Sahid Matangini is a community development block that forms an administrative division in Tamluk subdivision of Purba Medinipur district in the Indian state of West Bengal. Etymology The block is named after Matangini Hazra, an independence activist. She was born in Hogla village in what is now Sahid Matangini block, in 1869. She was shot dead by the police in front of Tamluk Police Station on 29 September 1942. Geography Purba Medinipur district is part of the lower Indo-Gangetic Plain and Eastern coastal plains. Topographically, the district can be divided into two parts – (a) almost entirely flat plains on the west, east and north, (b) the coastal plains on the south. The vast expanse of land is formed of alluvium and is composed of younger and coastal alluvial. The elevation of the district is within 10 metres above mean sea level. The district has a long coastline of 65.5 km along its southern and south eastern boundary. Five coastal CD Blocks, namely, Khejuri II, Contai II (Deshapran), Contai I, Ramnagar I and II, are occasionally affected by cyclones and tornadoes. Tidal floods are quite regular in these five CD Blocks. Normally floods occur in 21 of the 25 CD Blocks in the district. The major rivers are Haldi, Rupnarayan, Rasulpur, Bagui and Keleghai, flowing in north to south or south-east direction. River water is an important source of irrigation. The district has a low 899 hectare forest cover, which is 0.02% of its geographical area. Kharui, a constituent panchayat of Sahid Matangini block, is located at . Sahid Matangini CD Block is bounded by Kolaghat CD Block in the north, Bagnan II and Shyampur II CD Blocks, in Howrah district, across the Rupnarayan, in the east, Tamluk CD Block in the south and Kolaghat and Tamluk CD Blocks in the west. It is located 12 km from Tamluk, the district headquarters. Sahid Matangini CD Block has an area of 97.82 km2. It has 1 panchayat samity, 10 gram panchayats, 152 gram sansads (village councils), 87 mouzas and 81 inhabited villages. Kolaghat police station serves this block. Headquarters of this CD Block is at Chatara. Gram panchayats of Sahid Matangini block/ panchayat samiti are: Balluk I, Balluk II, Dhalpara, Kakharda, Kharui I, Kharui II, Raghunathpur I, Raghunathpur II, Santipur I and Santipur II. Demographics Population As per 2011 Census of India Sahid Matangini CD Block had a total population of