DRAFT INDUSTRIAL POTENTIAL SURVEY DISTRICT :THIRUVANANTHAPURAM Introduction Thiruvananthapuram District is the southernmost district of the coastal state of Kerala, in south India. It came into existence in the year 1957. The headquarters is the city of Thiruvananthapuram (Trivandrum) which is also the capital city of Kerala. Thiruvananthapuram city and several other places in the district loom large in ancient tradition, folklore and literature. In 1684, during the regency of Umayamma Rani, the English East India Company obtained a sandy spit of land at Anchuthengu near Varkala on the sea coast about 32 kilometres (20 mi) north of Thiruvananthapuram city, with a view to erecting a factory and fortifying it. The place had earlier been frequented by the Portuguese and later by the Dutch. It was from here that the English gradually extended their domain to other parts of Travancore. Modern history begins with Marthanda Varma, 1729 CE – 1758 CE, who is generally regarded as the Father of modern Travancore. Thiruvananthapuram was known as a great centre of intellectual and artistic activities in those days. "Thiruvananthapuram" literally means "City of Lord Anantha". The name derives from the deity of the Hindu temple at the center of the Thiruvananthapuram city. Anantha is the mythical thousand hooded serpent- Shesha on whom Padmanabhan or Vishnu reclines. The temple of Vishnu reclining on Anantha, the Sri Padmanabhaswamy temple, which dates back to the 16th century, is the most-recognizable iconic landmark of the city as well as the district. Along with the presiding deity of SriPadmanabha, this temple also has temples inside it, dedicated to Lord Krishna and Lord Narasimha, Lord Ganesha, and Lord Ayyappa. The temple was built by King Marthanda Varma of the Travancore Royal family when, in 1745, he shifted the Travancore capital from Padmanabhapuram, which is now in Tamil Nadu. King Marthanda Varma startedreigning as 'Padmanabha Dasa', the servant and representative of Lord Padmanabha, as perhaps a nobler variant of the 'Divine Right Theory' with which the West is familiar. The vast temple complex, with its tall Gopuram decorated with detailed carvings reflected in the huge temple tank, is today a center of attraction for the pious, the tourist, and the merely curious. The city was the capital of the Travancore state before India's independence. Consequent to the recommendations of the state Reorganization Commission, the Vilavancode taluk from Thiruvananthapuram was merged with Tamil Nadu, along with three other southern taluks of Thovala, Agastheewaram and Kalkulam from Travancore which eventually formed the Kanyakumari district of Tamil Nadu. The state of Kerala came into being on 1 November 1956. The district can be divided in to three geographical regions, Highlands, Midlands, and Lowlands. Chirayinkeezhu, and Thiruvananthapuram Taluks lies on the midland and lowland regions, while the Nedumangad Taluk lies in the midland and highland regions, and the Neyyattinkara Taluk stretches over all the three regions.For administrative convenience the four taluks are again divided into different blocks. Salient features of the blocks are reproduced below Thiruvananthapuram Taluk: - This taluk is divided into two blocks and one corporation. They are Pothencode block, Nemam block and Thiruvananthapuram corporation. Pothencode block:- This block lies on the central part of Thiruvananthapuram and consists of Andoorkonam, Attipra, Kadinamkulam, Mangalapuram, Pothecode and Azhoor panchayats. This block has witnessed significant growth in the sphere of industrial development during the past 3-4 years. The electronic Technology park, The International Apparel park, Bio- Technology park are all located here. About 60% of population depend on agricultural activities for their livelihood. It has a long coastal line of 15 km and about 10% of people depend on fishing activities. Other activities like Coir production, Rural Artisan activities, Handicrafts etc are also well developed. There is substantial Non Resident population in this block. Nemam block:- This block is situated quite adjacent to Thiruvananthapuram corporation and forms part of Neyyatinkara taluk. It includes the following eight panchayats; Balaramapuram, Kalliyur, Maranallur, Marukil, Nemom, Pallichal, Villappil, and vilavoorkal. Because of the proximity of Thiruvananthapuram city, this block is blessed with sound infrastructural facilities. Regianal research laboratory of CSIR at Pappanamcode, Agricultural college and Research Institute at Vellayani, Industrial Estate at Pappanamcode Etc are part of this block. About 1500 ha of Vellayani lake is also situated in this block. Agriculture forms the livelihood for about 55% of population. Weaving activity is well developed