# Bhusawal

Bhusawal is a city in the Jalgaon district of Maharashtra, India. Situated along the Tapti River, it lies between the Satpura Range and the Ajanta Hills of the Deccan plateau. The city is a significant hub for the Central Railway, boasting the largest railway junction in Maharashtra and the second-largest railway yard in Asia. Bhusawal also has one of the largest Municipal Councils. It serves as a vital commercial center for the surrounding cotton-growing region and is involved in the trade of bananas, millet, and peanuts (groundnuts). The city features a substantial oil-processing industry and is the second-largest city in the Jalgaon district after Jalgaon.
The Bhusaval Junction railway station is one of the busiest railway station in the nation and serves as the headquarters of the Bhusawal railway division. The railway line and station were constructed in the second half of 19th century by the British government.

## History

On 19–23 February 1993, the city hosted its only first class cricket match to date during the 1992-93 Ranji trophy season at the 'Central railway ground'. Maharashtra's SV Jedhe scored a century (168) in the 1st inning and 64 in the 2nd inning. The home team Maharashtra defeated the Tamil Nadu cricket team by 10 wickets. In the game, 1983 World Cup winning team's member Krishnamachari Srikkanth played for Tamil Nadu.

## Geography and Climate

Bhusawal is situated on the banks of the Tapti river. It has an average elevation of 209 metres. The total land area of the municipal council is 228.57 km$^2$. Bhusawal, being bounded by mountain ranges, has a diverse climate, though the city has dry and hot weather for most of the year.. In summers, the temperature reaches around 46 °C to 49 °C, which is amongst the highest in India. In 2010, the temperature crossed the 49 °C mark, touching 49.8 °C. In winters, the temperature falls down to 15 °C to 16 °C, and receives moderate rainfall during the monsoon.

## Demographics

The city has a population of 187,421 (2011 census), with 96,147 males and 91,274 females. The literacy rate is 88.38%; 91.74% for males and 84.87% for females. Hinduism is the main religion followed by 64.06% of its population, followed by Muslims (24.40%) and Buddhists (8.79%).
| Year | Male | Female | Total Population | Change | Religion (%) | Religion (%) | Religion (%) | Religion (%) | Religion (%) | Religion (%) | Religion (%) | Religion (%) |
| Year | Male | Female | Total Population | Change | Hindu | Muslim | Christian | Sikhs | Buddhist | Jain | Other religions and persuasions | Religion not stated |
| 2001 | 89,208 | 83,164 | 172,372 | - | 66.360 | 21.832 | 1.328 | 0.450 | 8.612 | 1.162 | 0.249 | 0.008 |
| 2011 | 96,147 | 91,274 | 187,421 | 0.087 | 64.056 | 24.405 | 1.079 | 0.411 | 8.786 | 0.951 | 0.097 | 0.215 |

## Transport

The Ajanta Caves are about 63 km (via Jamner) from Bhusawal.
Road
Bhusawal is situated near the NH 53 highway. The city is very old and has narrow roads, due to which there is slow movement of traffic.

### Rail

Bhusawal Junction Railway Station is a divisional headquarters of the Central Railways. It is on both the Howrah-Allahabad-Mumbai line and the Howrah-Nagpur-Mumbai line. The Bhusawal Railway Yard is the second largest railway yard in Asia, after the Pandit Din Dayal Upadhyay Junction Railway Yard, Mughalsarai. Bhusawal is the closest junction to Ajanta (83 km away).

### Air

Jalgaon Airport is the closest airport to Bhusawal.

## Economy

The Railway Coach Factory has been planned to be built here. The city has 2 ordinance factories, out of the 41 factories in India. Bhusawal has a major military base as well. The city has 5 thermal power station units, out of which 4 are operational together with a capacity of over 1420 MW, thus, making it a major contributor to the state's overall electricity generation, providing over 12% of Maharashtra's total power output. A 6th new 660 MW unit is proposed to be developed, which would then take the city's power output to over 2000 MW.
Major industrial facilities include:
* Bhusawal Thermal Power Station (7 km)
* Ordnance Factory Bhusawal (8.3 km)
* Ordnance Factory Varangaon
* Orient Cement Grinding Unit (12 km)
* Indian Oil Corporation Limited Depot (15 km)
* Railway's Zonal Training School
* Electric Locomotive Workshop Bhusawal
Bhusawal is known for its banana cultivation. The city is a major exporter of bananas, with more than 40% of the state's banana cultivation in the Jalgaon district. Traders visit Bhusawal to buy raw bananas. Bhusawal is also known for its special white brinjals (eggplant).