CHAPTER 1
GENERAL
The district derives its name from the district headquarters
town of Bathinda, which is of great antiquity. According to Khalifa
Muhammad Hassan author of "History of Patiala",its ancient name
was Bikramgarh. According to Raverty, Bathinda was known as
Tabarhindh (Labb-ut-Twarikh). According to Ibn Batuta it was
known as Batrind.The 'earliest mention of Tabarhindh occurs in the
"Jami- Ul-Hakayat" written about 607 Hijri or 1211 AD. According
to "Ainai-Barar Bans" Bathinda was built by Bhati Rao, son of Bal
Band,who became ruler of Punjab in 336 Bikrami Samvat. He also
founded Bhatner. It was also called Whatinda and Bitunda which
finally came to be known as Bhatinda. But its name was changed to
Bathinda on the authority of Survey of India to conform to the
phonetical expression as locally pronounced.
Bathinda District is situated in the southern part of Punjab
State in the heart of Malwa region. It is situated 29°-33' and 30°-50'
north latitude and 74°-38' and 750-46'east longitude. The district is
surrounded by Sirsa and Fatehabad of Haryana State in the south,
Barnala, Sangrur and Mansa districts in the east, Moga in the northeast and Faridkot and Muktsar districts in the north-west
Total Area and Population of the District.- As per 2011
Census, the district occupies 6th place in the State in terms of area.
According to the Deputy Commissioner Bathinda, the area of the
Bathinda District in 2013-14 was 3,367.25 sq.km. The tahsil wise
area of the Bathinda District is given below:
Tahsil
Bathinda
Rampura Phul
Talwandi Sabo
Maur
Total
Area
(sq.km.)
1,518.45
642.00
688.43
518.37
3,367.25
BATHINDA
According to 2011 Census, the total population of the
district was 13,88,525 (8,89,308 rural and 4,99,217 urban)
comprising 7,43,197 males and 6,45,328 females. In terms of
population the district ranks 9th in the State.
2
Administrative Divisions of the District.-For
administrative purposes the district forms part of Faridkot Division'.
As on 30 June 2013 the district had four tahsils /subdivisions viz.
Bathinda, Rampura Phul, Talwandi Sabo and Maur2, 5 sub tahsils ,
Sangat, Nathana, Goneana Mandi3, Bhagta Bhaika and Ballianwali4'
8 development blocks viz. Sangat, Bathinda, Talwandi Sabo, Phul,
Maur, Rampura, Nathana and Bhagta Bhaika.
Boundary Changes.- The main volume of Bathinda District
was published in 1992. On 13 April 19925 major territorial change
took place in the area of Bathinda District when whole of the Mansa
Tahsil of district Bathinda was taken out and Mansa was created as
a new district. In July 19956 one village Nagla of tahsil Talwandi
Sabo of district Bathinda was transferred to newly created
Sardulgarh Tahsil of Mansa District and in August 19957 same
village Nagla was transferred back from tahsil Sardulgarh of district
Mansa to tahsil Talwandi Sabo of district Bathinda. In 19968 three
villages namely Gumman Khurd, Gumman Kalan and Sukha
Singhwala of tahsil/district Mansa were transferred to tahsil
Talwandi Sabo, district Bathinda.
1 FaHdkot Division came into existence vide Punjab Government Notification No.
2/15/96-Re (11)(1)/1313 dated 2 Februaryl996
2 Maur was formed as sub tahsil within Talwandi Sabo subdivision vide Punjab
Government Notification No. 1/25/92-Re(11)(1)/4496 dated 17 June1994 and was
upgraded as fulfledged subdivision of Bathinda District vide Punjab Government
Notification No. 1/3/2001-Re (11)(1)/9819 dated 7 June 2013
3 Goneana Mandi was formed as sub tahsil within Bathinda subdivision vide Punjab
Government Notification No. 1/19/2006-Re (11)(1)/21752 dated 9 November 2011
4 Ballianwali was formed as sub tahsil within Rampura Phul subdivision vide Punjab
Government Notification No 2/4/2004-Re (11)(1)/24447 dated 19 December 2011
5 Vide Notification No.2/2/92-RE-lI (1)/4020 dated 8 April 1992
6 Vide Notification No.2/44/94-RE-II (I)/ 6765 dated 20 July 1995
7 Vide Notification No.2/44/94-RE-II (I)/ 8011 dated 6 August 1995
8 Vide Notification No.2/68/96- RE-II (1)/9453 dated 9 December 1996
3
GENERAL
Climatic Divisions and Climate Seasons and their Duration
The district lies in the south western region of the State and
is far away from the Shivalik ranges in the North of the State. It is
nearest to the Thar Desert of Rajasthan and also far away from
major rivers run through the State. Therefore district has a very hot
summer and frequently scorching heat in full swing. Dust storms are
a regular feature in summer. It has a mild rainy season and a dry in
summer but embracing winter. The monsoon is scanty and meagre.
