Haldia is a city and a
municipality in Purba Medinipur in the Indian state of West Bengal.
It is a major seaport located approximately 50 kilometers southwest
of Calcutta near the mouth of the Hooghly River, one of the distributaries
of the Ganges. The population in 2001 was 170,695.
How to reach
Haldia is best reached by Train and Bus. The nearest train
station is at Haldia Bandar and the nearest airport is at Kolkata.
By bus
Route
The road route from Kolkata is: Esplanade - 63km - Kolaghat
- 3km - Mecheda - 56km - Haldia
From Kolkata, catch a bus at Esplanade or at Howrah headed for
Haldia. AC Buses are also available to reach Haldia.
The
bus route traverse via NH-6 via Kolaghat via Nandakumar to Haldia
(NH-41).Total duration of bus journey 2.5 hours (Approx)
By Train
Route
From
Howrah Railway Stn.you can avail Haldia Local which traverse
via Panskura stn. , Tamluk Stn. to Haldia Bandar Station.
From Howrah Railway Stn. by any Local train
upto Mecheda Station then by Bus to Haldia (via NH-41).
Haldia is being developed
as a major trade port for Calcutta, intended mainly for bulk cargoes.
The port is quite modern, uses conveyor belts for loading and unloading
and has the world's second largest lock gate-1010 ft x 130 ft and
a depth of 48 ft. The Haldia Refinery and Haldia Fertilizers
may be paid a visit with prior permission. The Centinery Park also
attracts tourists. Haldia is a ideal spot for weekend tour. The industrial
city has several factories, including South Asian Petrochemicals Limited,
Indian Oil Corporation Limited (IOCL), Exide, Shaw Wallace, Tata Chemicals,
Petrochemical complex (Haldia Petrochemical) and Hindustan Lever,
in addition to various light industries. The port has attracted factories
of foreign companies, like Mitsubishi Chemical Company (MCC). A large
number of companies are also being set up now, Dredging Corporation
of India Limited (DCI), primarily being ancillary industries to the
Haldia Petrochemicals. The Haldia Petrochemicals is the second largest
project of such kind in India.
The Haldia Township is
bordered by the Haldi River an offshoot of the Ganges
River. The riverside in Haldia is a favorite destination for residents
and one can see people strolling down the riverside during the evenings.
Haldia is also a base of
Indian Coast Guard. There is a hover-port to house two of the six
hovercrafts belonging to the Indian Coast Guard.
CLIMATE
The climate of Haldia is
a typical moderate one with winter temperatures ranging from 8 degrees
Celsius to 12 degrees Celsius. Winters are cool and present and it
is also the festival time for inhabitants here with the Haldia Utsav
taking place during the same time.
Summers can be hot and humid with temperatures going up to 40 degrees
Celsius. Rainfall is moderate, and the rainy months are between May
and September.
TRANSPORT
The transportation system
of Haldia is extremely well developed and it is connected to Kolkata
by both bus and train. Recent efforts have seen introduction of new
air conditioned buses which takes less than three hours from the place
to Kolkata. In terms of local transport cars, bikes, auto rickshaws
and specially bi cycles are the most common means.