Location
Sri Muktsar Sahib District is located in South Western Zone of Punjab. It lies between 30◦ 69? and 29◦ 87? latitude and 74◦ 21? and 74◦ 86? longitude. It is bounded by States of Rajasthan and Haryana in the South, district Faridkot in North, Firozpur in West and Bathinda in the East ( Map 1 ).
Area
It covers an area of 2615 sq km, which constitutes 5.19 % area of Punjab
Climate
The Western Himalayas in the North and the Thar Desert in the South and Southwest mainly determine the climate conditions. The South -western mansoon brings the much needed rain bearing depression during summer (July to September). Nearly 70 % of rainfall is received during three months ( July to September) , when South Western monsoons are active in the region. There is wide seasonal temperature variation with Mean Monthly Maximum Temperature being as high as 45 degree C in June and Mean Monthly Minimum Temperature as low as 2 degreeC in January. The major part of the district qualify for aridic (torric) moisture regime according to the criteria laid in Soil Taxonomy. Soil moisture regime computations employing the Newhall mathematical model indicate that the area has ‘weak aridic’ moisture regime(Van Wambeke, 1985). In the aridic (torric) moisture regime, the moisture control section in the most of the year is dry in all parts for more than half the time (cumulative). (Source – Resource ATLAS, Sri Muktsar Sahib)
Population
According to census of 2001, Sri Muktsar Sahib has total population of 9,01,896. The percentage of rural population to the total population is 74.46% . Sri Muktsar Sahib has population density of 344 persons per sq. Km. The Scheduled Castes form 37.75% of the total population in this district. The population of Sri Muktsar Sahib District has increased at the rate of 18.80% from 1991 to 2001 against 20.10% for the whole state.