Valsad district is located in the state of Gujarat. The district has 5 talukas, of which the major ones are Valsad (District Headquarter), Pardi and Umargam. Vapi located in Pardi taluka, is an important hub for chemical based industries. The area of Valsad district is 2,939 sq. km. As per 2001 census, the population of the district is 1,410,553 with a population density of 423 persons per sq. km. Some of the major tourist destinations in the district are Fire Temple, Daman and Lady Wilson Museum.
Geography of Valsad District
Geographical location of Valsad district is 20.07 degree to 21.05 degree North (Latitude) and 72.73 degree to 73 degree East (Longitude). Damanganga, Paar, Auranga, Kolak, Taan and Maan are the main rivers which flow through this district. Average rainfall here is 2000 mm.
Education in Valsad District
There are around 990 primary and 161 secondary and higher secondary schools in Valsad district. ITIs of the district offer several industrial training programs which includes, fitting, armature and information technology, motor rewinding, electrician, and electronic system maintenance etc. One Government polytechnic College is present in the district offering courses in civil, electrical, mechanical, chemical, and plastic engineering. There is one Degree Engineering College present in Valsad offering engineering courses in mechanical and chemical branches.
Economy of Valsad District
Valsad is an industrial base for sectors such as chemicals, textiles, and paper and pulp industries. Since 1980`s, Textile and Chemicals have been the most important sectors of investments and employment in the district. Valsad is emerging as a horticulture hub of the State, witnessing significant production in food grains and crops. With over three hundred medium and large scale industries, Vapi is a major industrial center in Valsad witnessing tremendous business activities. Over 10,716 units of small and medium enterprises (SMEs), involved in diverse sectors, such as textiles, chemicals, engineering, and paper industry etc., are present in the district.
Tourism in Valsad District
Valsad district has quite a few places of tourist interest. Built in 1742, the Fire Temple at Udawada, which is also known as Mecca for the Parsi community in India, makes the place a famous pilgrimage center throughout the world. Dharampur is surrounded on three sides by the Sahyadri Mountains which grace the town with pleasant climate throughout the year. The collection at the Lady Wilson Museum in Dharampur includes tribal art and articrafts that highlights the local culture. Proximity of Valsad with Daman and Diu, has increased the graph of tourist flow in the district.
How to reach Valsad District
By Road:
Road connectivity with major industrial centres in the State are Ahmedabad (345 km), Rajkot (528 km), Jamnagar (616 km), Ankleshwar (150 km), Bhavnagar (514 km), Mehsana (419 km), Surat (77 km) and Gandhinagar (373 km). Distance of Valsad from major Indian cities is: Delhi (1,095 km), Mumbai (221 km), Hyderabad (781 km), Kolkata (1,709 km) and Chennai (1,328 km).
By Rail:
The district is well connected with Ahmedabad, Mumbai and Delhi with the rail line of Western Railways.
By Air:
Nearest airport is at Surat, which operates flights to Jaipur, Ahmedabad and Delhi.