Tandlianwala Tehsil


Tandlianwala Tehsil is a town in Punjab, Pakistan. It is located 35 km from the city of Faisalabad and 44 km from Okara. It is a sub-division of Faisalabad District and has a Tehsil municipal administration.

History

Tandlianwala Tehsil was established as Mandi, meaning Market, during the colonization of west Punjab. In 1887, it was given the status of "sub tehsil". The town committee came into being during 1965. During 1966-1990, the town expanded rapidly because of the construction of a bridge over the Ravi River. Before the independence of Pakistan, the city was a food supply for villages in nearby areas. The old name of the city was Tandla Mandi, meaning Tandla Market.

Geography

Tandlianwala Tehsil stands in the rolling plains of northeast Punjab, between longitude 73°13 East and latitude 30°03 North, with an elevation of above sea level. The city covers an area of approximately, while the tehsil area covers more than.
The Ravi River flows about 9 km in the east, and is the main source of irrigation, meeting the requirements of 90% of cultivated land.
There are no natural boundaries between Tandlianwala and the adjoining tehsil & its districts. The city is bordered on the north by Faisalabad and on the east by Okara. In the south it is bordered by Sahiwal and Toba Tek Singh and on the west by Samundri.

Geology

Tandlianwala Tehsil is part of the alluvial plains, between the Himalayan foothills and the central core of the Indian subcontinent. The alluvial deposits are typically over a thousand feet thick. The scalloped interfluves are believed to have been formed during the Late Pleistocene period and feature flat-topped river terraces. These were later identified as old and young floodplains of the River Ravi on the Kamalia and Chenab Plains. The old floodplains consist of Holocene deposits from the River Ravi. There is also a small river passing through the center of the city.
The soil consists of young stratified silt loams or very fine sand loams which gave the subsoil a very weak structure with common kankers at only five feet. The course of the rivers within Tandlianwala Tehsil are winding and often subject to frequent alternations. In the rainy season, the currents are very strong. This leads to high floods in certain areas which last for a number of days. The Rakh and Gogera canals have changed the water levels in the district however the belt on the River Ravi has remained narrow. The river bed includes the river channels which have shifted the sand bars and low sandy levees leading to river erosion.

Demographics

As per the Population Census Report of 1998, the town is spread over an area of 1284 Square Kilometers with a total population of 5,40,802 which has increased by 702,733 by 2017, indicating that the growth rate of the city is 3.37 percent per annum. Before the partition there was a majority of Sikh & Hindus in the city, most of whom then migrated to India. After the partition, the settlement of Muslim refugees from East Punjab and Haryana people increased, hailing from India. There are other two urban localities in Tandlianwala Municipal committee: Mamoon Kanjan and Kanjwani. The city has 28 Union Councils in total, with 3 Urban Councils and 25 Rural Union Councils.
There is a police force in the city which was established in 1905 by British settlers, covering an area of 680 sq. kilometres. There are four police stations: City Tandlianwala, Sadar Tandlianwala, Police Station Garh and Police Station Bahlak Thana.

Religion and ethnic groups

The majority religion is Islam, making up 98% of the city with small minorities of Christians and others, mainly Sikhs and Ahmadis. The majority of Muslims belong to the Sunni, Hanafi, and Barelvi schools of thought with a minority of Shiites. The castes in the city and villages are: Gujjar, Kharal, Wattoo, Syed, Jatts, Arain, Awan, Baloch, Sipra, Bhatti, Bhutta, Butt, Chishti, Gill, Jalahe, Khichchi, Khokhar, Kumhar, Lodhi, Malik, Maachhi, Mirasi, Parache, Dhobi, Qasayi, Qureshi, Rajput, Rane, Rao, Rawal, Sheikh, Sherazi, Sial, Syyid, Tiwane, Toor, Warraich, Sudrech and others.

Climate

Tandlianwala Tehsil has a hot desert climate in the Köppen-Geiger classification. The climate of the city & Tehsil area can see extreme temperatures, with a summer maximum temperature and a winter temperature of. The mean maximum and minimum temperature in summer are and respectively. In winter it peaks at around and drops to, on average.
The summer season starts in April and continues until October. May, June and July are the hottest months. The winter season starts from November and continues until March. December, January and February are the coldest months. The average yearly rainfall lies only at about and is highly seasonal with approximately half of the yearly rainfall in the two months of July and August.

Sports

Tandlianwala Tehsil has a lot of sports like Cricket, Football and Volley Ball. The boys of Tandlianwala Tehsil commonly play cricket during the evening in various places, mostly at the grounds of MC High School, also known locally as the Doonga Ground.
There is also a cricket & hockey stadium under construction, which will be built to the national standard level.

Agriculture

The city is well known because of high quality of sugarcane produced there. It has two sugar mills and dozen of cotton factories, rice factories and flour mills. The city is traditionally known for pure Desi Ghee, though it is rare now.
The people of this city had an active part in the struggle for the independence of Pakistan. The city was originally developed around a grain market. Its police force was established as early as 1905 and prior to that only a police checkpost existed.
Politically, it is one of the most prominent Tehsils of Faisalabad District. Mian Manzoor Wattoo, a former chief minister of Punjab was elected from this constituency in 1993, while he lost in his home constituency.

Economics

Tandlianwala is home to a major grain, whole corn & sugar market. Mahi Chowk is the main commercial market of the city. Other markets in the city include Ghala Mandi, Rail Bazar, Nehar Bazar, Naya Bazar, Anarkali Bazar, Quaid-e-Azam Road, Faisalabad Road, etc.
Major banks and offices in Tandlianwala Tehsil:
  1. National Bank of Pakistan
  2. Bank of Punjab
  3. Zarai Taraqiati Bank Limited
  4. Habib Bank Limited
  5. Allied Bank Limited
  6. MCB Bank Limited
  7. United Bank Limited
  8. TCS Courier Limited

    Transport

Bilal Shaheed Park, which is named after Captain Bilal Shaheed of Tandlianwala Tehsil, who fought during the 1971 India-Pakistan war and was decorated with Sitara-e-Jurrat, a Pakistan Military award. There are several graves of famous saints: Peer Faiz Muhammad Shah Bukhari of Athwal, Peer Rustam Ali Shah, Peer Qandhari Baba Noor Shah and Bawa Ji Hajji Munir Ahmed Qadri lived in the city and buried are near Chak No. 412 GB. There is also a grave of the famous Saint Peer Syed Mir Ahmad Shah, also known as Chiryanwali Sarkar. His grave is located at Kachcha Tandla.
Another name which has appeared in recent years is "Talal Safir", a music artist who introduced Tandlianwala Tehsil across the world.