The nights in the desert area are generally cool.
The year may be divided in four seasons. The cold season
from the middle of November to mid-March is followed by the
summer season which lasts up to the end of June. Thereafter the
period up to the middle of September constitutes the southwest
monsoon season. The period from the middle of September to midNovember is of post monsoon season as a transition period between
the monsoon and winter season.
Rainfall.- The monthly average rainfall in the Bathinda
District, during 1992, 1997, 2002 and 2007 to 2013 is given in
Table 1. Records of rainfall in the district are available for fourteen
rain gauge stations for period ranging from 22 to 47 years. The
details of rainfall at these stations and for the district as a whole are
given in Tables 2 and 3. The average annual rainfall in the district is
382.8 mm. The rainfall in the southwest monsoon season (June to
September) constitutes about 79 per cent of the annual normal
rainfall, July and August are the rainiest months with an average
rainfall of about 109 nun. There is some rain in winter season
associated with western disturbances. The variation in the annual
rainfall from year to year is large. In the fifty years period 1961 to
2010, the highest annual rainfall was in 1975 when it amounted to
175 per cent of the normal and the lowest annual rainfall in the
district was in year 2000 when it amounted to 55 per cent of the
normal. In this fifty years period the rainfall was less than 80 per
cent of the normal in 11 years and one occasion each of 2 and 3
consecutive years of such as low rainfall occurred during this
period. It will be seen from Table 3 that the annual rainfall was
between 301 mm and 500 mm in 20 years out of 41 years.
4
BATHINDA
On an average there are 20 rainy days (i.e. days with rainfall
of 2.5 mm or more) in a year in the district. This number varies
from 13 at Hingina to 25 at Bathinda observatory.
The heaviest rainfall in 24 hours at any station in the district
was 377.2 mm at Jawaharke on 4 October 1955.
Temperature.-There is no meteorological observatory in
the district at present but there was an observatory at Bathinda
which was closed in 2006. The data of this observatory is available
up to 1984; so the description that follows is based on the records of
the Bathinda for the period from 1961 to 1984 normals. From about
the end of March the temperatures increase rapidly till the
beginning of July. June is the hottest month having mean maximum
temperature at about 41°C and mean daily minimum at about 27°C.
It is intensely hot during the summer. Scorching dust-laden winds
which blow on many days make the weather very trying. On
individual days the maximum temperature rises upto about 47°C.
With the onset of the southwest monsoon by about the end of June
or beginning of July there is appreciable drop in day temperature
and a little fall in night temperature. However the weather becomes
oppressive due to increase in the day temperatures on account of
breaks in the monsoon rains. By about the middle of September
when the monsoon withdraws both day and night temperatures
begin to decrease. The drop in the night temperature even in
October is much more than the drop in the day temperature. It is
only after October that both the day and night temperatures fall
appreciably. January is generally the coldest month with the mean
maximum temperature at about 21°C and mean minimum
temperature at about 5°C. In the cold season the district is affected
by cold waves in the rear of passing western disturbances and the
minimum temperature on such occasions may reach the freezing
point or even a two to three degree below the freezing point.
The highest maximum temperature ever recorded at
Bathinda observatory was 48.2°C on 30 June 1976 and the lowest
minimum was -3.9°C on 4 January 1975.
Humidity: The air is generally dry during the greater part of
the year in the afternoons when values of relative humidity
throughout the year is between 33 and 65 per cent. In the south west
5
GENERAL
monsoon and winter season humidity is high in the mornings when
its values are about 60 to75 per cent. Months of April to June
constitute the driest part of the year when values of humidity are
about 50 per cent in the mornings and about 34 per cent in the
evenings.
Cloudiness.-Skies are moderately clouded on some days
during the monsoon season and for a short spells of a day or two
during the cold season in association with the passing of western
disturbances. During the rest of the year the skies are mostly clear
or lightly clouded.
Winds.-Winds are generally light during the post-monsoon
and winter months. They strengthen a little during the summer and
monsoon months. In winter and pre-monsoon season i.e. period
from October to May winds mostly blow from northwest direction.
