Statistical Atlas

STATISTICAL ATLAS

O F T H E

UNION TERRITORY OF PONDIC

UREAU OF STATISTICS & EVALUATION

GOVERNMENT OF PONDICHERRY
F O R E W O R D

T h e cartog rap h ic e x p o sitio n o f statistical

figures drt^l^ti'&g

the g eo g ra p h ic sp read o u t o f d ifferen t d e v e lo p m e n ta l i^SfiJjitions and a ctivities is apt lo h a v e an e n h a n c e d im p a e p ^ u p o n m e m o r y . S u ch varied ch a ra cteristics as DemfSffl^jaJiy, our
River.
L and u tilisa tion etc., o f the U n ion T errito ry o fx P o n d ic h e r r y are d e p icte d in this A tlas a g a in st the co lo u rfu l |w 3 ? g r n u n d o f their

territorial co n to u rs.

Crisp an d su b ject w ise w rite u p s and

statistical tab les placed in ju x ta p o sitio n .w ith the m a p portions add flesh and b lood lo the o verall T h e d isp ersa l o f the

four reg ion s in this T erritory an avflje n u m e r o u s

e n c la v e s that

ch a r a c terise P o n d ich erry reffit

ts e lf ren d er the u tility o f this

A llas all the m o r e greater,jn t^ tjw ly for th o se w h o are not fa m iliar w ith its to p o g ra p h y , b u t^ e w h to th ose w h o are w ell acq u a in ted w ith it.

1 am . t h e r a f i ^ ^ o n v i n c e d that the best p o ssib le use o f this
A tlas w o u ld b f^ tW ’de by the au th o rities c o n c e r n e d , b o th in the m a tter o f <rf|sessing the level o f so c io -e c o n o m ic fa cilities availab le an d in^iVfe\\s\^stematic p la n n in g for the fu tu re va rio u s l e s i o n s . d e v e lo p m e n t o f
I m e record m y d eep ap p reciation o f the etTorts m a d e by

B u reau o f S ta tistics an d E v a lu a tio n in b rin gin g o u t this very

e

u sefu l an d v alu ab le p u b licatio n .

P o n d ich erry

PM \ . \ 1 R ,

S e c r e h i r t j ! i n a n c e P la n n i n i / .

d

’ ~

Kith D ecem b er , 197(>

INTRODUCTION

T h e 'Statistical A tlas o f P o n d ic h e r r y ’ is the first p n b lic a |io

of its k ind issu ed b v th e B u reau o f S tatistics an d

FvalfiVitio

P o n d ich erry . It is th e n o rm a l p ractice in all th e Static S tatistical B u rea u x to brin g out a p u b lica tio n in pictorial form . <^ o^ !ever, a

p u b lica tio n en titled " P o n d ich err y

in M aps a n d C h arts”

w a s

b rou g h t out in the y e a r 19(33, w h ic h can be sa isM o ^ b e m o r e or less sim ilar to this issu e in co n ten t and form , Nm k ee p in g w ith [his p ractice this p u b lic a tio n p resen ts th e ig e ^ g r a p h ic a l, a n d e c o n o m ic a sp ects o f the U n io n T ei^ jto ^ ' o f P o n d ic h er ry in m a p s a lo n g side b rief w rite-u p toj w ith tab les d e p ic tin g social athe a c h ie v e m e n ts u nd er the relev a®=h§^tds o f d e v e lo p m e n t. T h ere are in all 39 m a p s in this p u b lica tion w h e r e in su ita b le sy m b o ls h a v e b een d e n o te d to indicatfeifhe^progress of d e v elo p m e n t.

It is h o p ed th at t i t e ia u b l ic a t io n a d d itio n to th e se r k '^ ^ fJ )u b lic a tio n s b r o u g h t o u t b y th is B u rea u fr o m tim e to t i m e i / e s p e c i a l l y to th ose w h o lo n g to h a v e

w ill be

a

v ery

u sefu l

ag lim p se o f t h ^ g e v e l o p m e n ! o f the U n io n T errito ry in pictorial form .

n k s are d u e to the C entral S u rv ey Office, G o v ern m en t o f ^faiijil N ad u , for h a v in g u n d e r ta k e n the p rin tin g o f th is Atlas

1

3 r P h o to -Z in c o P ress, M adras.
S. M U T H U B A S A V A N ,

Director of Statistics and Evaluation

CONTENTS

Heading

Chapter No.

