Balian (Dhuri)ਬਲਿਆਂ

Where is Balian?

Balian is a village in Dhuri tehsil of Sangrur district in Punjab, India. It lies in the Malwa region, and the 2011 directory recorded Dhuri, about 22 kilometres away, as its nearest town. The village falls in the Sherpur community development block and has its own gram panchayat. In the census record it carries village code 039606, and it covers 1,728 hectares.

Population and households

The 2011 census counted 5,935 people in Balian: 3,144 men and 2,791 women, living in 1,182 households, an average of about 5.0 people per household. Spread over its 1,728 hectares, the population density works out to about 343 people per square kilometre. The sex ratio was 888 women for every 1,000 men. Children up to the age of six numbered 639, about 11 per cent of the village. Scheduled Castes made up 2,342 people, about 39 per cent of the population, and no Scheduled Tribe population was recorded.

Literacy in 2011 stood at 62.35 per cent among residents aged seven and above, with men at 66.5 per cent and women at 57.62 per cent. The census recorded 2,662 workers, about 45 per cent of the village. Of the 2,091 main workers, the largest group, 1,064, were other workers in trade, transport and services, ahead of 742 cultivators on their own land and 209 agricultural labourers. A further 571 people were marginal workers, employed for only part of the year.

Land and farming

Farming covers most of Balian's land. Of the village's 1,728 hectares, 1,503 hectares were net sown area in the 2011 record, and every sown hectare was irrigated. Irrigation came mainly from canals (551 hectares) and wells and tube-wells (952 hectares). About 221 hectares were under non-agricultural uses such as the village settlement, roads and ponds. Farm power supply was recorded at 8 hours a day. With 779 cultivators and 251 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 and one government secondary school, so children can study in the village up to Class 10. The village also had an anganwadi centre and an ASHA health worker.

Health facilities recorded inside the village in 2011 included a community health centre, a dispensary and a veterinary hospital. Drinking water came from untreated tap water supplies. The village had its own post office. It also had a PDS ration shop and mobile phone coverage. Banking was available in the village itself, with a commercial bank branch. Domestic electricity supply was recorded at 12 hours a day.

Getting there

Balian is reached by pucca, all-weather roads, and the 2011 directory recorded a private bus service in the village itself. The directory recorded Dhuri, about 22 kilometres away, as the nearest town, and the nearest railway station was more than ten kilometres away. Dhuri, the tehsil headquarters, and Sangrur, the district headquarters, are the practical hubs for administration and onward travel. Neighbouring villages include Qila Hakiman, Batuha, Dhandiwal and Natt.

What is the population of Balian?

The population of Balian was 5,935 at the 2011 census, living in 1,182 households in Dhuri tehsil of Sangrur district.

What facilities does Balian have?

According to the Census 2011 Village Directory, Balian has government schools from primary to secondary school level, an anganwadi centre and a post office.