HARDOI

city, central Uttar Pradesh state, northern India. It lies northwest of Lucknow on the Northern Railway, at a major road junction. Hardoi is a market for grain and other crops. The city's industries include sugar milling, processing of potassium nitrate, and woodworking. The surrounding area is a level plain bordered (south) by the Ganges River and drained by its tributaries. In the southwest the terrain is uneven, with numerous sandy hillocks. The locality contains several jhils, or swampy lakes, and large areas of forest and other wild vegetation. The Hardoi and Lucknow branches of the Sarda Canal system provide water for irrigation. Principal crops are rice, wheat, millet, gram (chick-pea), sugarcane, and barley. Pop. (1981) 67,259; (1991) 88,651.