West Garo Hills district is located in the western-most part of the
State of Meghalaya. The district headquarters of West Garo Hills is
Tura, which is the second largest town in the State after Shillong.
The
West Garo Hills district lies on the western part of the state of
Meghalaya bounded by the East Garo Hills district on the east, the South
Garo Hills on the south-east, the Goalpara district of Assam on the
north and north-west and Bangladesh on the south.
Flaura and Fauna
The district is nature's wonderland and is blessed with beautiful hills, crystal clear rivers, streams & water falls, green virgin forest and a wide variety of flora & fauna.
The
district has a rich and unique flora and it is supposed to be the
original home of the Citrus. The majority of the forests found in the
district are Dilma, Dhima, Chimabangsi, Rajasimla Ildek, Darugre,
Rongrenggre, Songsak, Siju, Rewak, Emangre, baghmara, Phulbari,
Rongmatchokgre, Rongchugre, Singimari.
The fauna is also very wide, enormous variety of species and mammals are seen in the district.
Important Rivers
The important rivers flowing through the district are Someswari, Jinjiram, Kalu, Didak, Bogai, Rongai, Dareng or Nitai.
Attractions
Tura
Peak, Bhaitbari, Kata Beel, Darga of Hazrat Shah Kamal Baba, Nokrek,
Mir Jumla’s Tomb, Arbella Peak, Rongbang Dare, Sasatgre, Asanangre
Tura peak
Tura is the district headquarters of the West Garo Hills district. The place is the largest
town in the Garo hills region of the state. Tura Peak is a grand hill
on the eastern side of Tura. The Tura Peak is 872mts above the sea level
overlooking Tura. A tourist-bungalow, an observatory and a
Cinchona-plantation are located at Tura Peak and its environs.
A magnificent view of the lower Brahmaputra Valley as well as the
golden yellow plains of Bangladesh is available all year round to
viewers on Tura Peak.
Nokrek biosphere
Nokrek
Biosphere is just 2 km from Tura peak. The place is bestowed with a
plethora of wild life. Nokrek hill is the home of a very rare species of
citrus locally known as ‘memang narang’ - orange of the spirits.
Nokrek Peak
Nokrek Peak is the highest point of the Garo Hills region of the State. Nokrek Peak is 1412 mts above sea level.
Imilchang Dare
Imilchang Dare is a waterfall blessed with enormous beauty. It is situated near the Tura-Chokpot Road in the West Garo Hills district. The place is an ideal picnic spot.
The fall has a deep, wide pool at the bottom which makes the fall an exciting swimming pool.
Chibragre
Chibragre is an ideal picnic spot; it lies at the confluence of Rongram and Ganol rivers. Chibragre is 9 km from Tura.
Facts & Figures
| Year of formation |
1979 |
| Area |
3714 Sq. Km |
| Latitude |
90° 30' and 89° 40' E |
| Longitude |
26° and 25° 20' N |
| Population (2001) |
5, 18,390 |
| No. of Sub-Division |
3 |
| No. of Blocks |
08 |
| No. of Towns |
01 |
| Average rainfall |
3300 mm |
| Postal Code |
794001 |
| STD Code |
3651 |
How to reach
By Air
Helicopter services are available from Tura the District headquarters to Shillong and Guwahati.
By Rail
The nearest railway station is at Guwahati, capital of Assam. Guwahati is 220km. from the district headquarter Tura.
By Road
Tura,
the headquarters of the district, is well connected by road with other
places in the district as well as with the rest of the Meghalaya and
Assam
Shillong the capital of the State is at a distance of 323 km from Tura.
Regular day and night bus services are also available from Tura to Guwahati (220 km).
There are also regular bus services
connecting Tura to Siliguri, a city in North Bengal. Also the place is
connected to Dhubri in Assam by road and river transport.
The
National Highway 51 connects Paikan on National Highway 37 in Assam with
Tura, the district headquarter which extends further to Dalu, near the
Bangladesh border.