# Achham District

Achham (Nepali: अछाम जिल्ला pronounced ) is a district located in Sudurpashchim province of Nepal. It is one of the nine districts of the province. The district, with Mangalsen as its district headquarters, covers an area of 1,692 km$^2$ and has a population (2011) of 257,477.

## Etymology

There are many cultural meaning about the naming of the district but one interesting folklore is that:
   .... during Mughal era in India, most people by fear of Mughal moved to this place. That time this place was good in the production of Mangoes, so when people from North India came here, they said: "Accha Aam" (अच्छा आम) (meaning good mangoes in Hindi) and that "Accha Aam" became "Achham" later.

## History

Madan Singh Thapa was the first king of Achham in the 5th century. Achham was a part of Doti Kingdom during medieval era. Nepal annexed Doti in 1790 It remained part of Doti District until 1961. On 13 April 1961, Achham district carved out from Doti District and declared a separate district

## Geography and Climate

Achham covers an area of 1,692 square kilometres (653 sq mi) and located at Latitude: 280°46’ North to 290°23' North and Longitude: 810°32 East to 810°35' East. 90% area of Achham is mid-hill and 10% is high-hill. The maximum elevation of the district is 3,820 metres (12,530 ft) and minimum elevation is 540 metres (1,770 ft) from the sea level. The district is surrounded by Bajura District in the North, Doti District in the West, Dailekh District in the East and Surkhet District in the South.

### Rivers

The district has 31 rivers in total, the main being the Karnali, Seti, Budhiganga, Ekadi, Kailash Khola, Lungreligad, Pravaligad, Kashagad, Saranigad, Ardoligad, Talagad and Barlegad.
| Climhiate Zone | Elevation Range | % of Area |
| Upper Tropical | 300 to 1,000 meters 1,000 to 3,300 ft. | 27.4% |
| Subtropical | 1,000 to 2,000 meters 3,300 to 6,600 ft. | 58.3% |
| Temperate | 2,000 to 3,000 meters 6,400 to 9,800 fters 9,800 to 13,100 ft. | 1.0% |

## Demographics

At the time of the 2011 Nepal census, Achham District had a population of 257,477, in which female comprises 137,469 (54%) and male comprises 120,008 (46%). Density of the area is 154 people per km$^2$.
As their first language, 66.4% of the population spoke Nepali, 32.5% Achhami, 0.4% Magar, 0.1% Doteli, 0.1% Maithili and 0.3% other languages.
Ethnicity/caste: 55.5% were Chhetri, 16.2% other Dalit, 10.2% Hill Brahmin, 9.5% Kami, 3.1% Damai/Dholi, 2.5% Thakuri, 0.6% Magar, 0.6% Sarki, 0.4% Lohar, 0.3% Badi, 0.2% Bengali, 0.2% Sanyasi/Dasnami, 0.1% Majhi, 0.1% Musalman, 0.1% Tamang, 0.1% Teli, 0.1% other Terai, 0.1% Tharu and 0.2% others.
Religion: 99.4% were Hindu, 0.3% Buddhist, 0.1% Christian and 0.1% Muslim.
Literacy: 55.4% could read and write, 3.9% could only read and 40.6% could neither read nor write.

## Administration

The district is administered by District Coordination Committee (Legislative), District Administration Office (Executive) and District Court (Judicial) as follows:
| Administration | Name of units | Head |
| Legislative | District Coordination Committee | |
| Executive | District Administration Office | Mr. Bhojraj Shreshtha |
| Judicial | District Court | Mr. Navin Kumar Joshi |

## Administrative Divisions

Accham is divided into total of ten local level bodies, of which four are urban and six are rural.
| # | Name | Nepali | Type | Population (2011) | Area (km$^2$) |
| 1 | Mangalsen | मङ्गलसेन | municipality | 32331 | 220.14 |
| 2 | Kamalbazar | कमलबजार | municipality | 23738 | 120.78 |
| 3 | Sanfebagar | साँफेबगर | municipality | 33788 | 166.71 |
| 4 | Panchadewal Binayak | पञ्चदेवल | municipality | 27485 | 147.75 |
| 5 | Ramaroshan | रामारोशन | rural municipality | 25,166 | 173.33 |
| 6 | Chaurpati | चौरपाटी | rural municipality | 25,149 | 182.16 |
| 7 | Turmakhand | तुर्माखाँद | rural municipality | 24,940 | 232.07 |
| 8 | Mellekh | मेल्लेख | rural municipality | 24,670 | 134.78 |
| 9 | Dhakari | ढँकारी | rural municipality | 21,562 | 227.88 |
| 10 | Bannigadi Jayagad | बान्नीगडीजैगड | rural municipality | 17,359 | 58.26 |
Religion in Achham district as of 2011.

## Transportation

Achham is one of the remotest districts of Nepal. It is accessible by automobile from Kathmandu and Nepalgunj via a paved road that runs along the western border of Nepal from Dhangadhi. The unpaved road of Mid-Hill Highway through Dailakh district also traverses to Mangalsen by crossing Karnali at Rakam.
Mangalsen, the district headquarters, is an eight-hour walk and a 2.5 hour drive from Sanphebagar – a town in Achham sporting a non-functional domestic airport. A bridge crosses the Budhiganga River in Sanphebagar allowing access during high water, a second bridge over the Kailash River. During 2009/2010, the government of Nepal has constructed a paved road connecting Sanphebagar to Mangalsen. The district is served by two hospitals, the government district hospital in Mangalsen and one recently opened in Bayalpata named Bayalpata Hospital that is a collaboration between the government and the non-profit organization Nyaya Health.

## Education

71% of men aged five and above are literate in Achham compared to 75% at the national level, only 43% of such women in the district can read and write (against 57% across Nepal).

## FM radio and newspapers

Achham Besd six FM radio and three newspapers are running now. In this district Ramaroshan Daiy.