901. There are some government and private schools. The government provides free education to students in its schools. Over the years, literacy rate has increased as there has been a marked increase in the number of enrollments.Degree level colleges also exist in District Battagram.It was one of the worst hit areas in the earthquake of October, 2005. Shumlai is one place in which a large number of buildings including all the schools and a college for boys were destroyed. This major catastrophe did not weaken the spirit of the students and teachers who returned to resume classes under tents and at some places in open air. Many NGOs, UNICEF and foreign agencies helped to rebuild the place. JICA; a Japanese funded project had promised to rebuild the schools in the Battagram District.The students of Battagram can proceed to other parts of the country to acquire professional degrees in Engineering, Medicine and other fields.Progress in education is slow but if continued consistently, it will make a big difference one day.According to a Survey report, Hundreds of Managers, Engineers, and Doctors have gotten their degrees from Highly Ranked Engineering Universities and Medical Colleges. Engr.Akhtar Ayaz Khan

Administration

Battagram obtained the status of district in July 1993 when it was upgraded from a Tehsil and separated from Mansehra District. Before Battagram obtained the status of district, it was a Tehsil of the Mansehra District. It has geographical borders with Kohistan District, the Tribal Area of Kala Dhaka (Black Mountain of Hazara), Shangla District and Malakand Division. The district consists of two sub-divisions or Tehsils, containing 20 in total. Union Councils:^[1]

The district is represented in the provincial assembly by two MPAs from its constituencies PF-59 (Battagram-1) and PF-60 (Battagram-2).^[2]

Earthquake 2005

Battagram was one of the areas affected by the Pakistan Earthquake of October 8, 2005^[3] when more than 4,500 people were killed and approximately 35,000 were injured. Many residents of the area were rendered homeless and without shelter. Since October 8, 2005, the NGOs and the Governmental organization ERRA have been engaged in re-construction work but as of 2009,the reconstruction work is not completed. In some cases residents have rebuilt houses themselves.

Scenery

This district is noted for its scenic mountain scenery, thick forests, fertile lands and enchanting streams. Most of the population is rural and depends upon agriculture for their day to day living. As a recent phenomenon, fishing has also become a mode of earning due to some modern scientific techniques. Another distinctive feature of this district is the notable presence of Shahrah-e-Resham (Karakoram Highway) or Silk route and hence which is helping the infant industrial base to thrive.

A village of Battagram

See also

• Khyber Pakhtunkhwa
• Hazara Division
• JB Village or Jesole Bazar
• Young Engineers & Doctors
• Science & Technology Section By Engr.Akhtar Ayaz Khan
• Government Centennial Model High School, Battagram

Gallery

References

External links

• BATTAGRAM-District Profile ERRA
• "List of polling stations" - The Gazette of Pakistan
• "NRC PAKISTAN EARTHQUAKE SITUATION REPORT – WEEK ENDING 5TH FEB 2006" - Norwegian Refugee Council

Pakistan portal

v t e Districts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Abbottabad Bannu Battagram Buner Charsadda Chitral Dera Ismail Khan Hangu Haripur Kala Dhaka Karak Kohat Kohistan Lakki Marwat Lower Dir Malakand Mansehra Mardan Nowshera Peshawar Shangla Swabi Swat Tank Upper Dir

v t e Administrative divisions of Battagram District Capital Battagram Tehsils Allai and Battagram Union councils Ajmera Banna Banian Batamori Bateela Battagram Batkul Biari Gijbroi Jambera Kuza Banda Paimal Sharif Pashto Peshora Rajdahri Rashang Sakargah Shumlai Thakot Trand