Doaba
Doaba, also known as Bist Doab or Jalandhar Doab, is the region in Punjab, India, lying between the Beas River and the Sutlej River.[1][2] The term "Doaba" derives from the Persian words do āb, meaning "two waters" or "land between two rivers," reflecting its position as an interfluve tract bounded by these confluent rivers.[2] This fertile upland plain, characterized by clay loam or loamy soils, spans approximately 8,915 square kilometers and includes the districts of Jalandhar, Hoshiarpur, and Kapurthala, with major urban centers such as Jalandhar and Hoshiarpur.[2] It supports a population exceeding four million, making it one of Punjab's most densely populated areas.[2] Agriculture dominates the economy, with traditional crop rotations including paddy-wheat, maize-wheat, and fodder-wheat, leveraging the region's alluvial fertility and irrigation from the rivers.[3] Doaba holds historical significance in Sikh tradition, serving as a recruiting ground for warriors and linked to Guru Nanak through sites like Sultanpur Lodhi.[2]Geography
Location and Physical Features
Doaba, also known as Bist Doab, is the geographic region of Punjab, India, situated between the Beas River to the east and the Sutlej River to the west.[4][5] This interfluve spans an area of approximately 8,915 square kilometers and includes the districts of Jalandhar, Kapurthala, Hoshiarpur, and Shaheed Bhagat Singh Nagar (formerly Nawanshahr).[2][6] The region forms part of the broader Indo-Gangetic alluvial plain, with its northern boundary approaching the Shivalik Hills and the Himalayas.[2] Physically, Doaba consists of fertile upland plains characterized by flat to gently undulating terrain, ideal for intensive agriculture.[2] Near the rivers, low-lying khadir floodplains prone to seasonal inundation alternate with higher bhangar lands, which are better drained and support denser settlement.[7] The soil is predominantly alluvial, deposited by the Beas and Sutlej over millennia, contributing to the region's high productivity despite occasional waterlogging issues in depressions.[5] Elevations range from about 200 to 300 meters above sea level, with no significant hills except subtle rises toward the northeast.[8]Rivers, Soil Fertility, and Climate
The Doaba region is delineated by the Beas River on its eastern boundary and the Sutlej River on its western boundary, with the two rivers converging at Harike Pattan in Tarn Taran district.[9] The Beas River originates in the Himalayas near Rohtang Pass in Himachal Pradesh and flows approximately 470 kilometers westward through Punjab before merging with the Sutlej.[10] The Sutlej, the longest river in Punjab at about 1,450 kilometers, rises from Rakshastal Lake in Tibet and traverses the region, providing perennial water flow essential for irrigation.[11] These rivers, along with tributaries such as the Kali Bein, deposit nutrient-rich alluvial sediments during seasonal floods, historically enhancing agricultural productivity in the interfluve.[12] Soil in Doaba predominantly consists of loamy sand and sandy loam textures, formed from the fluvial deposits of the bounding rivers, which support intensive cropping but exhibit low to medium inherent fertility without amendments.[13] Soil pH ranges from neutral (around 6.3) to slightly alkaline (up to 7.9), with electrical conductivity typically low (0.02-0.64 dS/m), though prolonged irrigation and fertilizer use have induced nutrient imbalances, including deficiencies in nitrogen and zinc, and reduced organic carbon content—only 6.9% of Punjab soils remain high in organic matter as of 2024.[14][15] These alluvial soils, while initially fertile due to siltation, face degradation from over-exploitation, leading to decreased production capacity without sustainable management.[16] The climate of Doaba is subtropical continental, characterized by extreme seasonal variations: summers with maximum temperatures reaching 42°C (108°F) from May to June, and winters with minima dropping to 8°C (46°F) or below from December to February. Annual precipitation averages 1,125 mm in eastern districts like Hoshiarpur, with approximately 75% concentrated in the monsoon period from July to September, supporting kharif crops but contributing to occasional flooding in low-lying areas.[17] This rainfall pattern, higher than Punjab's state average of 535 mm, derives from southwest monsoons influenced by the region's proximity to the Shivalik hills, though groundwater depletion from over-irrigation exacerbates vulnerability to dry spells outside the wet season.[18]History
