Sotlaਸੋਟਲਾ

Where is Sotla?

Sotla is a village in Hoshiarpur tehsil of Hoshiarpur district in Punjab, India. It lies in the Doaba region, and the 2011 directory recorded Gardhiwala, about 10 kilometres away, as its nearest town. The village falls in the Bhunga community development block and has its own gram panchayat. In the census record it carries village code 031385, and it covers 158 hectares.

Population and households

The 2011 census counted 1,071 people in Sotla: 514 men and 557 women, living in 246 households, an average of about 4.4 people per household. Spread over its 158 hectares, the population density works out to about 678 people per square kilometre. The sex ratio was 1084 women for every 1,000 men. Children up to the age of six numbered 94, about 9 per cent of the village. Scheduled Castes made up 548 people, about 51 per cent of the population, and no Scheduled Tribe population was recorded.

Literacy in 2011 stood at 85.36 per cent among residents aged seven and above, with men at 90.43 per cent and women at 80.67 per cent. The census recorded 250 workers, about 23 per cent of the village. Of the 231 main workers, the largest group, 157, were agricultural labourers, ahead of 38 cultivators on their own land and 33 other workers in trade, transport and services. A further 19 people were marginal workers, employed for only part of the year.

Land and farming

Farming covers most of Sotla's land. Of the village's 158 hectares, 99 hectares were net sown area in the 2011 record, and every sown hectare was irrigated. Irrigation came mainly from wells and tube-wells (99 hectares). About 22 hectares were under non-agricultural uses such as the village settlement, roads and ponds. Farm power supply was recorded at 16 hours a day. The census recorded 40 cultivators and 168 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, 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. Treated tap water was available in the village. It also had 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 16 hours a day.

Getting there

Sotla is reached by pucca, all-weather roads, and the 2011 directory recorded a private bus service in the village itself. The directory recorded Gardhiwala, about 10 kilometres away, as the nearest town, and the nearest railway station was more than ten kilometres away. Hoshiarpur, the tehsil headquarters, and Hoshiarpur city, the district headquarters, are the practical hubs for administration and onward travel. Neighbouring villages include Dhut Kalan, Chak Khelan, Pandori and Jallowal.

What is the population of Sotla?

The population of Sotla was 1,071 at the 2011 census, living in 246 households in Hoshiarpur tehsil of Hoshiarpur district.

What facilities does Sotla have?

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