Cantonment In India

Nainital Cantonment

Nainital Cantonment is listed as one of the 62 Military establishments of the Country, located in the Nainital district in Uttarakhand State, closer to the Nainital Hill Station, which was established in the year 1878 CE, now classified as a Class IV Military Cantonment of the country, occupying an area of 4262.61 Acres.

History

Nainital Cantonment which was commissioned in 1878, with a proper Cantonment Board, is housed in the Hill Station Nainital, a location with great heritage and where British Settlements with Military bases were held much earlier.

The Directorate General of Defence Estates has classified cantonments into  four categories depending upon the size of population residing in a Cantonment, while each Cantonment, despite having financial and space constraints especially in respect of the permissible use for residential and commercial activities, today contribute to ecology today with its green areas while at the same time providing better civic facilities to the residents, Nainital  being one such place endowed with natural greenery and forestry.

How to Reach

Nainital Cantonment can be reached by all the three modes of transport, the nearest Rail Station Kathgodam situated in 35 km distance from Nainital, having trains coming from various important destinations of India, such as New Delhi, Agra, Dehradun, Lucknow.

Nainital is well connected by road from all the major destinations in India.

By Air, one can reach Nainital Cantonment by taking a flight to the Airport at PhoolBagh in Pant Nagar, which is 14km from Rudrapur and 40 km from Haldwani, with flights operated from New Delhi.

Demographics

The population of Nainital Cantonment is 13243 civilians and 5806 Military personnel, of which 52% is male population and 48% female population, Nainital Cantonment people having a literacy rate of 82%, which is incidentally higher than the Country’s average, the literacy among Males identified as 86%, while that of females 78%, and those among 6 years of age forming 8% of the Nainital Cantonment population.

Facilities

Nainital Cantonment Board is constituted with 4 members, of whom two are elected members and others appointed by Army, the Board providing the basic amenities directly, as follows:

• Cantonment Board School, with 4 teaching staff, provides primary education for about 80 students.
• Hospital and Dispensary caters to the need of the residents, functioning under a Medical Superintendent, who is the Residential Medical Officer.
• Guest House for visitors called Utsav Bhavan is maintained at the Cantonment Market Bhowali Road.

Location Map