Purkhowalਪੁਰਖੋਵਾਲ

Where is Purkhowal?

Purkhowal is a village in Garhshankar tehsil of Hoshiarpur district in Punjab, India. It lies in the Doaba region, and the 2011 directory recorded Garhshankar, about 4 kilometres away, as its nearest town. The village falls in the Garhshankar community development block and has its own gram panchayat. In the census record it carries village code 032002, and it covers 141 hectares.

Population and households

The 2011 census counted 944 people in Purkhowal: 481 men and 463 women, living in 189 households, an average of about 5.0 people per household. Spread over its 141 hectares, the population density works out to about 670 people per square kilometre. The sex ratio was 963 women for every 1,000 men. Children up to the age of six numbered 107, about 11 per cent of the village. Scheduled Castes made up 588 people, about 62 per cent of the population, and no Scheduled Tribe population was recorded.

Literacy in 2011 stood at 84.59 per cent among residents aged seven and above, with men at 89.23 per cent and women at 79.76 per cent. The census recorded 386 workers, about 41 per cent of the village. Of the 293 main workers, the largest group, 201, were other workers in trade, transport and services, ahead of 54 cultivators on their own land and 33 agricultural labourers. A further 93 people were marginal workers, employed for only part of the year.

Land and farming

Farming covers most of Purkhowal's land. Of the village's 141 hectares, 128 hectares were net sown area in the 2011 record, and 127 hectares of it were irrigated. Irrigation came mainly from wells and tube-wells (127 hectares). About 13 hectares were under non-agricultural uses such as the village settlement, roads and ponds. Farm power supply was recorded at 12 hours a day. The census recorded 55 cultivators and 67 agricultural labourers, so farming supports many labouring families as well as landholders.

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 and one government middle school, so children can study in the village up to Class 8. The village also had an anganwadi centre and an ASHA health worker.

No health facility was recorded inside the village in 2011. Treated tap water was available in the village. 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 within five kilometres. Domestic electricity supply was recorded at 12 hours a day.

Getting there

Purkhowal is reached by pucca, all-weather roads, and the 2011 directory recorded a private bus service in the village itself. The directory recorded Garhshankar, about 4 kilometres away, as the nearest town, and the nearest railway station was within five kilometres. Garhshankar, the tehsil headquarters, and Hoshiarpur city, the district headquarters, are the practical hubs for administration and onward travel. Neighbouring villages include Bilron, Hajipur, Rampur and Lehra.

What is the population of Purkhowal?

The population of Purkhowal was 944 at the 2011 census, living in 189 households in Garhshankar tehsil of Hoshiarpur district.

What facilities does Purkhowal have?

According to the Census 2011 Village Directory, Purkhowal has government schools from primary to middle school level and an anganwadi centre. It had no bank branch inside the village in that record.