Sonatala, Malda

Sonatala is a census town in the English Bazar CD block in the Malda Sadar subdivision of Malda district in the state of West Bengal, India.

Location
Sonatala is located at 24.98736°N, 88.11746°W.

Area overview
The area shown in the adjoining map is the physiographic sub-region known as the diara. It "is a relatively well drained flat land formed by the fluvial deposition of newer alluvium." The most note-worthy feature is the Farakka Barrage across the Ganges. The area is a part of the Malda Sadar subdivision, which is an overwhelmingly rural region, but the area shown in the map has pockets of urbanization with 17 census towns, concentrated mostly in the Kaliachak I CD block. The bank of the Ganges between Bhutni and Panchanandapur (both the places are marked on the map), is the area worst hit by left bank erosion, a major problem in the Malda area. The ruins of Gauda, capital of several empires, is located in this area.

Note: The map alongside presents some of the notable locations in the area. All places marked in the map are linked in the larger full screen map.

Demographics
According to the 2011 Census of India, Sonatala had a total population of 10,589, of which 5,309 (50%) were males and 5,280 (50%) were females. Population in the age range 0–6 years was 1,450. The total number of literate persons in Sonatala was 5,585 (61.11% of the population over 6 years).

Infrastructure
According to the District Census Handbook, Maldah, 2011, Sonatala covered an area of 3.6791 km2. The protected water-supply involved river infiltration gallery, tap water from treated sources, hand pump. It had 1,329 domestic electric connections. Among the medical facilities it had 1 dispensary/ health centre, 1 family welfare centre, 3 medicine shops. Among the educational facilities, it had 6 primary schools, other school facilities at Niamatpur 1.5 km away, the nearest general degree college at Malda 12 km away. It had 2 non-formal education centres (Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan). Among the social, cultural and recreational facilities it had 1 public library, 1 reading room. It produced mango, mango pickle. It had branch offices of 1 nationalised bank, 1 agricultural credit society.