Athwalਅਠਵਾਲ

Where is Athwal?

Athwal is a village of Kalanaur tehsil in Gurdaspur district, Punjab, in the Majha region of the state. The 2011 directory recorded Dhariwal, about 12 kilometres away, as its nearest town. The village falls in the Kalanour community development block and has its own gram panchayat. In the census record it carries village code 028056, and it covers 195 hectares.

Population and households

The 2011 census counted 469 people in Athwal: 234 men and 235 women, living in 91 households, an average of about 5.2 people per household. Spread over its 195 hectares, the population density works out to about 241 people per square kilometre. The sex ratio was 1004 women for every 1,000 men. Children up to the age of six numbered 45, about 10 per cent of the village. Scheduled Castes made up 0 people, about 0 per cent of the population, and no Scheduled Tribe population was recorded.

Literacy in 2011 stood at 83.73 per cent among residents aged seven and above, with men at 87.02 per cent and women at 80.56 per cent. The census recorded 132 workers, about 28 per cent of the village. Of the 95 main workers, the largest group, 54, were cultivators on their own land, ahead of 25 other workers in trade, transport and services and 16 agricultural labourers. A further 37 people were marginal workers, employed for only part of the year.

Land and farming

Farming covers most of Athwal's land. Of the village's 195 hectares, 176 hectares were net sown area in the 2011 record, and 173 hectares of it were irrigated. Irrigation came mainly from canals (149 hectares) and wells and tube-wells (24 hectares). About 19 hectares were under non-agricultural uses such as the village settlement, roads and ponds. Farm power supply was recorded at 6 hours a day. With 56 cultivators and 47 agricultural labourers in the census, most farm work in the village is done by landholding families themselves.

Schools and facilities

For village facilities, the Census 2011 Village Directory is the fullest record available. Education in the village runs through 2 government primary schools, so children can study in the village up to Class 5. The village also had an anganwadi centre.

No health facility was recorded inside the village in 2011. The village had its own post office. It also had a PDS ration shop and mobile phone coverage. It had no bank branch or ATM in the 2011 record; the nearest bank was five to ten kilometres away. Domestic electricity supply was recorded at 12 hours a day.

Getting there

Athwal is reached by pucca, all-weather roads; the nearest bus service was within five kilometres. The directory recorded Dhariwal, about 12 kilometres away, as the nearest town, and the nearest railway station was five to ten kilometres away. Kalanaur, the tehsil headquarters, and Gurdaspur town, the district headquarters, are the practical hubs for administration and onward travel. Neighbouring villages include Kala Goray, Mustfapur and Daduwala.

What is the population of Athwal?

The population of Athwal was 469 at the 2011 census, living in 91 households in Kalanaur tehsil of Gurdaspur district.

What facilities does Athwal have?

According to the Census 2011 Village Directory, Athwal has a government primary school, an anganwadi centre and a post office. It had no bank branch inside the village in that record.