Pre-Colonial and Sikh Era
The Jalandhar Doab, encompassing the Doaba region, featured early urbanization and served as part of the Trigarta kingdom in ancient times, with Jalandhar emerging as a key center linked to Vedic-era settlements and later Buddhist viharas numbering around 50 in the area. [19] During the Mughal period from the 16th century, the region fell under the Subah of Lahore, where Emperor Akbar restructured it as the Jalandhar Doab Sarkar around 1570 to streamline revenue assessment and local governance through jagirdari assignments.[20] Mughal policies fostered agricultural expansion via improved irrigation canals and road links, boosting the doab's fertility between the Beas and Sutlej rivers, though local autonomy persisted under governors amid periodic rebellions.[21] After Aurangzeb's death in 1707, which fragmented Mughal control and divided Punjab into doabs including Jalandhar with 69 mahals, Sikh forces gained ground in Doaba through guerrilla campaigns against imperial and Afghan rulers. Banda Singh Bahadur's uprising in 1710 saw Doaba Sikhs join Majha and Malwa contingents to sack Sirhind, executing Wazir Khan and weakening central authority over the region.[22] By the mid-18th century, Sikh misls dominated: the Ahluwalia Misl under Jassa Singh Ahluwalia controlled Kapurthala and adjoining territories in the Jalandhar Doab from the 1740s, while the Dallewalia Misl established bases around Rahon, and the Ramgarhia Misl held forts across the doab, collectively securing sovereignty through confederate raids and defenses against invasions.[23] [24] Maharaja Ranjit Singh's consolidation from 1801 incorporated Doaba's misls into the Sikh Empire by 1813, with the Ahluwalia state submitting to his overlordship while retaining internal rule under Fateh Singh Ahluwalia.[25] The region supplied Jat Sikh recruits to the empire's multi-ethnic army, benefiting from revenue reforms and military infrastructure that stabilized the area until Ranjit Singh's death in 1839, after which internal strife preceded British intervention.[26]British Colonial Period and Partition
The Jalandhar Doab, encompassing the modern Doaba region, was annexed by the British East India Company in 1846 at the conclusion of the First Anglo-Sikh War, with the territory ceded between the Sutlej and Beas rivers.[27] John Lawrence was appointed the first Commissioner of the Jalandhar Doab in 1846, administering the area directly under the Supreme Government until 1848, after which it fell under the Resident at Lahore.[28][27] Military cantonments were established at Jalandhar, Phillaur, Nakodar, and Kartarpur to secure British control amid lingering Sikh resistance.[27] The full Punjab province, including Doaba, was incorporated into British India following the Second Anglo-Sikh War and annexation in 1849, introducing systematic land revenue assessments that prioritized agricultural taxation while maintaining local jagirdari structures in districts like Hoshiarpur.[28] Infrastructure developments under British rule enhanced connectivity and economic exploitation in Doaba. Rail lines opened from Beas to Jalandhar in 1869 and extended to Phillaur by 1870, facilitating troop movements and commodity transport.[27] Bridges across the Beas in 1869 and Sutlej in 1870 further integrated the Doaba with the broader Punjab network.[27] While the region's alluvial soils supported perennial irrigation from rivers, British efforts focused less on extensive canal colonies here compared to western Punjab, relying instead on natural fertility for cash crops like wheat and cotton; limited enhancements came via distributaries of the Upper Bari Doab Canal system, which bordered Doaba to the west.[29] Social interventions included addressing female infanticide among Rajput communities through a 1853 conference, leading to regulatory measures by 1856.