Calm winds and southeast component are also observed during this
period. South east component is observed in the district from
March. During the monsoon months winds mostly blow from
southeast and southwest direction along with northwest component
also observed sometimes during this period. In the post monsoon
months winds are mostly calm along with some southeast and
northwest components.
Special Weather Phenomena.-Thunderstorms generally
occur throughout the year except during November. Its frequency is
more in period from March to July and less in the rest of the year.
Thunderstorms and dust storms occur during the hot season. Rain
during the monsoon season is also occasionally associated with
thunder. Some of the thunderstorms do not give any appreciable
rain, but other are accompanied with heavy rain and occasionally
with hail. In the winter months thunderstorms also occur in
association with western disturbances sometimes accompanied by
hail. Thick fog occurs in the winter months.
Tables 4, 5, 6 and 7 give the temperature and humidity,
cloudiness, mean wind speed and direction and frequency of special
weather phenomena respectively for Bathinda observatory.
TABLE 1
Monthly Average Rainfall in Bathinda District during the years 1992, 1997, 2002 and 2007 to 2013
,
.6u0. .
.=.
"4
1992
17.2
30.0
0.2
1997
3.0
1.0
Year
6g
,3'
=
a8.
36.5
-
2002
87.7
2007
-
2008
7.0
2009
13.0
19.0
2010
13.3
19.0
8.1
›,
6
-,
..„„
6
,,01)
t
.06
15.'
0
cuh
I ji
°
t
137.1
3.0
28.9
32.5
23.2
15.6
72.9
112.7
9.5
7.8
17.3
0.5
29.6
69.0
59.5
50.5
41.3
2.5
5.2
27.3
76.5
30.1
121.9
56.8
3.0
4.2
0.3
2.4
94.7
25.4
74.9
3.0
3.0
3.3
7.3
94.7
25.4
74.9
4.1
7.8
46.0
27.0
7.3
12.0
3.0
88.0
107.0
305.0
-.'. i
O 8 g
z
0
15.5
24.0
9.7
6.
0.1
14.6
40.0
2011
g'
2
.
0
.--,
4.8
274.9
64.7
4.0
344.1
336.7
236.9
9.1
253.0
132.2
2012
2013
8.0
40.0
15.0
10.0
4.0
0.5
592.5
(Statistical Abstracts of Punjab 1993, 1998, 2003 and 2008 to 2014)
TABLE 2
Normals and Extremes of Rainfall (Bathinda)
Bandher
No.of
years
of
data
45
Bathinda
46
Bathinda
obsy
Hingina
22
Jawaharke
46
Jodhpur
46
Joga
45
Kotbakhtu
46
Phul
46
Raman
46
Ramnagar
47
Ranikee
45
Ranikee
Hydro
Talwandi
31
Station
District
Mean
41
46
Jan
Feb
Mar
Apr
May
Jun
July
Aug
Sept
Oct
Nov
Dec
Annual
A
B
A
B
A
B
A
B
A
B
7.3
0.6
8.4
0.9
11.9
1.2
6.8
0.6
12.4
1.0
18.5
1.3
16.2
1.5
14.8
1.7
18.3
1.4
27.8
1.9
10.1
0.9
10.5
1.0
20.4
1.7
8.8
0.7
10.4
1.1
6.5
0.5
8.0
0.9
6.7
1.1
3.6
0.3
10.5
0.8
6.3
0.6
8.5
0.7
13.0
1.3
9.7
0.7
11.2
1.0
21.4
1.2
36.3
2.1
34.2
1.8
29.9
1.5
42.8
2.4
109.4
4.3
104.6
4.9
140.0
6.6
70.6
3.5
118.7
5.4
132.0
4.1
88.3
4.0
119.1
5.3
64.4
3.0
122.4
5.3
31.4
1.5
56.9
2.2
