Dehri has major road and rail connections and houses railway workshops. The city is the headworks of the Son canal system and the site of a hydroelectric dam. Industries include sugar production, sawmilling, ghee processing, and cement manufacturing. Nearby, along the west bank of the Son, lies the ancient Rohtas fort. It is believed that the fort was named for prince Rohitashva, the son of the Puranic King Harishchandra. Pop. (2001) 119,057; (2011) 137,231.