Mention the factors responsible for the development of Hooghly industrial belt.
The following factors are responsible for the development of Hooghly industrial belt:
(i) Historical, geographical, economic and political factors have contributed much to its development. It developed with the opening of river port on Hugli.
(ii) Development of tea plantations in Assam and northern hills of West Bengal.
(iii) The processing of indigo earlier and jute later coupled with the opening of coalfields of the Damodar Valley and iron ore deposits of the Chotanagpur plateau, contributed to the industrial development of the region.
(iv) Cheap labour available from thickly populated part of Bihar, eastern Uttar Pradesh and Orissa also contributed to its development.