48.5
2.4
22.4
1.2
58.0
2.3
2.1
0.1
7.1
0.6
5.5
0.4
3.1
0.2
7.9
0.4
1.3
0.1
2.9
0.2
8.8
0.8
1.9
0.1
1.7
0.2
4.0
0.4
2.4
0.3
5.7
0.7
4.3
0.3
7.4
0.6
350.3
15.6
350.1
19.3
428.6
25.0
243.8
13.5
431.2
22.4
Annual Rainfall as
%of normal
and years
Highest Lowest
4
353
(1962)
(1970)
16
198
(1989)
(1962)
61
167
(1975)
(1969)
3
312#
(1964)
(1995)
40
210#
(1965)
(1988)
A
B
A
B
A
B
13.5
0.9
9.6
0.7
13.8
0.9
25.1
1.7
21.6
1.6
29.3
1.8
11.7
1.1
12.3
1.0
20.8
1.6
8.9
0.8
7.8
0.7
12.2
0.8
15.5
1.0
12.0
0.8
17.9
1.2
38.4
2.0
31.1
1.7
54.3
2.9
122.3
5.0
88.6
4.5
131.4
5.4
125.4
4.4
108.9
4.9
123.7
4.9
57.4
2.4
52.3
2.2
83.3
2.4
7.3
0.4
5.0
0.4
9.0
0.6
1.8
0.2
4.9
0.3
3.6
0.3
4.3
0.4
4.5
0.6
6.8
0.5
431.6
20.3
358.6
19.4
506.1
23.3
237#
(1988)
206#
(1978)
223#
(1988)
A
B
A
B
A
B
A
B
7.3
0.8
13.1
.9
8.4
0.7
7.5
0.7
14.1
1.3
24.8
1.7
20.9
1.4
18.8
1.4
4.6
0.6
9.4
0.8
11.0
0.8
5.1
0.4
5.3
0.6
15.7
1.1
12.0
0.9
10.9
0.6
20.5
1.7
21.6
1.8
20.9
1.6
8.5
1.0
8.7
1.0
8.0
0.8
18.6
1.3
13.6
1.3
12.2
0.9
71.7
3.5
111.2
4.6
119.6
4.1
112.9
4.5
76.1
4.0
112.9
4.9
106.3
4.4
39.6
1.9
50.2
2.0
52.9
1.8
52.4
2.2
51.2
2.6
45.8
2.5
50.2
2.1
3.9
0.3
9.7
0.5
5.9
0.2
5.8
0.3
14.6
1.4
13.5
1.0
10.6
0.9
21.3
1.8
37.7
2.0
34.5
1.8
22.0
1.5
62.9
2.9
37.2
2.5
36.0
2.0
102.2
4.6
123.4
4.8
104.8
4.2
106.5
4.3
A
B
A
B
A
B
5.8
0.7
11.6
1.1
11.0
1.1
11.4
1.0
16.1
1.7
10.9
1.3
12.3
1.1
(A) Normal rainfall in mm.
(B) Average number of rainy days (i.e. days with rainfall of 2.5 mm or more)
(#) Number of observations less in the year
(*) Based on all available data upto 2010.
(**)Years of occurrence given in brackets.
126.9
5.5
112.5
5.4
111.6
4.9
53
(1981)
13
(2001)
59
(1962)
Heaviest Rainfall
in 24 Hrs *
Amount
Date
(mm)
03Aug
241.3
1970
18Aug
256.1
1964
18Aug
181.4
1964
050ct
190.5
1955
04 Oct
377.2
1955
223.5
190.0
196.0
04 Sep
1917
01Aug
1976
24 Sep
1988
19 Jul
151.0
10
220
5.3
281.8
0.7
1968
(1989)
16.7
(1975)
0.5
0.1
06Aug
155.0
47
172
411.5
4.2
1.5
1985
(1981)
(1998)
20.0
0.1
0.4
04 Oct
279.4
246
8
3.9
387.1
2.2
1955
(1962)
(1995)
0.4
17.6
0.2
I 7Aug
218.0
23
362.7
386#
6.7
2.7
1970
(1969)
17.5
(1988)
0.4
0.2
05 Oct
190.0
53
173
422.4
5.6
6.3
15.1
1996
(1995)
(1999)
23.9
0.5
0.7
0.6
23 Jul
220.0
34
390.6
191
4.1
8.3
1.5
1993
(1981)
(1963)
0.4
22.9
0.2
0.6
55
175
382.8
2.9
5.0
6.8
2000
1975
0.5
19.9
0.3
0.4
(Source: Additional Director General of Meteorology (Research), Pune)
BATHINDA
8
TABLE 3
Frequency of Annual Rainfall in the Bathinda District
(Data 1961-2000)
Range in mm
No. of years
Range in mm
No. of years
201-300
11
501-600
8
301-400
11
601-700
2
401-500
9
(Source: Additional Director General of Meteorology (Research), Pune-5.)