in this block and forms the livelihood for about 15% of population. The Balaramapuram Kaithary is famous throughout the State. The block is also characterized by a large number of cooperative handloom weaving societies. Bamboo making, Metal making, Blacksmithy, Pottery, Handicrafts are some of the secondary activities prevalent. There is a good scope of Dairying and Sericulture in this Block. Thiruvananthapuram corporation Earlier in 1920’s the Trivandrum corporation was municipality and converted into Corporation on30th October 1940. During that time its headquarters was situated in the MG road, against the SMV High School. With the formation of the Corporation several multipurpose developmental projects were launched under the leadership of Sir C P Ramaswami Aiyar, who was the contemporary Dewan and these projects helped a lot in executing several planned developmental models in Thiruvananthapuram. The first Mayor was C O Madhavan who was the Chief Secretary during that time. The Second Mayor was an elected representative, Shri Karimpuvilakam M. Govindapillai. The contemporary Chief Minister, Sri Pattom Thanu Pillai laid the foundation stone of the new Corporation building on 19th March 1962. The constructional activities were completed in 1966. The Ex-Prime minister late Smt. Indira Gandhi inaugurated the building on 3rd June 1966. Thiruvananthapuram Municipal Corporation is the largest city corporation in the state of Kerala in India by area and population. It is the Municipal Corporation that administrates the city of Thiruvananthapuram, the capital of Kerala. The city corporation is spread over 214.86 square kilometers with 100 wards and a population of 9,57,730 inhabitants. Chirayinkeezhu Taluk:- Chirayinkeezhu Taluk is situated in the North Western part ofThiruvananthapuram district. It comprises of 29 villages and 2 municipalities. This taluk isblessed with a network of black water and canals. Mainly Vamanapuram river, its tributaries and part of Ithikara river are flowing through this taluk. The bustling tourist place Varkalabelongs to this taluk. Traditional industries like coir and cashew have significant importance here. Agriculture sector has equal importance as well. Non-resident Indians play a vital role inthe economy of this taluk and thus the living standards of the people are above average exceptthe coastal areas. Nedumangad Taluk: Nedumangad is one of the four taluks of ThiruvananthapuramDistrict. The taluk is bounded in the east by the State of Tamil Nadu, on the south by theNeyyattinkara taluk, on the west by the Thiruvananthapuram taluk and on the north by the Kollam district. Nedumangad municipal town, the taluk headquarters, is located around 20 kmto the north-east of Thiruvananthapuram city on the Thiruvananthapuram--Thenmala StateHighway. The hilly terrain is rich with a variety of flora and fauna. Nedumangad is an importantcentre for trade in hill and forest resources like pepper and rubber. Just half a kilometer fromthe bus station is the Koyikkal Palace, an excellent specimen of traditional Kerala architecture,which today houses the numismatic museum. Agasthyarkoodam, the tallest peak in the southat 1868 metres, is famous for its abundant ayurvedic herbs and medicinal plants. It is about 50km south-east from Nedumangad. About 32 km from Nedumangad en route to Ponmudi , therightly famous hill station, lies the Peppara Wildlife Sanctuarywhich is a big attraction for wildlife enthusiasts and ornithologists.An agriculture wholesale market set up by the Agriculture Department with theassistance of the European Union is also situated at Nedumangad. Just 18 km off at Palode isthe famous Tropical Botanic Garden and Research Institute (TBGRI), situated in 300 acres ofscenic forest land, and has vast collections of plants and herbs that will enthrall the visitor.Nedumangad is located at 8.6° N 77.0° E[1]. It has an average elevation of 68 metres (223feet).What is unique about Nedumangad is its lack of a coastline and the absence of rail lines. Neyyattinkara It situated in the Southern part of the Thiruvananthapuram district. Itcomprises 19 villages and one municipality. The name 'Neyyattinkara' in Malayalam regional language means shore (kara) of Neyyar River. This river flows from Agasthyarkoodam, the highest peak (1868m above MSL) in southern end of the Western Ghats.The town comes under the surveillance of Neyyattinkara Municipality and it is the majortown on the banks of Neyyar River. The rapidly growing Thiruvananthapuram city has almostreached its outskirts. The taluk is mostly residential, with lots of service sector establishments.Aruvippuram (7 km from Neyyattinkara town), the holy land of Sree Narayana Guru isan important pilgrim centre.The major factory in the town is the Kerala