Balagarh is a Community Development Block, located in Jirat, West Bengal, India, that forms an administrative division in Chinsurah Subdivision of Hooghly in the Indian state of West Bengal Overview The Balagarh CD Block is mostly part of the Hooghly Flats, one of the three natural regions in the district of the flat alluvial plains that forms part of the Gangetic Delta. The region is a narrow strip of land along the 80 km long stretch of the Hooghly River, that forms the eastern boundary of the district. The region has been physiographically influenced by the course of the river. The western part of the block gradually merges into the Hooghly-Damodar Plain. Geography Balagarh is located at . Balagarh CD Block is bounded by Santipur and Ranaghat I CD Blocks, in Nadia districts across the Hooghly, in the north, Ranaghat I CD Block, in Nadia district across the Hooghly the east, Chinsurah Mogra CD Block in the south and Pandua and Kalna II CD Blocks, in Bardhaman district, in the west. It is located 30 km from Chinsurah, the district headquarters. Balagarh CD Block has an area of 202.15 km2. It has 1 panchayat samity, 13 gram panchayats, 183 gram sansads (village councils), 135 mouzas and 129 inhabited villages. Balagarh police station serves this block. Headquarters of this CD Block is at Patuligram, Jirat. Gram panchayats of Balagarh block/ panchayat samiti are: Jirat (Sadar), Charkrishnabati, Dumurdaha-Nityanandapur I, Dumurdaha-Nityanandapur II, Ektarpur, Guptipara I, Guptipara II, Bakulia-Dhobapara, Mohipalpur, Siza-Kamalpur, Somra I, Somra II and Sripur-Balagarh. Demographics Population As per the 2011 Census of India, Balagarh CD Block had a total population of 228,998, of which 200,810 were rural and 28,188 were urban. There were 116,828 (51%) males and 112,870 (49%) females. Population below 6 years was 21,396. Scheduled Castes numbered 93,402 (40.79%) and Scheduled Tribes numbered 21,129 (9.23%). As per the 2001 census, Balagarh block had a total population of 214,710, out of which 110,121 were males and 104,589 were females. Balagarh block registered a population growth of 15.40 per cent during the 1991-2001 decade. Decadal growth for Hooghly district was 15.72 per cent. Decadal growth in West Bengal was 17.84 per cent. Census Towns in Balagarh CD Block (2011 census figures in brackets): Badhagachhi (5,052), Mirdhanga (8,482), Sripur (7,224) and Jirat (7,430). Large villages (with 4,000+ population) in Balagarh CD Block (2011 census figures in brackets): Aida Kismat (4,843), Krishnabati (6,070),