•
(Data available for 41 Years)
Table 4
Normals of Temperature and Relative Humidity Bathinda
Month
January
February
March
April
May
June
July
August
September
October
November
December
Annual
Mean daily
maximum
temperature
Mean daily
minimum
temperature
°C
°C
4.8
20.5
22.6
28.3
35.8
40.0
41.2
36.8
35.3
35.3
34.0
28.2
22.6
31.7
7.7
12.6
18.8
22.7
26.7
26.3
25.3
22.6
16.3
9.7
5.3
16.6
Highest maximum ever
recorded
°C
27.9
31.8
38.9
45.4
47.4
48.2
47.7
46.3
41.5
39.4
38.4
28.9
48.2
Date
1969Jan26
1960 Feb 27
1972 Mar 27
1979 Apr 23
1981 May 19
1976 Jun 30
1982 Jul 12
1982 Aug 05
1980 Sep 27
1968 Oct 01
1965 Nov 01
1977 Dec 11
1976 Jun 30
Lowest minimum ever
recorded
°C
-3.9
-0.9
2.4
8.9
12.4
17.2
18.4
19.3
12.4
7.9
0.3
-1.0
-3.9
Date
1975 Jan04
1964 Feb 03
1980 Mar 05
1965 Apr 03
1969 May 02
1976 Jun 14
1979 Jul 05
1979 Aug 09
1976 Sep 25
1964 Oct 31
1976 Nov 18
1984 Dec 26
1975 Jan 04
Relative humidity
1730 1ST
0830 1ST
%
72
68
62
48
46
52
71
75
67
59
62
69
63
%
51
49
42
33
33
35
58
65
54
45
46
50
47
(Source: Additional Director General of Meteorology (Research), Pune)
sC)
TABLE 5
Mean Wind Speed in km./hr. and Predominant Wind Direction (Bathinda)
u.,
0
a)
LL.
Wind Speed
A—■
cn
0
01)
>-.
0
.--a
a.)
a.)
0.
a.>
CID
a)
0
ti
.0
a)
a"
7,
.jg
z
C:
2.5
3.4
3.9
4.9
4.8
5.8
5.9
4.3
3.3
2.4
1.8
2.0
C/NW
CfNW
C/NW/SE
C/NW/SE
C/SE/NW
C/SE/SW
SE/C
C/SE
C/SE/SW
C/SE
C
C
C/NW
C/NW
NW/C
NW
C/NW
C/NW
C/SE/NW
C/SE/NW
C/NW
C/NW
C/NW C/NW
c7d
3.8
in Kmph
Direction
in Morning
Direction
in Evening
(Source: Additional Director General of Meteorology (Research), Pune)
TABLE 6
Special Weather Phenomena (Bathinda)
Mean No. of
Days with
Thunder
Hail
Dust storm
Fog
Squall
cC;
0.2
0.0
0.0
2.0
0.0
0.4
0.0
0.0
0.0
0.0
0.8
0.0
0.1
0.0
0.0
re;
,.'c
1.0
0.0
0.4
0.0
0.0
1.7
0.0
1.0
0.0
0.0
.
=
1.5
0.0
1.3
0.2
0.0
>,
=
0.0
0.9
0.0
0.3
0.0
0.0
0.4
0.0
0.0
0.0
0.0
s'
,
t
E
48.
v).
0.1
0.0
0.0
0.0
0.0
I_
..000
8
0.3
0.0
0.0
0.0
0.0
z
',-.)
0.0
0.0
0.0
0.0
0.0
0.2
0.0
0.0
1.2
0.0
7.5
0.0
3.1
3.4
0.0
(Source: Additional Director General of Meteorology (Research) Pune)
0
CZ
Z
ril
t'
Table 7
Mean Cloud Amount ** (Okta of the Sky) and Mean Number of days of clear and Overcast Skies(Bathinda)
January
February
March
April
May
June
a
b
c
21
1
1.4
17
1
1.6
20
1
1.5
22
0
1.0
24
0
0.7
22
1
1.1
a
b
c
21
1
1.3
18
1
1.5
20
1
1.6
21
0
1.0
23
1
0.9
23
0
1.0
July August September
0830 Hours 1ST
23
14
14
0
2
I
0.8
2.3
2.5
1730 Hours 1ST
23
12
12
0
1
1
0.9
2.6
2.3
October
November
December
Annual
30
0
0.2
25
0
0.7
23
1
0.8
255
8
1.2
28
0
0.2
26
0
0.5
24
0
0.8
251
6
1.2
(Source: Additional Director General of Meteorology (Research), Pune)
a:Days with clear sky.
b:Days with sky overcast.
c:Mean cloud amount in Okta.
** Okta= Unit equal to area of one eighth of the sky used in specifying cloud amount.
For example: I Okta means 118`11 of the sky covered.