Cantonments

Cantonments are permanent military garrison towns or installations designed to house troops and their support services. They typically include living quarters for officers and other ranks, administrative offices, storage facilities, training grounds, depots, hospitals, workshops, and often schools and amenities for military families. The cantonment area is usually built with a secured perimeter and may contain civilian facilities operated within or alongside the military complex.

Originating in the era of British colonial rule, the term described fixed, well-planned military encampments rather than temporary billets. In India and other parts of the subcontinent, cantonments were established to station troops and staff and often evolved into autonomous municipal entities with their own governance structures, such as Cantonment Boards, responsible for local services within the cantonment boundaries.

Today the term is used in several countries, including India, Pakistan, and Bangladesh, to denote permanent military towns that may host civilian residents alongside service personnel. Cantonment authorities oversee civic functions such as water supply, sanitation, road maintenance, and town planning within their jurisdiction, while the military retains primary control of security and defense-related operations. In some contexts, the word may also be used loosely to describe large, well-organized bases or training camps.