West Bengal

Durgapur
Area : 41 sq.kms.
Altitude : 68.9 metres.
Temperature (deg C): Summer- Max.46.1, Min. 37.8; Winter- Max. 32.2, Min. 29.4
Rainfall : 150 cms June to September.
Clothings : Summer- Tropical, Winter- Light woollens.
Languages spoken : Bengali, English.
Best Season : Through out the year.

Durgapur projects an image of an industrialised India. It is the third integrated steel plant of Hindustan Steel Limited and occupies an area of 6.47 sq. kms. Founded under the Colombo Plan Mission which visited India in April, 1955, the plant has been instrumental in changing the rural face of Durgapur into a vast industrial complex comprising public and private sectors.

Getting there 
Air : Nearest national and international airport Calcutta is 176 kms away. 
Rail: Durgapur is the railway station on the Eastern Railway. 
Road: Durgapur is connected by good motorable roads with Calcutta 176 kms, Patna 414 kms, Asansol 50 kms, Shantiniketan 62 kms, Vishnupur 72 kms. 
Local Transport: Taxis, City Bus services, Cycle Rickshaws are available. 

Guide Service for visits to the Steel Plant available from the public Relation Officer, Durgapur Steel Plant, Tel: 3611 (Extn. 315). Free of charge.
Tourists are advised to obtain prior permission to visit Durgapur Steel Plant from the Publc Relations Officer, Durgapur Steel Plant, Tel: 3611 (extn. 315).

Places to see
(Distances are from the railway station)
Alloy Steel Project (10 kms), Mining and Allied Machinery Corporation (6 kms), Durgapur Coke Ovens Project Limited (6 kms), A.V.B. (6 kms), Durgapur Barrage (3 kms), Durgapur Steel Plant (10 kms), Philips Carbon Black & Sankey Wheels.
Note: Permits (nontransferable) are issued only on a visit in person to the Public Relations Office.Visiting Hours: 1030 to 1230 hours and 1430 to 1630 hours on weekdays and 0930 to 1215 hours on Saturday. Tel: PABX 483, 732.

Parks and Gardens
Park in `A' Zone and Bel Park in `B' Zone, Steel Township.

Asansol: 42 kms. Connected with Durgapur by train and bus.
Chittranjan: 77 kms. Connected with Durgapur by train and bus.
Jaidev: 22 kms. The birthplace of the famous Bengali Vaishnava poet Jaidev. Regular bus service available upto Ajoy river from where the river can be corssed on foot. Ferry service across the river is available during the monsoons. A fair is held during the first half of January which lasts from 10 to 15 days.
Shantiniketan: 61 kms. International University Founded by Rabindranath Tagore
Vishnupur: 72 kms. Ancient-city reputed for temples and terracotta sculpture.

Informations
Public Relations Officer, Durgapur Steel Plant, Tel: 3611, 3631, Ext. 315.

Digha
Beach-on-the-bay of West Bengal, Digha, has the whispery, languid, soft-focus, charm which is so graciously bengali : sighing casuarinas, ponies nodding on the beach, prolonged meals in the flavoursome sweet-&-salt idiom of the state and timeless days and nights of nothing to do but unwind and find yourself.

Informations 
Air : Calcutta is the nearest airport which is about 210 kms away from Digha. 
Rail: Though Contai Road (37 kms) is the nearest railway station for Digha but Kharagpur ( km from Digha & km from Howrah) and Mechheda ( km from Digha and km from Howrah) on the South-Eastern Railway are the most convenient railheads for Digha from where buses are available which takes 4 hours. 
Road: 
Route 1. Calcutta-Howrah-Mechheda-Norghat-Contai-Ramnagar-Digha: 185 km. 
Route 2. Calcutta-Deulti-Kolaghat-Kharagpur-Digha: 243 km.
Route 3. Tarakeswar-Harinkhola-Arambag-Vishnupur-Kharagpur-Digha: 355 km 
Bus : Regular direct buses are available from Calcutta to Digha. C.S.T.C. express buses ply from Esplanade (Calcutta) from 0630 hours to 1000 hours (Fare Rs.30/-). Luxury buses from West Bengal Tourist Bureau, 3/2 B.B.D.Bagh departs daily at 0700 hours (Fare Rs.40/-). 

Buxa Tiger Reserve
Buxa Tiger Reserve was set up in the year of 1982-83 at the north eastern corner of West Bengal bordering Bhutan and Assam. This picturesque reserve with its proigous Terai, Bhabar as well as Hilly landscape, is desected by numorous revulets. Its delared a National Park in January 1992. 

The varitable flora and fauna of these wet forests having an annual downpour exceeding 5000 mm, attracts tourists and nature lovers every year. This part of the country is characterised by its high degree of plant & animal bio-diversity where 60% species are endemic to the area. The Generic diversity of mammals is second highest among all the tiger reserves of India. Astonishing bio-diversity of animals comprise of a reach avifauna of more than 230 identified species, 67 mammals (out of which 21 are endangered), 36 species of reptiles (10 numbers are endangered). Apart from Bengal Tiger the flagship species, there are plenty of Leopard, Fishing Cat, Leopard Cat, Jungle Cat, Indian Civet, Palm Civet, Wild Dogs, Malayan Gaint Squirrels, Mangooses, Asian Elephant, Gaur, Small Clawes Otter, Chital, Sambar, Barking Deer, Hog Deer, Wild Buffalo, 3 varieties of Pythons, Monitor Lizard and a host of land tortoises. A number of animals like Chinese Pangolin. Regal Python (reticulate) Clouded Leopard are endemic to the region.
The Avifauna is rich in both endemic as well as migratory species. The swift rivers of Rydak and Jainti are visited by Trans Himalayan Migratory Goosanders, the beautiful Ibis Bill, resident Fork-tails, varieties of Red-stars, Wag-tails, the Narathali Lake is visited by migratory Common Teal, Gargani Teal, Large Whistling Teal, White Eyed Poachared etc. The Hornbills including greater Pied Hornbill abound the area. One of the rarest bird of India the Black-necked Crane has been sighted in the Reserve during the early winter. The migratory beautiful Black Stork is a visitor of the area. The monsoon ends and beautiful Minivets, Sultan tits arrive, during summer rare Ashyminivet is also sighted.