Rudrapur is a city that serves as the headquarters of the Udham Singh Nagar district in the Indian state of Uttarakhand.

Rudrapur was established in the 16th century by King Rudra Chand of Kumaon to serve as the seat of the governor of the southern Tarai plains of the kingdom.

Since the establishment of the SIDCUL industrial area in its vicinity, the city has undergone rapid development, along with literacy growth and higher employment.

[3] However, in the last two decades, this auto-flow system has drastically declined, leading Rudrapur into a groundwater crisis.

[5] Pur is a placename element common to the Indian subcontinent which is derived from the Sanskrit word 'pura' which refers to a city or settlement.

Marshy land, extreme heat, rains which lasted months, wild animals, diseases and no means of transportation prevented people from settling here.

[10]: 81  The Kumaoni Army, under Shiv Deo Joshi faced severe defeat during the Battle of Rudrapur, that was fought between Chands and Rohillas in AD 1744.

[11]: 320  After the fall of Almora in 1790, Rudrapur and its surrounding areas were ceded to the Nawab of Oudh, who remained its suzerain until the British occupation in 1801.

Post independence Rudrapur and other parts of Nainital district were merged with United Provinces, which was later renamed the state of Uttar Pradesh.

[13] The University was inaugurated by Jawaharlal Nehru, and soon became a significant force in the development and transfer of High Yielding Variety seeds and related technology.

[17][18] By 1994, the demand for separate statehood for Uttarakhand achieved almost unanimous acceptance among both the local populace and political parties all over the region.

Gurumukh Ram Chhabra ji (Kanakpur Village),[citation needed] All refugees from Pakistan after division were settled here by Indian government in lait 1948.

People from Kashmir, Punjab, Kerala, Eastern UP, Garhwal, Kumaon, Bengal, Haryana, Rajasthan and Nepal live in groups in this district.

Rudrapur is known as the 'Gateway to Kumaon', which is in close proximity to regional attractions like Nainital, Corbett National Park, Bhimtal and Almora.

The area around the Nanak Matta Dam with its rich greens, still lake waters and fresh air, serve as a picnic spot for the locals and tourists, where one can enjoy boating and fishing.

[27] The high growth rate has been attributed to the migration of people from upper hills, and the development of SIDCUL Industrial Estate in recent years.

[34] The city witnessed communal clashes on 2 October 2011 following an alleged act of sacrilege, prompting authorities to impose an indefinite curfew.

[35][36] Though unconfirmed reports said three persons were killed,[37] an official statement later confirmed two deaths in the violence that spread to different parts of the town.

[42] The Udham Singh Nagar district where the city is situated, lies within the seismic zone 4 in a scale of 2 to 5 (in order of increasing vulnerability to earthquakes)[43] as per the (IS 1893 (Part 1), 2002).

[44] The Rudrapur city is placed in the Terai belt of Uttarakhand state[45] with the two rivers Kalyani and Begul flowing through it.

[40] This belt is extremely fertile for agriculture[46] with alluvial soil types -Udifluventic Ustochrepts, Typic Ustipsamments, Udic Ustochrepts, Udic Haplusstolls, Typic Ustochreptscrops- which support crops like paddy, wheat, sugarcane, maize and other pulses grown in the region.

This number according to the AMRUT mission has now been increased to a 100% for the city of Rudrapur [55] whereas the sewage network coverage in the city according to the 2011 census was 8.4% due to high ground water table and high expenses and technical challenges in laying the system.

Most of this system according to the SCBP report is non-functioning and around 68.4% of the households are connected to open drains which lead to the river without any sewage treatment.

This highway connects Rudrapur with several cities like Delhi, Rampur, Haridwar, Saharanpur, Dehradun, Nainital, Sitarganj, Khatima, Tanakpur and Pithoragarh.

The district exports include industrial as well as agricultural products, both of which are predominantly channeled from Rudrapur.

[42] Post the setup of State Infrastructure and Industrial Development Corporation of Uttarakhand Limited (SIDCUL), enhanced by the broad-gauge railway network in the area, Rudrapur has developed into an industrial city with its city limits expanding to accommodate new residential demands of the workers and professionals moving into the area.

This has propelled the town into the forefront of industrial activity and has attracted companies like LSC Infratech Ltd., Delta Power solutions, Tata Motors, Kumar Autowheels Pvt.