[28] Doaba's Sikhs, facing land pressures, were among the earliest to emigrate overseas, with migrations to Canada and the United States commencing in the late 19th century, often as laborers or soldiers in British Indian regiments.[2] The Partition of India in 1947 profoundly disrupted Doaba's demographics amid Punjab's broader communal violence. The British Parliament's Indian Independence Act, passed in July 1947, divided Punjab along religious lines, with Doaba—predominantly Sikh and Hindu—allocated to India, while Muslim-majority areas went to Pakistan.[28][27] This triggered mass migrations, with nearly all Muslims from East Punjab districts like Jalandhar and Hoshiarpur relocating to West Punjab (now Pakistan), particularly Faisalabad, reducing East Punjab's Muslim share from around 37% pre-partition to under 1% by late 1947.[27] In exchange, Hindus and Sikhs from western Punjab resettled in Doaba, exacerbating local riots and displacement; Jalandhar experienced communal clashes and minority exodus, contributing to Punjab-wide figures of over 10 million uprooted and 0.5–1 million deaths from violence.[27] Independence on 15 August 1947 marked the end of British rule, but partition's legacy included strained resources and altered land ownership in the fertile Doaba tracts.[28][27]Post-Independence Developments
Following India's independence in 1947 and the partition of Punjab, the Doaba region absorbed a significant influx of Sikh refugees from western Punjab, necessitating extensive resettlement efforts that redistributed land and integrated new populations into the agrarian economy.[30] These demographic shifts, coupled with state-led rehabilitation programs, laid the groundwork for accelerated agricultural modernization in the fertile alluvial plains between the Beas and Sutlej rivers.[31] The advent of the Green Revolution in the mid-1960s profoundly transformed Doaba's agriculture, introducing high-yielding wheat varieties, chemical fertilizers, and expanded canal irrigation, which boosted productivity from traditional levels of around 1.2 tons per hectare to over 2.5 tons by the early 1970s.[32] This shift, supported by Punjab's canal network covering much of Doaba, positioned the region as a cornerstone of India's food security, with wheat and rice dominating cropping patterns and enabling surplus production for national procurement. However, intensive farming practices led to groundwater depletion and soil degradation over subsequent decades, with Doaba's water table dropping by up to 1 meter annually in some areas by the 2000s.[33] [34] Industrial development accelerated post-independence, particularly in Jalandhar, which emerged as a major center for small-scale manufacturing, including sports goods, hand tools, and leather products, with over 5,000 units by the 1980s contributing significantly to exports.[35] In Kapurthala, the establishment of the Rail Coach Factory in 1986 spurred ancillary industries and employment, while Hoshiarpur saw growth in textiles and agro-processing.[36] These clusters benefited from proximity to raw materials and labor, though challenges like power shortages and competition from neighboring states prompted some migration of units in the 2010s.[37] Socially, the Green Revolution facilitated upward mobility among communities like Rajput Sikhs in Doaba, shifting from subsistence farming to mechanized operations and diversified incomes, alongside rising literacy rates exceeding 75% by 2001.[31] Dalit groups also transitioned from agricultural labor to government jobs and small enterprises, reflecting broader caste dynamics influenced by affirmative action policies.[38] Urbanization intensified, with cities like Jalandhar expanding as educational hubs, exemplified by institutions such as Lovely Professional University founded in 2005, underscoring Doaba's evolving role in higher education and skilled migration.[39]Demographics
Population Statistics and Density
