Giridih is a plateau region. The western portion of the district is part of a larger central plateau. The rest of the district is a lower plateau, a flat table land with an elevation of about 1,300 feet. At the edges, the ghats drop to about 700 feet. The Pareshnath Hills or Shikharji rises to a height of 4,480 feet in the south-eastern part of the district. The district is thickly forested. Amongst the natural resources, it has coal and mica. Inaugurating the Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana in 2016, Raghubar Das, Chief Minister of Jharkhand, had indicated that there were 23 lakhBPL families in Jharkhand. There was a plan to bring the BPL proportion in the total population down to 35%.
Jharkhand is one of the states affected by Maoist activities., Giridih was one of the 14 highly affected districts in the state., Giridih was identified as one of the 13 focus areas by the state police to check Maoist activities. In 2017, the Moists, in Giridih district, have torched more than 50 vehicles engaged in road construction or carrying goods.
Geography
Birni is located at. Birni CD Block is bounded by Dhanwar and Jamua CD Blocks on the north, Giridih CD Block on the east, Dumri and Suriya CD Blocks on the south and Markacho CD Block, in Koderma district, on the west. Birni CD Block has an area of 319.98 km2. It has 28 gram panchayats, 172 inhabited villages. Birni police station serves this block. Headquarters of this CD Block is at Birni. 14.74% of the area has forest cover. Rivers in Birni CD Block are Barakar, Irga and Bhutaha. Gram panchayats in Birni CD Block are: Padariya, Kapilo, Bangra Kala, Dalangi, Makhmargo, Birni, Tetariya Salaiya, Simra Dhab, Barmasiya, Arari, Jaridih, Kendua, Khairidih, Kharkhari, Shakhawara, Manjhiladih, Barwadih, Kusmai, Tulsitand, Gadi, Pesham, Chongakhar, Padarmaniya, Baliya, Manakdiha, Balgo, Khedwara and Keshodih.
Demographics
Population
As per the 2011 Census of India Birni CD Block had a total population of 169,451, all of which were rural. There were 85,970 males and 83,481 females. Population below 6 years was 32,912. Scheduled Castes numbered 25,853 and Scheduled Tribes numbered 2,475.
Literacy
census the total number of literates in Birni CD Block was 83,928 out of which males numbered 53,591 and females numbered 30,337. The gender disparity was 32.54%. census, literacy in Giridih district was 63.14% Literacy in Jharkhand was 66.41% in 2011. Literacy in India in 2011 was 74.04%. See also – List of Jharkhand districts ranked by literacy rate
Language
is the official language in Jharkhand and Urdu has been declared as an additional official language. Jharkhand legislature had passed a bill according the status of a second official language to several languages in 2011 but the same was turned down by the Governor. The three most populous mother-tongues, as per data available from 2001 census in a Note on mother-tongue of earlier census, published in District Census Handbook Giridih, 2011, were: Khortha, Hindi and Urdu. Numerically, five important languages spoken by scheduled tribes in the district were: Santali, Kol, Mahli, Kora, Muddi-Kora and Munda, Munda Patar. As per the 2001 census, major languages spoken in Jharkhand : Hindi, Santali, Bengali, Urdu, Kurukh, Mundari, Ho and Odia. According to a survey, Khortha is the dominant mother-tongue in North Chotanagpur Division.
Economy
Livelihood
In Birni CD Block in 2011, amongst the class of total workers, cultivators numbered 34,044 and formed 45.82%, agricultural labourers numbered 20,281 and formed 27.30%, household industry workers numbered 1,774 and formed 2.39% and other workers numbered 18,199 and formed 24.49%. Total workers numbered 74,298 and formed 43.85% of the total population, and non-workers numbered 95,153 and formed 56.15% of the population. Note: In the census records a person is considered a cultivator, if the person is engaged in cultivation/ supervision of land owned. When a person who works on another person's land for wages in cash or kind or share, is regarded as an agricultural labourer. Household industry is defined as an industry conducted by one or more members of the family within the household or village, and one that does not qualify for registration as a factory under the Factories Act. Other workers are persons engaged in some economic activity other than cultivators, agricultural labourers and household workers. It includes factory, mining, plantation, transport and office workers, those engaged in business and commerce, teachers, entertainment artistes and so on.
Infrastructure
There are 172 inhabited villages in Birni CD Block. In 2011, 29 villages had power supply. No village had tap water, 168 villages had well water, 163 villages had hand pumps, and all villages had drinking water facility. 26 villages had post offices, 5 villages had a sub post office, 11 villages had telephones and 135 villages had mobile phone coverage. 171 villages had pucca village roads, 27 villages had bus service, 30 villages had autos/ modified autos, and 102 villages had tractors. 17 villages had bank branches, 4 villages had agricultural credit societies, no village had cinema/ video halls, no village had public library and public reading room. 72 villages had public distribution system, 16 villages had weekly haat and 81 villages had assemblypolling stations.
Agriculture
Hills occupy a large portion of Giridih district. The soil is generally rocky and sandy and that helps jungles and bushes to grow. The forest area, forming a large portion of total area, in the district is evenly distributed all over. Some areas near the rivers have alluvial soil. In Birni CD Block, the percentage of cultivable area to total area is 22.96%. The percentage of cultivable area to the total area for the district, as a whole, is 27.04%. Irrigation is inadequate. The percentage of irrigated area to cultivable area in Birni CD Block is 11.01%. May to October is the Kharif season, followed by the Rabi season. Rice, sown in 50% of the gross sown area, is the main crop in the district. Other important crops grown are: maize, wheat, sugar cane, pulses and vegetables.
Giridih district is listed as a backward region and receives financial support from the Backward Regions Grant Fund. The fund created by the Government of India is designed to redress regional imbalances in development. As of 2012, 272 districts across the country were listed under this scheme. The list includes 21 districts of Jharkhand.
Transport
Birni is on Suriya-Rajdhanwar Road.
Education
In 2011, amongst the 172 inhabited villages in Birni CD Block, 16 villages had no primary school, 119 villages had one primary school and 37 villages had more than one primary school. 85 villages had at least one primary school and one middle school. 13 villages had at least one middle school and one secondary school. Birni CD Block had 5 senior secondary schools.
Healthcare
In 2011, amongst the 172 inhabited villages in Birni CD Block, 1 village had community health centre, 1 village had primary health centre, 14 villages had primary health sub-centres, 3 villages had maternity and child welfare centres, 3 villages had allopathic hospitals, 9 villages had dispensaries, 2 villages had veterinary hospitals, 16 villages had medicine shop and 126 villages had no medical facilities.
