About Atul

Atul is a small town located in Valsad District in the state of Gujarat. A chemical conglomerate, called Atul Ltd is the most prominent face of this town. The name of the town has been derived from the name of this of company.  

History of Atul

Atul was established as a chemical complex in 1947 by industrialist Kasturbhai Lalbhai. That was in 1947. Over the years, it has grown into a township, which is self sufficient in terms of amenities and infrastructure. Today, it is spread over 1400 acres of land along the River Paar. 

Geography of Atul

Atul is located on the bank of River Paar at 20.5637541 degree North Latitude and 72.9442997 degree east longitude. The topography of the town is flat and the average elevation is around 22 meters. Arabian Sea is around 4 km from here and because of that the area has a pleasant weather throughout the year. However, the precipitation is quite high during the monsoon; the average rainfall is around 2000 mm. Parnera Hill located close by is another focal point of this region.

River Paar near Atul

River Paar has its source at Bhervi Village in Gujarat. It then flows westward to drain into the Arabian Ocean. It has a basin of 51 Km and its total catchment area is 907 sq kilometers.

Administration in Atul

The administration in Atul is mainly controlled by the District Collector posted at district headquarters Valsad. He is the senior-most officer in the district and also acts as the Deputy Commissioner and District Magistrate. In case of any necessity you may contact him at the following numbers:
Office Phone No:  02632-253613, 02632-243-417
Residence Phone No: 02632-253060
Fax:  02632 - 249335

However, the day today administration of the town is taken care of by subordinate officers. In case of any necessity you may contact the Deputy Commissioner at the following numbers:
Phone No: 02632-244-265
Mobile No: 9428351567

Police in Atul

In case of any emergency, it is the police force, which comes to our rescue first. In Atul, the force functions under the direct supervision of Superintendent of Police, posted at Valsad. However, in case of any emergency, one must first contact the Assistant Sub Inspector (ASI) posed at Atul at 02632-233-515.

If necessary, one may also contact the Deputy Superintendent of Police at the following number:
Office phone No: 02632-254-222, 02632-253-333
Residential Phone No; 0232-253-093

Fire Station in Atul

Although the police force takes care of all kinds of emergencies, in case of fire, one needs to contact the fire station first. In Atul, the fire brigade can be reached at the following numbers:
Phone No: 02632-233261, 02632-233580
Mobile No: 9824153520

Post Office in Atul

The post office in Atul falls under Sub Post Office (delivery) category with the Head Office being located in the district headquarters Valsad. To contact the post office at Atul, you may call at 02632-233530.

Other facilities in Atul

Atul has captive power plants to supply uninterrupted electricity to the residents as well as the industrial units located within the township.  The town also receives abundant water supply from two weirs constructed on Rver Paar. Waste generated by the industrial units as well as the residents is taken care of by a state-of-art waste disposal system. Liquid effluent generated in the township is disposed in the Arabian Sea. 

Business and Economy in Atul

The economy of Atul mainly revolves around Atul Ltd, the company established way back in 1950s by late Kasturbhai Lalbhai.  It is mainly a chemical conglomerate spread over 1250 acres of land. It now has four plants, three of which have been set up in collaboration with top national and international companies.

The first of these flagship companies were inaugurated in 1952 by the first Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru. It then established three joint ventures in quick succession. In 1952, it went into collatboration with American Cyanamid Corporation and formed Cyanamid India. Then in 1955, it collaborated with Imperial Chemical Industries and formed Atic Industries. Finally, in 1960 it formed Cibatul in collaboration with Ciba Geigy. All these companies are now part of Atul Ltd and play an important role in the economy of the town.

Banks in Atul

Because Atul is an industrial town, it has number of banks located within its periphery. Let us look into some of them:

Axis Bank
A-O, 5, Atul Complex
Opposite Post Office
Phone No: 02632 – 234878 / 232100
Fax: 02632 – 234879
Email: ibrm@axisbank.com
IFSC Code / MICR Code / Branch Code: UTIB0000459 / 396211004 / 000459

Bank of Baroda
Parnera Branch,
Bunglow No.2,
Amisha Cooperative Housing Society
Opposite Atul 1st gate
Pin Code: 396020
Phone No: 02632-233524
IFSC Code / MICR Code / Branch Code: BARB0PARNER / 396012006 / PARNER

State Bank of India
Atul Campus
At & Post
Pin Code: 396020
Phone No: 02632-233628, 02632-234490 , 02632-233212,  02632-233213
(FAX) IP -155511
IFSC Code / MICR Code / Branch Code: SBIN0001657 / 396002009 / 001657
Swift Code: SBININBB405

