Origin :
The name Lakhimpur is believed
to be originated from the word Lakshmi, the goddess of
prosperity. The district is mainly dependent upon agriculture and paddy.
Paddy is regarded locally as Lakhimi. The word pur
means full. Lakhimpur therefore means full of paddy or
the place where paddies are grown abundantly. Besides, the soil of the
district is alluvial and fertile for which crops flourish without use
of any artificial manure or hard labour. Over and above fish, meat,
vegetables, milk were abundant in this district. Others say that the
word originated from Lakhsmi Devi, the mother of Bhuyan
Raja who was the descendent of King Arimatta.
Formation of District :
As per Lakhimpur District Gazette
(1976:4) , the district was notified as Lakhimpur District through a
proclamation issued by then Governor General on July, 1839. On 2nd October,
1971 the district was reorganized with two sub divisions viz. Dhemaji
and North Lakhimpur . Later it was again reorganized in the year 1989
with two subdivisions viz. Dhakuakhana and North Lakhimpur leaving Dhemaji
as a separate district. The district was earlier regarded
as " Koliapani" because there was practically no road
communication to this district till 1950. In the year 1954, the temporary
aerodrome was started. From 1957 the ASTC buses started plying from
Lakhimpur and from 1963 the North East Frontier Railway started train
services from this district.
Area and Population :
The District covers an area of
2277 Sqkm out of which 2257 Sqkm is rural and 20 sqkm is urban.
The Population as per Census of India, paper 1 of 2011 is as follows,
| Total |
Male |
Female |
| 1042137 |
529674 |
512463 |
Location & Boundary :
Lakhimpur District is situated
on the North East corner of Assam and at the north bank of the River
Brahmaputra. The district lies between 26o48' and 27o53'
Northern latitude and 93o42' and 94o20' East longitude
(approx.)
It is bounded on the north by Siang and Papumpare District of Arunachal
Pradesh and on the east by Dhemaji District and Subansiri river. The
river Brahmaputra along with Majuli District stands on the southern
side and Gahpur sub division of Biswanath District is on the West.
Sub divisions & Police Stations :
The district is divided into
two sub divisions viz. North Lakhimpur and Dhakuakhana. North Lakhimpur
Sub-division consists of 4 Police stations viz. North Lakhimpur, Boginadi,
Laluk and Bihpuria. Dhakuakhana Sub Division consists of two Police
stations viz. Dhakuakhana and Ghilamara.
Forests :
Forests of the district are
mainly tropical rain forest. The important reserved forests of the district
are Ranga Reserve, Kakoi Reserve, Dulung Reserve and Pava Reserve .
The varieties of tree species grown in the forest area are Hollock (Terminalia
Myriocarpa) , Urium (Bichotia Jauvanica), Nahar (Mesua Ferrea), Ajhar
(lagerstroemia speciosa), Simolu (Bombax ceiba/Salmalia Malabarica),
Sum (Machilus), Sualu , Gomari (gmelina orborea), Sissoo (Dalbergia
Sissoo), Jutuli (Altingia excelsa), Silikha (Terminalia Chebula), Neem
(Azadirachta Indica), Sopa (Magnolia) etc.
Rivers :
1. The Brahmaputra :
The mighty river Brahmaputra is the southern boundary of the district
and it touches all along the southern and southeastern boundary.
2. The Subansiri : The river Subansiri is originated from Tibet
and enters the plains of Lakhimpur and Dhemaji district. The total length
of the river is 326 miles up to the international boarder. The catchments
area of the river is 10,148 Sqmiles in Arunachal Pradesh and 440 SqMiles
in Assam. The river discharges 2,09,546 Cusecs of water at Bhimpara
Ghat.
3. The Ranganadi : The river originates from the Dafla hills
of Arunachal Pradesh. The total length of the river is 90 miles and
total catchments area is 839 Sqmiles in Arunachal Pradesh and 296 Sqmiles
in Assam. It discharges 17,500 cusecs of water at 2 miles up stream
of National Highway–52.
4. The Dikrong : The Dikrong originates from the Dafla Hills
of Arunachal Pradesh. In Arunachal Pradesh, it is known as Par Nadi.
It enters the plains near Harmutty Tea Estate and runs 25 miles to join
the Brahmaputra at Badati. It discharges 20,000 cusecs of water at 1
mile down stream of National Highway-52. The catchments area of the
river is 512 Sqmiles in Arunachal Pradesh and 101 Sqmiles in Assam.
Minerals :
The river Subansiri has legends
of gold washing, but now there is no major exploration of minerals in
this district. There is now only some minor exploration for petroleum
by ONGC in Dhakuakhana Sub-division
Fauna :
With the increase of human population
and large-scale deforestation of existing forest, the wild animal of
various species are dwindling due to loss of habitat etc. Presently
wild elephants, buffaloes, tigers, deer, wild cat, jackal are seen in
the forest area. Varieties of bird species are available in swampy areas.
Many migratory birds come every year to the various part of the District