Sonbhadra district
Sonbhadra
Sonanchal | |
|---|---|
| Sonebhadra | |
View from Vijaygarh Fort | |
Location of Sonbhadra district in Uttar Pradesh | |
| Country | India |
| State | Uttar Pradesh |
| Division | Mirzapur |
| Established | 4 March 1989 |
| Named after | Son River |
| Headquarters | Robertsganj |
| Tehsils | |
| Government | |
| • District Magistrate | Badrinath Singh, IAS |
| • Superintendent of Police | Yesh Veer Singh, IPS |
| Area | |
• Total | 6,788 km2 (2,621 sq mi) |
| Population (2011) | |
• Total | 1,862,559 |
| • Density | 270/km2 (710/sq mi) |
| Language | |
| • Official | Hindi |
| • Additional official | Urdu |
| • Regional | Bhojpuri |
| Demographics | |
| • Literacy | 64% |
| • Sex ratio | 918/1000 |
| • Scheduled Castes | 22.64% (421,661) |
| • Scheduled Tribes | 20.67% (385,018) |
| Time zone | UTC+05:30 (IST) |
| Vehicle registration | UP-64 |
| Major highways | |
| Website | sonbhadra |
Sonbhadra (also known as Sonebhadra) or Sonanchal is the second largest district by area of Uttar Pradesh after Lakhimpur Kheri. The district headquarters is in the town of Robertsganj. Sonbhadra is also known as the "Energy Capital of India" for hosting multiple power plants.
Sonbhadra lies between Vindhya and Kaimur hills, and its topology and natural environment prompted the first Prime Minister of India Jawaharlal Nehru to refer to Sonbhadra as the "Switzerland of India".
In 2018 Uttar Pradesh's chief minister Yogi Adityanath recognised Sonbhadra as a tourist hub in Purvanchal region and further promoted by Uttar Pradesh Tourism Department.
In February 2020, a Press Trust of India (PTI) news report incorrectly claimed that the Geological Survey of India (GSI) had found 3,000 tonnes (3,300 tons) of gold deposits in Sonbhadra district. PTI later stated on Twitter that the GSI had told PTI that there had been no such discovery of large gold deposits in the district.