The Doaba region, comprising the districts of Jalandhar, Hoshiarpur, and Kapurthala in Punjab, India, recorded a total population of 4,595,383 in the 2011 census, the most recent comprehensive enumeration available.[40][41][42] This figure reflects a decadal growth rate averaging around 9-12% across the districts from 2001 to 2011, lower than Punjab's statewide rate of 13.89%, attributable to emigration trends and below-replacement fertility in rural areas.[40][41] Projections based on state-level trends estimate the combined population at approximately 5.05 million by 2025, though district-specific updates remain unverified post-2011.[43] Population distribution varies significantly, with Jalandhar hosting over 47% of the region's residents, driven by urban agglomeration around its eponymous city. Hoshiarpur remains predominantly rural, while Kapurthala balances smaller urban pockets with agricultural hinterlands. The following table summarizes key 2011 census data:| District | Population | Area (km²) | Density (per km²) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jalandhar | 2,193,590 | 2,624 | 836 |
| Hoshiarpur | 1,586,625 | 3,386 | 469 |
| Kapurthala | 815,168 | 1,633 | 499 |
| Total | 4,595,383 | 7,643 | 601 |
Religious, Caste, and Linguistic Composition
The Doaba region, encompassing the districts of Jalandhar, Hoshiarpur, Kapurthala, and Shaheed Bhagat Singh Nagar, exhibits a religious composition distinct from Punjab's overall Sikh-majority profile, with Hindus forming the plurality or slim majority as of the 2011 census. In Jalandhar district, Hindus comprised 63.56% of the population (approximately 1.39 million out of 2.19 million), followed by Sikhs at around 33%. Hoshiarpur district recorded Hindus at 63.07% (about 1 million out of 1.59 million), with Sikhs constituting the next largest group at roughly 35%. Kapurthala bucked this trend with Sikhs at 55.66% (453,692 out of 815,168) and Hindus at 41.23% (336,124). Shaheed Bhagat Singh Nagar showed Hindus dominant in its tehsils, such as 78.45% in Nawanshahr tehsil, contributing to an estimated district-wide Hindu share exceeding 60%. Aggregating across these districts' roughly 5.2 million residents, Hindus numbered over 3 million (about 58-60%), Sikhs around 2 million (38-40%), and smaller minorities including Muslims (1-2%), Christians (under 1%), and others. This Hindu predominance stems from historical settlement patterns and lower Sikh conversion rates among certain communities in the region compared to Malwa. Caste demographics in Doaba reflect Punjab's broader agrarian and artisanal hierarchies but with elevated Scheduled Caste (SC) representation, exceeding 40% of the population—higher than the state average of 31.9%. Dominant SC groups include Chamars (leather workers, often Ad-Dharmis or Ravidasis) and Chuhras (including Balmikis and Mazhabis), who together account for over 80% of the region's SCs and are concentrated in Doaba due to colonial-era labor migrations and land scarcity pushing upper castes elsewhere. Jat Sikhs, typically landowners, form a key non-SC group but are less numerically dominant here than in Majha or Malwa; instead, artisan castes like Ramgarhias (carpenters), Kumhars (potters), and Lohars (blacksmiths) hold prominence, often aligning with urban trades. Other Backward Classes (OBCs) such as Sainis and Gujjars add to the diversity, while upper castes like Khatris and Aroras are urbanized and commercially oriented. This SC heft influences local politics, with parties courting Dalit votes amid persistent caste tensions over resources and affirmative action. Linguistically, Doaba is overwhelmingly Punjabi-speaking, with the local variant known as Doabi (or Bist Doabi) prevailing across rural and urban areas. This eastern Punjabi dialect, named for the "land of two rivers," features distinct phonology (e.g., softer consonants and vowel shifts from Majhi standard), grammar, and vocabulary influenced by proximity to Pahari tongues in the north and Malwai in the south, yet remains mutually intelligible with standard Punjabi. Nearly 95-98% of residents report Punjabi as their mother tongue per census patterns, though urban Hindus may code-switch with Hindi or English due to media exposure and migration ties. Literacy and media reinforce Gurmukhi-script Punjabi, but Doabi's oral traditions persist in folk songs (boliyan) and proverbs, distinguishing it from the sharper Majhi of Majha or the rustic Malwai.Economy
Agricultural Sector
