Guwahati, Nov 19 (IANS): Karimganj district in Assam will be renamed as Shribumi district, Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma announced on Tuesday.
The decision was taken in a cabinet meeting presided over by CM Sarma at his office here.
He told reporters, “The state cabinet has decided to change the name of Karimganj district to Shribumi. This was done keeping in mind the historical significance of the place. In our state, many places were named that do not go well with the cultural value of that location and we will gradually rename those places giving due importance to their historical trait.”
The Chief Minister also said that the ruling dispensation had earlier changed the names of a few places.
“In the recent past, locations like Kalapahar and Sarabhatti in Guwahati city were renamed. This practice will be continued in the upcoming days,” he added.
Assam has 35 districts, including Karimganj -- now Shribumi district. In addition to being the largest town in the district, Karimganj serves as the administrative headquarters of the district. It is situated in southern Assam and has borders with Bangladesh's Sylhet Division and Tripura. Together with Hailakandi and Cachar, it forms the Barak Valley.
Prior to India's partition, Karimganj was a part of the Sylhet District. In 1983, it was made a district.
In 1778, Karimganj was first created as a 40-paragana sector of the Sylhet district.
The district is 1,809 square kilometers in size. Cachar District borders it on the northeast, Hailakandi District borders it on the east and south, Mizoram borders it on the south, Tripura State borders it on the southwest, and Bangladesh borders it on the west and northwest.
Karimganj town is situated right on the Bangladesh border, with the Kushiyara River running through it. It is surrounded on two sides by the Longai and Kushiyara rivers. The Noti Khal, a lengthy and winding canal that winds through the town, is one of its most notable features. It once served as a riverway that connected Kushiyara and Longai, allowing for easier river communication. However, in order to make room for road transportation and construction projects, this canal has now been obstructed in a number of locations by embankments and landfills.