LOCATION AND AREA

Nawapara district located in western part of Orissa, lies between 20 degrees 0' N and 21 degrees 5' No latitudes and between 82 degrees 20' E and 82 degrees 40' E longitudes. Its boundaries extend in the north, west and south to Raipur district in Madhya Pradesh and in the east to Bargarh, Balangir and Kalahandi districts. This district is spread over in an area of 3407.5 sq.kms. and the administrative headquarters is located at Nuapada.

The plains of Nawapara sub-division fringed by rugged hill ranges stretch southward, which belong to the main line of the Eastern Ghats and contain extensive plateaus of about 4000 ft. in elevation with long tropical grass grown over them. They contain such mineral deposits of laterite, graphite and bauxite.

The hill sides rising up precipitously from the plains are covered with dense sal forests. The forests of the district are managed under Forest Division namely Khariar Division. According to their composition, the forests can be classified into sal forests, teak forests, miscellaneous forests where sal, teak and other species occur in mixture and bamboo forest. All these are situated in the dry deciduous forest zone. Timber is by far the major forest produce and sal is no doubt, a major constituent of these products. Other important species are bija, asan, bandhan and teak. Among the minor forest produces of this region are kendu leaf, bamboo, broom-grass, mohua flower and seed, antia bark and sabai-grass. Timber, bamboo and kendu leaf are the main exports outside the state.

RIVERS, CANALS AND WATERWAYS
Jonk is the principal river of the district, which is often subjected to floods. Silda, Sundar, Khohjharia, Indra and Udanti are the hill streams found in the district. These are perennial in nature and reduced almost to tiny streams in their lower reaches; particularly in the months between February and June.

TOWNS, VILLAGES AND AMENITIES
The district is at present comprised of one sub-division, two tahasils, five Community Development Block and 102 Gram Panchayats. It has two towns and 659 villages. The sex-ratio, i.e. females per 1000 males of the district as per 1991 census is 1002 as against the state average sex-ratio of 971.

COMMUNICATIONS
A ailway line from Vizianagaram on the South-Eastern Railways passes through the district on its way to Raipur (Madhya Pradesh). It is a broad gauge railway line and was opened to traffic in 1932. It enters the district on upper eastern point in Nuapada P.S., the first station in the district being Lakhna. After going north for some distance it finally leaves the district and enters Madhya Pradesh. Khariar Road is the main railhead for the district. The district is not adequately served by the road communication. It does not fall on the alignment of any of the National Highways. State Highway No.3 passes through this district and it maintains direct communication with the adjoining districts apart from all the important places within the district. The state transport buses ply on all the routes.