# Itahari

Itahari (Nepali: ईटहरी) is a sub-metropolitan city in the Sunsari District of Koshi Province in Nepal. Itahari city has grown as an important business hub of eastern Nepal. It is the second most populous city in eastern Nepal after Biratnagar. Situated 25 kilometres north of the provincial capital of Biratnagar, 16 kilometres south of Dharan and 92 kilometres west of Kakarbhitta, Itahari serves as a junction point of the east-west Mahendra Highway and the north–south Koshi Highway. Itahari has an estimated city population of 200000 living in 40,207 households as per 2021 Nepal census. It is one of the fastest-growing cities in Eastern Nepal. It is one of the cities of the Greater Birat Development Area which incorporates the cities of Biratnagar-Itahari-Gothgau-Biratchowk-Dharan primarily located on the Koshi Highway in Eastern Nepal, with an estimated total urban agglomerated population of 804,300 people living in 159,332 households.
According to the Ministry of Federal Affairs and Local Development, Itahari has an area of 93.78 square kilometres (36.21 sq mi) with 140,517 people living in 33,794 individual households as of Census of Nepal 2011. The town is divided into a total of 20 wards. The municipality was established in 1997 and became a sub-metro in 2014.

## Climate

In the winter season, the temperature of Itahari is 10–18 °C, it increases to 30–45 °C during the summer season. About 2007 mm of precipitation falls annually. There is 4 mm of precipitation in December. In July, the precipitation reaches its peak, with an average of 571 mm.
Climate data for Itahari (Tarahara) (1991–2020 normals) :
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Mean daily maximum °C (°F) | 22.7 (72.9) | 25.7 (78.3) | 30.9 (87.6) | 33.2 (91.8) | 33.3 (91.9) | 32.8 (91.0) | 32.2 (90.0) | 32.4 (90.3) | 32.2 (90.0) | 31.4 (88.5) | 28.9 (84.0) | 25.3 (77.5) | 30.1 (86.1) |
| Daily mean °C (°F) | 15.6 (60.1) | 18.1 (64.6) | 23.3 (73.9) | 26.1 (79.0) | 28.3 (82.9) | 28.8 (83.8) | 28.8 (83.8) | 28.9 (84.0) | 28.2 (82.8) | 26.1 (79.0) | 21.7 (71.1) | 17.8 (64.0) | 24.3 (75.8) |
| Mean daily minimum °C (°F) | 8.5 (47.3) | 10.5 (50.9) | 15.6 (60.1) | 18.9 (66.0) | 23.3 (73.9) | 24.8 (76.6) | 25.4 (77.7) | 25.4 (77.7) | 24.2 (75.6) | 20.7 (69.3) | 14.5 (58.1) | 10.3 (50.5) | 18.5 (65.3) |
| Average precipitation mm (inches) | 16.5 (0.65) | 13.2 (0.52) | 20.7 (0.81) | 69.6 (2.74) | 174.5 (6.87) | 295.1 (11.62) | 538.2 (21.19) | 376.0 (14.80) | 294.9 (11.61) | 93.8 (3.69) | 14.1 (0.56) | 13.0 (0.51) | 1,919.6 (75.57) |
| Source 1: Department of Hydrology and Meteorology ||||||||||||||
| Source 2: Agricultural Extension in South Asia (precipitation 1976–2005) ||||||||||||||

## Education

* Itahari International College
* SOS Hermann Gmeiner Higher Secondary School

## Demographics

Religion in Itahari (2011) :
| Religion | Religion | Percent | Percent |
| Hinduism | Hinduism | 80% | 80% |
| Kirat | Kirat | 7% | 7% |
| Buddhism | Buddhism | 5% | 5% |
| Islam | Islam | 3% | 3% |
| Others | Others | 6% | 6% |

### Languages

* Nepali 52 (51.5%)
* Tharu 19 (18.8%)
* Maithili 8 (7.92%)
* Rai 3 (2.97%)
* Limbu 3 (2.97%)
* Urdu 2 (1.98%)
* Others 14 (13.9%)
At the time of the 2011 Census of Nepal, 52% of the population in the City spoke Nepali, 19% Tharu, 8% Maithili, 3% Rai, 3% Limbu Language, 2% Urdu, and 13% spoke other languages as their first language.

### Ethnic groups

* Tharu (19%)
* Hill Brahman (17%)
* Chhetri (17%)
* Rai (7.4%)
* Limbu (4%)
* Muslim (3%)
* Others (32%)
The largest ethnic group is Tharu, who makes 19% of the population, Hill Brahman and Chhetri comes to second and third with 17% each. Other groups in itahari includes the Rai (7.4%), Limbu (4.0%), Muslim (3%) and others various ethnic groups makes(31%) of the population.

## Local Level Election
### Local Level Election 2079

Name List :
| Party | Mayor/Chairperson | Deputy Mayor/Chairperson |
| Nepali Congress | Hem Karna Poudel | - |
| CPN (Unified Marxist–Leninist) | Yam Kumar Chungwang Subba | Sangita Kumari Chaudhari |
| Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist Centre) | - | - |
| Communist Party of Nepal (Unified Socialist) | - | Keshav Kumar Bista |
| Rastriya Prajatantra Party | Akash Hang Limbu | Babita Kumari Chaudhari |
| CPN Maoist Socialist | Bhanu Bhakta Koirala | - |
| Janata Samajwadi Party | Dilli Prasad Limbu | Yamuna Guragain |
| Khambuwan Rastriya Morcha Nepal | Desh Maya Rai | - |
| Maulik Jarokilo Party | Rameswar Thapa | Sharmila Baral |
| Sanghiya Loktantrik Rastriya Manch | Bhim Kumar Limbu | Dilita Limbu |
| Nagarik Unmukti Party | Akshay Kumar Chaudhari | - |
| Mangol National Organization | Dipendra Rai | - |
| Loktantrit Samajwadi Party | Ganga Bahadur Shrestha | - |
| Independents | Jhamak Bahadur Karki | - |
| Independents | Dilli Ram Dahal | - |
| Independents | Padam Kumar Adhikari | - |
| Independents | Tek Raj Bhujel | - |
| Independents | - | Anju Kumari Singh |

## Notable people

* Ritesh Thapa, a national level football player