Machh
{{Short description|Pakistani town}}
{{Use Pakistani English|date=June 2024}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=June 2024}}
{{distinguish|Mach (disambiguation)}}
{{Infobox settlement
| name = Machh
{{nq|مچھ}}
| settlement_type = Municipal Committee and Union Council
| other_name =
| image_skyline = Machh Railway Station - 40450.jpg
| imagesize = 250px
| image_caption = Mach railway station
| image_map =
| pushpin_map = Balochistan Pakistan#Pakistan
| pushpin_label_position =
| pushpin_mapsize =
| pushpin_map_caption = Location in Pakistan
| subdivision_type = Country
| subdivision_name = Pakistan
| subdivision_type1 = Province
| subdivision_name1 = Balochistan
| subdivision_type2 = District
| subdivision_name2 = Kachhi District
| subdivision_type3 = Tehsil
| subdivision_name3 =
| subdivision_type4 =
| subdivision_name4 =
| government_footnotes =
| government_type = Local Government
| leader_title = Chairman
| leader_name =
| leader_title1 = Assistant Commissioner
| leader_name1 =
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| area_total_km2 =
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| population_as_of = 2023 census
| population_footnotes =
| population_note =
| population_total = 44,542
| population_density_km2 =
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| population_density_urban_km2 =
| coordinates = {{Coord|29|52|01|N|67|19|35|E|region:PK_type:city|display=inline,title}}
| elevation_footnotes =
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| timezone = PST
| utc_offset = +5
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}}
Machh, or Mach (Balochi, {{langx|ur|مچھ}}), is a town and union council of Kachhi District in the Balochistan province of Pakistan.[https://web.archive.org/web/20110807195739/http://www.nrb.gov.pk/lg_election/union.asp?district=100&dn=Bolan Tehsils & Unions in the District of Bolan - Government of Pakistan] The town has an altitude of 1006 metres (3303 feet) and is located at 29°52'0N 67°19'60E,[https://www.fallingrain.com/world/PK/02/Mach.html Location of Mach - Falling Rain Genomics] - some about 50 km (70 km by road) southeast of Quetta, the provincial capital.
Geography
Machh is located in between the stony hills. It is divided into 3 parts; area for jail, railway and town. There is only one bazaar.
Demographics
= Population =
{{Historical populations|1951|3211|1961|4921|1972|7273|1981|8419|1998|14488|2017|19,152|2023|44,542|title=|type=|align=center|direction=|width=|state=|shading=|pop_name=|percentages=pagr|source={{cite web|url=http://www.pbs.gov.pk/sites/default/files/population_census/Administrative%20Units.pdf|title=AREA & POPULATION OF ADMINISTRATIVE UNITS BY RURAL/URBAN: 1951-1998 CENSUSES|publisher=Pakistan Bureau of Statistics|access-date=2018-05-14}}}}
As of the 2023 census, Machh has population of 44,542.{{Cite web |title=AREA, POPULATION BY SEX, SEX RATIO, POPULATION DENSITY, URBAN POPULATION, HOUSEHOLD SIZE AND ANNUAL GROWTH RATE, CENSUS-2023, BALOCHISTAN |url=https://www.pbs.gov.pk/sites/default/files/population/2023/tables/table_2_balochistan_districts.pdf}}
= Religion =
| class="wikitable sortable"
|+ Religious groups in Machh City (1941 & 2017) ! rowspan="2" |Religious ! colspan="2" |1941{{cite web|url=https://www.jstor.org/site/south-asia-open-archives/saoa/censusofindia1941-28216851/|title=CENSUS OF INDIA, 1941 VOLUME XIV BALUCHISTAN|access-date=27 January 2023}}{{rp|13–14}} ! colspan="2" |2017{{cite web|url=https://www.pbs.gov.pk/content/final-results-census-2017|title=Final Results (Census-2017)|access-date=27 January 2023}}{{cite web|url=https://www.pbs.gov.pk/sites/default/files/population/2017/results/11609.pdf|title=District Wise Results / Tables (Census - 2017) TABLE 9 - POPULATION BY SEX, RELIGION AND RURAL/URBAN|access-date=27 January 2023}} |
| Population
!{{Abbr|%|percentage}} !{{abbr|Pop.|Population}} !{{Abbr|%|percentage}} !{{abbr|Pop.|Population}} !{{Abbr|%|percentage}} |
|---|
| Islam 15px
| 1,632 | {{Percentage | 1632 | 2220 | 2 }} | 18,581 | {{Percentage | 18581 | 19140 | 2 }} | | |
| Hinduism 15px
| 421 | {{Percentage | 421 | 2220 | 2 }} | 277 | {{Percentage | 277 | 19140 | 2 }} | | |
| Sikhism 15px
| 121 | {{Percentage | 121 | 2220 | 2 }} | {{N/a}} | {{N/a}} | | |
| Christianity 15px
| 38 | {{Percentage | 38 | 2220 | 2 }} | 282 | {{Percentage | 282 | 19140 | 2 }} | | |
| Judaism 15px
| 8 | {{Percentage | 8 | 2220 | 2 }} | {{N/a}} | {{N/a}} | | |
| Total population
! 2,220 ! {{Percentage | 2220 | 2220 | 2 }} ! 19,140 ! {{Percentage | 19140 | 19140 | 2 }} !44,542 !{{Percentage | 19140 | 19140 | 2 }} |
Economy
Most of the economic activity in Machh revolves around coal mines and the buying and selling of coal. The major source of employment is the public sector - Railway, Jail, Wapda, Sui Gas and Levies Force. Machh town has a market that caters to coal miners and residents. Mach has a jail, built in 1929.
Weather
The climate is dry. It rains 3 or 4 times in a year. Machh experiences extreme winter and summer temperatures. The winter of 2016 saw heavy snowfall along the Kolpur and Kohebash areas of Machh.
Transportation
People use cars, bikes and cycles for transportation in town. Pakistan National Highway N-65 runs along Tehsil Machh and is the only major road in the area.