United Commercial Bank
Qtr Type: K2,
Opposite Kalyani School Ground
Pin Code – 396020
Phone No: 02632-233507
IFSC Code / MICR Code / Branch Code: UCBA0000211 / 396028003 / 000211

Things To Do in Atul

Although it is mainly a business town, there are plenty of scopes for entertainment. Atul Club, located in the city, is one of the prime spots in the town.  It has a number sports facilities that can easily compared with international standards. Indeed, the club has an Olympic sized swimming pool along with tennis and badminton courts. To know more you may contact at the following address:
Phone no:  2632- 233261, 2632- 233262, 2632- 233263, 2632- 233264, 2632- 233265
Email Id: ho@atul.co.in 

If on the other hand, you are not very keen on joining clubs, there are plenty of other places to go or do. As it is, Atul is a very a beautiful city with a large green cover. River Paar flowing by adds to its attraction. Therefore, if you are a nature lover, there are plenty of places to go hiking.  The sea beach, located at a distance of four kilometer from the town, also offers great scope for relaxation.

If you are spiritual type, you may also visit its many temples.  At least take time to visit Atuleshwar  Mahadev Temple, Shree Mahakali Mata Mandir, Amba Mata Mandir, Vasupujya Swami Temple, Shree Ayyappa Temple, Jalaram Bapa Temple and Hanuman Temple located in and around the town.

Parnera Hill near Atul

There are also many interesting places near Atul. For instance, Parnera Hill, located close by, offers great scope for trekking. The hill also houses a number of temples. At the foot of the hill, there is a temple dedicated to Lord Krishna, near the top is a Shiva Temple and at the summit, you will find another one dedicated to Mahakali. Once upon a time there was a fort on this hill. However, much of it is now destroyed.

Other Places near Atul

Valsad, located at a distance of around 8 km from here, offers great scope for shopping and entertainment.  In addition, the town also has many temples such as the Tadkeshwar Mahadev Temple, Swaminarayan Temple, Shantidham Jain Temple and the Sai Baba Temple for those who find solace in visiting temples.

You may also visit Daman, which is located at a distance of 31.4 km from Atul. Surat is another good place to visit from Atul; it is located at a distance of 98.4 Kilometer from here.

How to Reach Atul

Atul is situated at a distance of 8 km from the district headquarters Valsad and can be reached from the town in around 15 minutes. The town has National Highway 8 running through it and therefore can easily be reached from anywhere in the country,

Other than good networks the town also has a railway station located just outside its boundary. The station, code named ATUL, has three platforms.

Trains Passing through Atul

Following is a list of trains that stop at Atul

69141 Sanjan Surat MEMU
Arrives at: 7:33 hrs
Departs at 7:34 hrs

59024 Valsad Mumbai Passenger
Arrives at 4:58 hrs
Departs at 4:59 hrs

59023 Mumbai Valsad Passenger
Arrives at 22:28 hrs
Departs at 22:29 hrs

69153 Umbargam Valsad MEMU
Arrives at 14:50 hrs
Departs at 14:51 hrs

69154 Valsad Umbargam MEMU
Arrives at 11:47 hrs
Departs at 11:48 hrs

59039 Virar Valsad Shuttle
Arrives at 14: 07 hrs
Departs at 14:08 hrs

59037 Virar Surat Passenger
Arrives at 21:00 hrs
Departs at 21:01 hrs

59038 Surat Virar Passenger
Arrives at 6:34 hrs
Departs at 6:35 hrs

69142 Surat Sanjan MEMU
Arrives at 19:23 hrs
Departs at 19:25 hrs

59440 Ahmedabad Passenger
Arrives at 9:25 hrs
Departs at 9:27 hrs

59048 Surat Virar Passenger
Arrives at 20:10 hrs
Departs at 20:11 hrs

59439 Ahmedabad Passenger
Arrives at 17:26 hrs
Departs at 17:28 hrs

59047 Virar Surat Passnger
Arrives at 10:42 hrs
Departs at 10: 43 hrs

59010 Bharuch Virar Shuttle
Arrives at 18:17 hrs
Departs at 18:18 hrs

59009 Virar Bharuch Shuttle
Arrives at 06:45 hrs
Departs at 06:46 hrs

59046 Valsad Bandra Passenger
Arrives at 16:38 hrs
Departs at 16:39 hrs