PANIHATI

city, south-central West Bengal state, northeastern India, just east of the Hooghly River, part of the Calcutta urban agglomeration. Connected by road and rail with Calcutta, it is a rice trade centre; its major industries include cotton milling, tanneries, and the manufacture of chemicals, pottery, cement, glass, paint, and rubber goods. With the southern suburb of Agarpara, it was constituted a municipality in 1900, when it was separated from Barrackpore (q.v.) municipality. Pop. (1991 prelim.) 275,359.