Purulia Loka Kalyan Parishad

Purulia lies between 22.60 degree and 23.50 degree north latitude and 85.75 degree and 86.65 degree east longitude. The geographical area of the district is 6259 sq. kms.

Three types of soils have been recognized in this district viz.

i) residual types derived from weathering of granites, gneisses and schist

(ii) Lateritic soil in the upland areas

(iii) Clay loam to clay in the valleys. Almost in the entire district soil is acidic with pH varying between 5.5 and 7.2 . On an average the soil contain 0.04 % nitrogen. 0.005 %P2O5 and 0.01 % K2O.The maximum nitrogen being 0.87 % and minimum 0.036 %. The fertility is low, as the soils contain very little organic matter.

Cultivation of this district is predominantly mono-cropped. Near about 60 % of the total cultivated land is upland and about 73 % of the total agricultural holding are fragmented smallholding & belongs to small and marginal farmers . Crops are grown in rainfed condition and paddy is the main crop of the district. Only 17% of the net cropped area is under multi crop cultivation.

But, this backward district is endowed with mineral resources of a wide range of varieties. According to the findings of GSI there are ten types of mineral deposits in this district. The main ones being Coal, Limestone, Rock Phosphate, China Clay, Quartz etc. The main mineral resource of the district is Coal.

The main rivers are Kangsabati,Kumari,Darakeswar, Subarnarekha and due to undulated topography nearly 50% of the rainfall flows away as run off.