Jorhat district is in the eastern part of the State and lies between 25° 49’ and 27°17’north latitude and longitude 93°18’ and 95° 26'east longitude. It is surrounded by the District Lakhimpur on the north, by the District of Sibsagar on the east, by the State of Nagaland on the south and by the district of Golaghat on the west. Total area of the district is 2851 sq. kms.  The district is named after its headquarter town Jorhat.

The district has a population of about 0.87 million (1991 census). There are 917 females per 1000 males. About 84.7% of the population lives in rural areas, while 15.3% of the population lives in urban areas. The SC and ST contribute about 7.6% and about 12.0% of the population respectively. The decennial growth rate of population between 1981-1991 was 16.41%. The density of population is 1115 per Sq. Km. Malayalam and Tamil are the main languages spoken in the district.

North of Brahmaputra is the Majuli, which is the greatest river island.  Subansiri and Kherkatia Suti separate it from Lakhimpur.  Main crops are Summer rice, mustard, Bao, Ahu only.

Majuli is a principal place of pilgrimage for the Vaishnavites of Assam since the days of Ahom reign.  Here so many Satras or Monasteries religious centers forming the strongholds of important elements of Assamese art and culture, visitors are treated with kindness and hospitally by the inmates of the Satras.  Notable among which among are the Satras of Kaqmalabari, Auniati, Garamur and Dakhinpat.

The whole of the drainage of the district finds its way into the mighty rives Brahmaputra as it flows past from east to west on the north of the district.  Here lies the greatest river island of the world Majuli.  The major tributaries of the Brahmaputra in the district of Jorhat are Dihing, Disang, Dikhou, Jhanji, Bhogdai, Kakadonga and Dhansiri, which originate in the south.  Among these the river Dhansiri is the largest.   Though these rivers during summer create havoc with flods causing untold misery to the prople inhabiting at the river sides.  The greater part of Jorhat lies too high for the formation of lakes, beels, marshes, and those found in the Majule sub-division are of any significant size, as they are the remains of changing river during monsoons.

The district is at present comprised two subdivisions namely Majuli and Jorhat and five circles viz. Majuli Teok, Jorhat East, Jorhat West and Titabur.  It has six community Development Block  and three towns. The district ahs 851 villages, of which 789 are inhabited villages and 53 uninhabited villages. Villages having one or more amenities are shown in table – 1.

Table 1. Villages having one or more amenities in the district (1991 census)

Jorhat district has 5 circles, 2 sub-divisions and 6 Community Development Blocks. (Table-2).

Table 2. Administrative units in Jorhat district.

The district of Jorhat is connected with the rest of the State by road and air.  Road Transport services are provided by public and private sector organizations.  The Assam State Road Transport Corporation the only public sector organization operating in the district, provide passenger and goods traffic in selected roads.   The private sector road transport plays a pivotal role in the movement of passengers and goods traffic in the far flung areas of the district.

Though the district has considerable scope for the development of navigational facilities, the existing facility is quite negligible.  The inland water transport corporation is presently operating a Ferry Service between Neamatighat and Kamalabari connecting the district Head Quarter with the river island Majuli.

Air service is another important means of transport available in the district. The Indian Airlines operates regular air services from Rowriah, the only airport of the District situated at a distance of 6km. from Jorhat the district H.Q.

Jorhat has direct links with Nagaland and serves as an important supply base for Arunachal as well. 

Other crops of the district are maize, wheat, other cereals and small millets, pulses, oilseeds etc.

In the year 1988, 557794 cattle (cows and bullocks), 41167 buffaloes, 75742 goats, 1711 horses and ponies, 41232 pigs, 206408 fowls and 139575 ducks were reported in the district.  The following veterinary facilities are available in the district. 

Hospital 2, dispensaries 23, mobile dispensaries 2, block dispensaries 11, R.A.I. 5, stock centers 55, livestock farm 1 poultry and duck farm 1, pig farm 1, bull rearing farm 1 and gosadan 1.

There are number of registered Beel fisheries and river fisheries in the district.

Guwahati is an important commercial towjn in the state.  There is a plywood factory at Mariani, and oil wells and natural gas resrve at Borbola.  There are 1075 small scale Industries together in Jorhat and  Golaghat districts.  Jorhat is an industrical estate in the district with 27 sheds.  There are 3 handloom training centres, 5 weaver’s extension service units and 1 handloom production centre in this district.

Jorhat, being the Head Quarters of the district, occupies a prime place in the sphere of trade and commerce of the district.  Several factors such as direct connection with Calcutta by Air, the proximity of a good river port Neamati, the location of major financial institutions, administrative headq2uarters and commercial carrying centers have contributing a lot in this regard.  Most of the towns in the district have factories to produce tea, crude oil, ply wood and fertilizer.

During the year 1991, out of 798 villages in the district 711 villages have educational facilities of one type or other.  The students of remaining 87 villages are required go to other neighbouring village (s)/ town (s) to obtain education.  In the district, 705 villages have primary schools 218 villages have middle schools, 201 villages have high schools and 2 villages have higher secondary schools.  There are 2 villages in the district where adult literacy centres are found.  The Regional Research Laboratory, the Tea Research Centre, an Engineering college, the Assam Agricultural University the central office of the Asom Sahitya Sabha have turned Jorhat into an important educational and cultural center.  Besides, there is a Regional Paddy Research Center at Titabar.

Table 3, Govt. and Other Medical Institutions in Jorhat district

Total number of   beds available in the hospitals of the district are 485.

National Surveillance Programme for Communicable Diseases (NSPCD)

The National Surveillance Programme for Communicable Diseases (NSPCD) was launched in the district in the year 2001.  District Nodal Officer had been identified.  District RRT has been constituted. The training of the district RRT will be done by the State RRT after their training at NICD, Delhi. District laboratory has to be identified and upgraded.  Weekly and Monthly reports are expected only after the training of the district RRT and the medical officers and Para-medicals are completed.