General Rivers
I. II.
Roads

in.

IV.

v.

Population Land Utilisation Agricultural Producti Animal Husbandry . Fisheries
VI. v n . VIII.

I X .

Education Medical and Public Health o-operation
X . X I. XII.

xm.f

r ..
Vansport and Communications

P O NDIC HE R R Y R E G IO N

I"-.—

GENERAL INFORMATION

TAMIL NADU

Q fiA p h O F F IC E tit P O S T & T E IE -

'

G R AP H OFFICE

P O LIC E S TATIO N OUT ROS T .TOURl&T HOME

__ C.D.filOCK

Q

DISTILLERY

TF XTiLE M rH-

ASHAAM

EMP LO YMENT

A

*1* EXCHANGE
INDUSTRIAL

“

ES TATE

S UGAR M ILL

TAMIL NADU

RADIO

s

t

a

t

i

o

n

(1)

I. GENERAL

trator of the entire Union Territory. The administrative

Before launching on the main purpose and scope of

this publication it would be enlightening to present a brief historical back-ground of this Union Territory. Prior to the advent of the French into India, Pondicherry was a little known fishermen village. The area was under the sway of the Andhra dynasty and later under the Pallavas. However, when the French landed here the area was under Muslim domination. These pockets were taken over by the French after a series of encounters with their European rivals, the British. Actually Pondicherry was under French regime from 26th September 1816 to 31st October 1954, i.e., for a period of 138 years one month and five days. units at Karaikal, Mahe and Yanam are headed by an Administrator appointed by the Lieutenant-Governor. The Legislative Assembly consists of thirty members including the Speaker. Apart from the four main divisions, this Territory is divided into 16 municipal Councils headed by a Mayor. The Councillors and the Mayor are also elected through popular vote.

Pondicherry Region

Location, Climate and Geology :

Pondicherry region is situated on the coramandal coast between lt°45’ and 12° North latitude and 79°37’ and 79°50’ East longitude. This is the headquarters of the Union Territory of Pondicherry and is bounded by land on the three sides by the South Arcot District of Tamil Nadu, while on the eastern side 3t is bounded by the Bay of Bengal. The region covers an extent of 290 sq. kms. and consists of three towns and 213 inhabited villages. The population of the region as per 1971 Census is 3,40,240.
The Union Territory of Pondicherry, as it is constituted today consists of four isolated pockets, viz., Pondicherry, Karaikal, lying very close to the State of Tamil Nadu, Mahe in Kerala and Yanam in Andhra Pradesh. Though lying wide apart, these units were bound by one common factor viz., that they were the constituent parts of a French Colony in India. The difference in language and culture between these units were never felt since French language and culture acted as the unifying forces. Apart from many things in common between them, the people in this French Colony could not help feeling the imminent and inherent need for freedom which was enjoyed by their brothem in the neighbouring States after 1947, when British domination of India ceased, which at the same time also heralded the disappearance of French hegemony in India. When the natural awakening of the people was translated into action, the French Government honouring the legitimacy of their claim, signed a Treaty of Cession with the Indian Government on 28th May 1956, eventhough the defacto transfer of power was effected on 1st November 1954. The instruments of ratification of the Treaty were exchanged between the two Governments on 16th August 1962. The Pondicherry Administration Act, 1962, was given effect to from 1st July 1963.
As regards climate and rainfall of this region, it is pointed out that the range of temperature is between 17°-38° C. while the normal rainfall is 1,174 millimetres. Situated as it is along the sea coast, both winter and summer are not severe. However, the humidity is comparatively higher. The bulk of the rainfall in this region occurs during October—December solely under the influence of North-East Monsoon.

Speaking of geological formation in this region, it is mentioned that the area consists of cretaceous beds and tertiary sand stones which are mainly covered by alluvium. The minerals embedded in the area are lime-stone, clay and sand of which only lime-stone is important from the economic point of view. However, seams of lignite deposits have also been recorded in borings at Bahour at depths ranging from 62 to 91 metres. The thickness of lignite seams ranges from 8 to 15 metres.
The Union Territory is administered by a popular
Government with a Council of Ministers duly elected by the people. The Lieutenant-Governor is the Adminis-

*— '-x -KAR AIKAL R E G IO N^, ^

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:

'-'-GENERAL INFORMATION "

I
/A

TAMIL NADU

V

NEOUNGADU

V

KOTTUCHERRY

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