The agricultural sector in Doaba, encompassing districts such as Jalandhar, Kapurthala, Hoshiarpur, and Shaheed Bhagat Singh Nagar, benefits from alluvial Inceptisols soils deposited by the Sutlej and Beas rivers, enabling high cropping intensity and productivity in a rice-wheat dominated system.[47] Covering approximately 6,402 km², the region features predominantly loamy sand textures, with sand content up to 81.2% in areas like Hoshiarpur, supporting deep root penetration and water retention suitable for intensive irrigation.[47][14] Nearly 100% of cultivable land is irrigated through canal networks and tubewells, sustaining multiple cropping cycles despite declining groundwater tables from overuse.[48][49] Soil fertility parameters vary, with organic carbon levels generally low to medium (0.09%-0.77%), nitrogen low to moderate (142-376 kg/ha), phosphorus medium to high (4.4-60 kg/ha), and potassium low to high (14-397 kg/ha), reflecting depletion from continuous monocropping post-Green Revolution.[47] Average yields reach 6.0 tons/ha for rice and 4.7 tons/ha for wheat, outperforming many Punjab sub-regions due to the alluvial base, though pH shifts from slightly acidic (5.0) to alkaline (up to 9.3) and non-saline electrical conductivity (0.16-1.9 mmhos/cm) indicate emerging imbalances from chemical inputs.[47] Sugarcane thrives in water-abundant pockets, contributing to Punjab's overall output, while diversification into potatoes positions Doaba as Punjab's primary seed potato hub, with its top three districts accounting for 51.7% of state production as of 2025.[50] Challenges include groundwater overexploitation, with tubewell density exacerbating depletion rates of 0.5-1 meter annually in parts of Doaba, alongside soil desertification from unsustainable practices like residue burning and excessive fertilizers.[47][47] Efforts to restore fertility emphasize crop residue incorporation and precision techniques, yielding up to 13.6% improvements in select trials, though systemic shifts toward diversified rotations remain limited by market incentives favoring staples.Industrial and Commercial Activities
The industrial sector in Doaba, encompassing districts such as Jalandhar, Hoshiarpur, and Kapurthala, is dominated by micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs) focused on manufacturing, with Jalandhar serving as the primary hub. Key industries include sports goods, hand tools, leather products, surgical instruments, auto components, textiles, and food processing, supported by skilled artisanal labor and export-oriented clusters. In Jalandhar, 20,042 registered MSMEs employ 134,280 workers, alongside 17 medium and large units providing 4,759 jobs; prominent clusters feature hand tools (350 units generating ₹800 crore annual turnover and 13,050 jobs) and sports goods production in a 52.75-acre complex with 196 plots.[51] Hoshiarpur's 6,480 registered units, including 3,242 MSMEs, emphasize textiles, wooden furniture, chemicals, rubber products, and tractor/auto parts, employing 31,501 in the SME sector and 15,050 in larger industries.[52] Kapurthala hosts 4,305 MSMEs employing 22,678, plus five large units like the Rail Coach Factory, JCT textile mills, and sugar/starch processors such as Sukhjit Starch & Chemicals, with a foundry cluster of 200 units supporting 4,000 jobs.[36] Commercial activities complement industry through trade in manufactured exports, agricultural inputs/outputs, and ancillary services like engineering workshops and transportation, though quantitative data remains tied to industrial metrics. Jalandhar's leather complex spans 222.3 acres with tanneries and finishing units, facilitating domestic and international commerce in footwear and goods.[53] Phagwara in Kapurthala contributes to textile fabrics, glucose, and starch trading, while Hoshiarpur's potential in milk products and steel furniture underscores emerging commercial linkages to agro-processing. Growth prospects include auto parts, confectionery, and wooden products, driven by regional infrastructure like 11 industrial areas in Jalandhar, all fully allotted.[51][52] These sectors leverage Doaba's strategic location for northern Indian markets but face challenges from Punjab's broader industrial stagnation outside agriculture.[54]Culture and Society
Linguistic Dialects and Traditions
