Profile of Thoubal
Thoubal is the district headquarters of Thoubal district in Manipur.Thoubal History
The Thoubal district came into existence on May 1983 when the Thoubal sub division of the erstwhile Manipur Central district with all its administrative units was transferred to form a new district. Later in November 1983, Thoubal was bifurcated into Thoubal and Kakching sub divisions. The district has been a viewer of many battles fought over time. The fact that Manipur runs an international border that leads to Myanmar, the route has been a center of many military expeditions counter expeditions and conflict battles between different forces. It is known more for Khongjom, where the last battle for the independence of Manipur was fought in April 1891 against the British army. The battle symbolizes the honorable sacrifice for the motherland, despite knowing fully well that the Manipuris would be defeated in the hands of the British.Thoubal Geography
The district occupies an area of 519 sq kms. This district is located on the eastern half of the Manipur valley and is formed in a triangular shape having its base facing north. The district occupies a larger portion of the eastern half of Manipur valley and the average elevation is about 790 meters above sea level. There are a number of hillocks in the district. Some of the hill ranges include Khekman range, Mantak, Kwarok and Thongam Mondum-Punam of which Punam hills has an elevation of 3310 feet above sea level. The important rivers in this district are Imphal and the Thoubal.The Thoubal River originates in the hill ranges of Ukhrul and is an important tributary of the Imphal River. The Imphal River originates in the hills of the district and then flows south. Apart from these two, other rivers in the district are Wanging, Arong and Sekmai. The Thoubal district also has a number of shallow and rain fed lakes like the Waithou, Kharung, Ikop, Pumlen, Lousi and Ngangou. It can be well said that apart from the Loktak Lake, all other lakes of Manipur are in this district. These lakes provide a good fishing ground for variety of fishes.
Thoubal Climate
The Thoubal district experiences a moderate climate with rainfall in abundance. The rainy season prevails from June to September. The colder months lasts from December to February. April and May are the hotter months followed by thunderstorms. The average minimum temperature during winter is 4-6° C and the average maximum temperature is 32-35° C. In winters sometimes the temperature drops down below 0° C. The average rainfall the district receives is 1300 mm.Economy of Thoubal:
Agriculture is the prime occupation of a majority of the people of this district. More than 70% of the people of the district are directly or indirectly depended on agricultural activities. Among the crops, rice is the main crop accounting around 90% of the total land area under cultivation. Other crops grown are paddy, mustard seeds, pulses, sugarcane, oilseeds, maize, potatoes, pulses, chilies; vegetable and so on. The district is the largest producer of sugarcane in the state of Manipur. Among the plantation crops, pineapples are mostly cultivated. A certain amount of people in the district are also engaged in animal husbandry and fishing. Fishing can be said as the second most important occupation with many lakes here.Education in Thoubal
There are a number of schools in the
Thoubal district like the Evergreen Flowers School, Padma Ratna English
School, Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalaya, Kakching higher secondary school,
Nimaichand higher secondary school and so on for imparting education. Among
the colleges, there is the Thoubal College, Kakching Girls College for
higher educational facilities.How to reach Thoubal:
- By Road: The National Highway 39 passes through the district. One can take buses and private vehicles to Thoubal from Imphal.
- By Air: The nearest airport is located in Imphal at a distance if about 21 kms away.
- By Rail: The nearest railway station is the Jiribam Railway Station located 103 kms away.