Dhalai district

Dhalai (Pron:/ˈdʰɔlai/) (Bengali: ধলাই জেলা) is an administrative district in the state of Tripura in India. The district headquarters are located at Ambassa. As of 2011 it is the least populous district of Tripura (out of 8), although it is the largest district in the State.

History

Dhalai District was created in the year of 1995 by bifurcating North Tripura District and including part of Amarpur Sub-Division of the South Tripura District. It was created keeping in view the administrative exigency of providing development & good governance to the largely Tribal & inaccessible areas. The District is named after Dhalai river which originates in the District.

Geography

Located in the North-eastern part of Tripura, the District covers an area of about 2426 km². It is mainly located between two hills namely ‘Atharamura range’ and ‘Sakhan Range’. More than 70% area is hilly and forest covered. The terrain is mostly undulating and hilly with small water streams (chharas), rivers and fertile valleys intervening. Major rivers originating from Dhalai are Dhalai, Khowai, Gomati & Manu. Major hills are Atharamura, Longtharai, Kalajhari & part of Sakhan. The District headquarter at Ambassa is located at a distance of about 85 km from the State capital Agartala. The District is bordered by Bangladesh on the Northern & Southern sides. Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC) is currently exploring for natural gas reserves in the district in Salema block. The district falls in Seismic Zone 5 of India and is prone to landslides, thunderstorms and lightning strikes in summer and rainy seasons.