The predominant language of the Doaba region is Punjabi, spoken primarily in the Doabi dialect, a regional variant associated with the area between the Beas and Sutlej rivers. This dialect prevails in districts including Jalandhar, Hoshiarpur, Kapurthala, and Shaheed Bhagat Singh Nagar, where it serves as the medium for daily communication, education, and cultural expression.[55][56] Doabi exhibits phonological, grammatical, and lexical distinctions from standard Majhi Punjabi, such as reduced occurrence of initial consonant clusters and unique prosodic features in isolated words, as identified through comparative acoustic analysis.[55] For instance, the standard Punjabi term vichkār (meaning "meanwhile" or "in between") corresponds to gabbē in Doabi, reflecting morphological adaptations observed in native speech patterns from areas like Hoshiarpur.[56] Bilingual dictionaries document approximately 1,350 such lexical variations, supporting computational conversion systems with up to 94% accuracy for Doabi-to-standard mappings based on tests involving 12,000 words.[56] These differences underscore Doabi's ties to local geography and community usage, though standardization efforts often prioritize Majhi forms in formal writing using the Gurmukhi script. Linguistic traditions in Doaba emphasize oral transmission, with the dialect embedded in folklore, village narratives, and recitations that capture agricultural rhythms, social roles, and historical upheavals like the 1947 Partition.[57] Accounts preserved in regional Punjabi literature depict everyday idioms through characters engaging in boastful tales or Gurbani verses during communal activities, such as sewing or celebrations, highlighting resilience and nostalgia in 1970s rural life.[57] These elements, drawn from mirasi (hereditary storyteller) practices and family lore, reinforce communal identity but face erosion from urbanization and migration, prompting documentation in theses like those comparing Doabi syntax since 2007.[56]Social Structure and Education
The social structure of Doaba reflects Punjab's broader caste dynamics, tempered by the region's relatively higher urbanization and industrialization, with Jat Sikhs forming the dominant agrarian and political elite in rural areas, comprising about 19-20% of the state's population overall but exerting disproportionate influence through land ownership and community networks. Scheduled Castes, including Chamars (Ravidasis) and Mazhabis, constitute over 35% of the population in key Doaba districts like Jalandhar and Hoshiarpur—exceeding the state average of 31.9%—and have achieved greater economic diversification through migration to urban centers and abroad, though caste-based endogamy and occasional conflicts persist despite Sikhism's formal egalitarianism.[58][38] Artisan and trading castes, such as Ramgarhias and Khatris, are prominent in urban pockets, contributing to a more fluid social hierarchy compared to Punjab's Majha or Malwa regions, where Jat dominance is more entrenched.[59] Education in Doaba benefits from historical early investments in schooling, yielding literacy rates above the state average of 75.84% as per 2011 census data, with districts like Hoshiarpur reporting 84.6% overall (88.8% male, 80.1% female).[60][17] Rural-urban literacy disparities are negligible across Doaba's Jalandhar, Kapurthala, Hoshiarpur, and SBS Nagar districts, and gender gaps remain moderate, though Scheduled Caste communities, while literate at rates higher than the state Dalit average, still lag behind upper castes due to socioeconomic factors.[61][62] The region hosts major institutions, including Lovely Professional University in Phagwara, which enrolls over 30,000 students annually and emphasizes technical and professional courses, alongside engineering colleges in Jalandhar and agricultural universities contributing to the area's skilled workforce.[38]Migration Patterns and Diaspora Influence
