Machhanaਮਛਨਾ

Where is Machhana?

Machhana is a village in Kalanaur tehsil of Gurdaspur district in Punjab, India. It lies in the Majha region, and the 2011 directory recorded Dhariwal, about 8 kilometres away, as its nearest town. The village falls in the Dhariwal community development block and has its own gram panchayat. In the census record it carries village code 028051, and it covers 143 hectares.

Population and households

The 2011 census counted 535 people in Machhana: 278 men and 257 women, living in 95 households, an average of about 5.6 people per household. Spread over its 143 hectares, the population density works out to about 374 people per square kilometre. The sex ratio was 924 women for every 1,000 men. Children up to the age of six numbered 55, 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 68.54 per cent among residents aged seven and above, with men at 77.17 per cent and women at 58.85 per cent. The census recorded 142 workers, about 27 per cent of the village. Of the 124 main workers, the largest group, 53, were other workers in trade, transport and services, ahead of 49 cultivators on their own land and 19 agricultural labourers. A further 18 people were marginal workers, employed for only part of the year.

Land and farming

Farming covers most of Machhana's land. Of the village's 143 hectares, 130 hectares were net sown area in the 2011 record, and 128 hectares of it were irrigated. Irrigation came mainly from canals (79 hectares) and wells and tube-wells (49 hectares). Farm power supply was recorded at 8 hours a day. With 49 cultivators and 19 agricultural labourers in the census, most farm work in the village is done by landholding families themselves.

Schools and facilities

The Census 2011 Village Directory gives the fullest picture of village facilities. Education in the village runs through one government primary school, so children can study in the village up to Class 5. The village also had an anganwadi centre and an ASHA health worker.

No health facility was recorded inside the village in 2011. Drinking water came from untreated tap water supplies. It also had a PDS ration shop, mobile phone coverage and an internet common service centre. 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 15 hours a day.

Getting there

Machhana is reached by pucca, all-weather roads, and the 2011 directory recorded a private bus service in the village itself. The directory recorded Dhariwal, about 8 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 Dula Nangal, Laluwal and Bhoj Raj.

What is the population of Machhana?

The population of Machhana was 535 at the 2011 census, living in 95 households in Kalanaur tehsil of Gurdaspur district.

What facilities does Machhana have?

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