Ghaziabad is an industrial city in the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh. It is located about 1.5 km east of the Hindon River, at latitude 28° 40` north and longitude 77° 25` east and 19 km east of Delhi and 46 km southwest of Meerut.
The city of Ghaziabad houses the headquarters of the Ghaziabad district. The city was initially included in the Meerut district after independence, till the time when due to some political intervention, Ghaziabad was separated and given a new district status. According to the Government of India, the district Ghaziabadi is one of the Minority Concentrated Districts in India on the basis of the 2001 census data on population, socio-economic indicators and basic amenities indicators.
The history of Ghaziabad starts with its nomenclature from the founder Ghazi-ud-din, who called it Ghaziuddinnagar after himself. Later the name was shortened to Ghaziabad. This large industrial city is well-connected by roads and railways. It has industries that manufacture huge number of railway coaches, diesel engines, bicycles, tapestries, glassware, pottery, paint and varnish, heavy chains and so on. Recently a number of malls and multiplexes have been established in the city and the roads are being improved by construction and widening of flyovers. The strategic location of Ghaziabad is at about 2.5 km from the Hindon River.
On the north the city is bound by the district of Meerut, on the south by that of Bulandshahar and Gautambudh Nagar, on the southwest by Delhi and on the east by the district Jyotibaphule Nagar. The boundary of Ghaziabad is adjacent to Delhi and it acts as the main entrance to Uttar Pradesh and hence is also called the Gateway of Uttar Pradesh.
Ganga, Yamuna and Hindon are the main rivers flowing close to Ghaziabad and they are filled with water throughout the year. Other than these there are some small rain-fed rivers, well known among them is the Kali River. Apart from these rivers the Ganga Canal flows across the district and irrigation work is carried out through different branches of the canal. The Ganga canal also caters to the drinking water needs of the people of Ghaziabad as well as Delhi.
The temperature and rainfall of Ghaziabad are similar to that of Delhi. The dust storms in Rajasthan and snowfall in the Himalayas, Kumaon and Garhwal hills influence the weather regularly. The monsoon usually arrives at the end of the June or the first week of July and normally the rainy season lasts till October. Temperatures in Ghaziabad range from 10-20 degrees Celsius in winters and 30-40 degrees in summers.
Ghaziabad is primarily an industrial city. It is one of the most industrialised cities in Uttar Pradesh. The new industry sector upcoming in Ghaziabad is of high tech plant growth boosters. Many companies like Plastochem, Shriram Pistons, Crop health Products Pvt. Ltd. and Hind Biochem are giving it a new facet. There are a number of private hospitals and health-care centers in Ghaziabad that provide quality health care to the residents in nearby villages and towns such as Pilkhuwa, Hapur, and Dasna. There are a number of malls dotting the city. The Pacific and Shipra malls are amongst the largest in the National Capital Region and caters to all kinds of shopping needs of the inhabitants.
Ghaziabad is one of the largest railway junctions, witnessing more than 100 long distance trains every day, in addition to the numerous suburban trains to Delhi. Ghaziabad houses one of the largest and most modern Electric Locomotive Sheds. Ghaziabad is also the home to Advanced Level Telecommunication Training Centre.