The Doaba region has exhibited pronounced emigration patterns since the mid-20th century, primarily driven by fragmented landholdings post-Partition and limited local economic opportunities in agriculture-dominated rural areas. Migration commenced notably in the 1950s from districts such as Jalandhar and Hoshiarpur to the United Kingdom, predominantly involving Sikh males seeking industrial employment.[63] [64] Subsequent waves expanded to Canada, the United States, and Gulf countries, with early 20th-century precedents to America from the same core districts.[65] In contemporary surveys of rural Punjab, approximately 11.27% of Doaba households report at least one international emigrant, with 85% of migrants being male and patterns favoring destinations like Canada for skilled and student visas alongside irregular "donkey routes" to the West.[66] [64] Emigration encompasses Jat Sikhs from landowning backgrounds and Dalits pursuing social mobility, though upper-caste networks historically dominate transnational channels.[67] [68] The Punjabi diaspora from Doaba exerts substantial influence through remittances, which sustain 59% of recipient households as a primary income source, fostering investments in housing, education, and local infrastructure.[69] [70] Between 2003 and 2008, non-resident Indians (NRIs) from Doaba villages channeled over ₹1,600 crore in philanthropic contributions, bolstering rural economies during peak return seasons when NRI spending accounts for up to 75% of local activity in affected areas.[71] [72] These flows reinforce caste-based social structures, as upper-caste transnationalism amplifies dominance via resource allocation, while Dalit emigrants leverage remittances for upward mobility and community empowerment.[68] [67] However, diaspora ties also exacerbate local challenges, including family disruptions for left-behind wives—who gain enhanced decision-making roles—and dependency on borrowed funds for migration, with Punjab-wide loans exceeding ₹14,342 crore amid declining per-migrant remittances in recent years.[73] [74] Overall, Doaba's migration-development nexus underscores bidirectional economic and cultural linkages, though skewed by caste dynamics and global policy shifts.[75]Administration and Infrastructure
Administrative Districts and Sub-Divisions
The Doaba region is administratively covered by four districts in the Indian state of Punjab: Jalandhar, Kapurthala, Hoshiarpur, and Shaheed Bhagat Singh Nagar (formerly Nawanshahr). These districts, which together span approximately 7,500 square kilometers, fall under the Jalandhar Revenue Division and handle local governance, revenue collection, and development through sub-divisions known as tehsils, along with sub-tehsils and community development blocks. Tehsils serve as key units for land records, elections, and judicial functions, with each overseen by a tehsildar.[76][17] Jalandhar district, the largest in the region by population with over 2.1 million residents as of the 2011 census, is divided into five tehsils: Jalandhar-I, Jalandhar-II, Nakodar, Phillaur, and Shahkot, plus five sub-tehsils including Adampur, Bhogpur, Goraya, Kartarpur, and Nurmahal. These tehsils encompass 12 community development blocks focused on rural administration and agricultural extension services.[77] Kapurthala district, covering 1,633 square kilometers, includes four tehsils: Kapurthala, Phagwara, Sultanpur Lodhi, and Bhulath, with sub-tehsils such as Dhilwan. The district features five community development blocks, emphasizing irrigation management in the fertile interfluve.[78][79] Hoshiarpur district, spanning 3,365 square kilometers in the northeastern part of Doaba, has four tehsils: Hoshiarpur, Dasuya, Mukerian, and Garhshankar, supported by sub-tehsils like Tanda and Gardhiwala. It is organized into 10 community development blocks, with administrative emphasis on the Kandi foothill areas prone to soil erosion.[80][81] Shaheed Bhagat Singh Nagar district, the smallest at about 1,266 square kilometers, comprises three tehsils: Nawanshahr, Balachaur, and Banga, with five community development blocks including Aur and Saroya. This district's sub-divisions prioritize canal command areas along the Sutlej River.[82][83]| District | Number of Tehsils | Key Tehsils | Community Development Blocks |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jalandhar | 5 | Jalandhar-I, Jalandhar-II, Nakodar, Phillaur, Shahkot | 12 |
| Kapurthala | 4 | Kapurthala, Phagwara, Sultanpur Lodhi, Bhulath | 5 |
| Hoshiarpur | 4 | Hoshiarpur, Dasuya, Mukerian, Garhshankar | 10 |
| Shaheed Bhagat Singh Nagar | 3 | Nawanshahr, Balachaur, Banga | 5 |