CENSUS OF INDIA 1961 VOLUME IX-MADRAS PART X-i VOLUME-I./ DISTRICT CENSUS HANDBOOK COIMBA'rORE P. K. NAMBIAR of the Indian Administrative Service SUPERINTENDEN~ ,or CENSUS O'PERATIONS, MADRAS PRINTED AND PUBLISHED BY TBE nmEC7'OR OF STATIONERY AlfD PRINTING, MADRAS 1964 PREFACE It has been the policy of the Government of Madras to print and publish village statistics based on the information collected during each Census. In 1951, the Government of India offered to hand over to the State Government the Census Tables and abstracts pre pared during Census and suggested that they might be prin~ed and published along with any other useful information relating to each district. The form of the District Census Handbook was thus conceived. The State Government accepted the idea and a publication was brought out at the cost of the State Government. Each District Census Handbook consisted of two parts-·Part I containing three secticns, viz., General Population Tables, Economic Tables, Tables I, II and III of Small·Scale Industries, Summary figures of district and taluks, rural and urban statistics and Part n containing C and 0 series, viz., House .. hold and Age Tables and Social and Cultural Tables and District Occupational Abstract. A Distr~ct Census Handbook was published for each district. It has been· considered an important achievement of the last Census. Sri A. Mitra, Registrar­ General, India, decided not on Iy to continue the series during 1961, but t<>: improve definitely on its content, so that each District Census' Handbook woutd contain basic economic data for the smallest administration unit in the district and be a useful reference book for schc.lars, Centra~ and State Governments, local Bodies and private institutions. The proposal of Vol idening the scope of the Census Handbook was accepted by the State Government in their G.O. Ms. No. 154, Public (Elections-II), dated the 31 st January 1961. It was also decided to publish it at the cost of the State Government, The first District Census Handbook is on Coimbatore and is contained in this volume. It contains an introductory essay on all important aspects of the district, physical features, history, people and their social condition, agriculture, industries, public health, education, irrigation, electricity and other allied topiCS. Fourteen maps have been published; nine of thEm on each individual taluk and five on different aspects of the district. It contains "A" Series Tables, " B" Series, u C tt Series, SCT for each taluk, : C 1and ST I, and II. Seventy-two statements of administrative statistics classified under seven sections have been Included In this District Census Handbook. I. Agriculture and IrrIgation. 2. Industry and labour. 3. Ed ucation. 4. Public Health. S. Law and Order. 6. Communications. 7. Miscellaneous. Ii A new feature of the District Census Handbook is the village Directory which replaced the rural statistics included in the previous Census series. An abstract giving a complete list of all villages and towns in each taluk in the district along with the distribution of population by sex and various categories of workers has been added. It also gives an account of the basic amenities available in each vilfage such as educational, medical, irrigational, posts and telegraphs, communication and electrification. A villagewise list of industries classified according to the Indian Standard Industrial Classification COd2 and the tot~1 number of units in the different types of industry for each village, a list of fairs and festivals, an alpha­ betica' Ust of viUages a\ong with their corresponding Census location code number and a statement showing the type of soil and type of terrain, sources of irrigation, important wet and dry crops and value of such lands will also be found in this ·volume. These books contain the following interesting items :- I. Gazetteer of place names. 2. Calendar of outstanding occurrences that have infl uenced the district. It has been also my endeavour to include in this volume all items of infor .. ·mation collected by the Census Organisation in the course of the special studies undertaken during 1961 Census. Though the publication will be issued by the 'Government of Madras, the views expressed in the volume are personal and do .not bind the Government. This volume containing a variety of information relating to Coimbatore district will, I hope, be useful to the general public. In keeping with the policy of the Government to make Tamil the language of administration, the Government of Madras have decided to issue an abridged' edition of District Census Handbook in Tamil. This abridgement will be done by the State Government, but they have kindly agreed to show it to me for comments before publication. In preparing this volume~ I have been assisted by a large number of my staff. SpeCial mention should be made of Sri T. B. Bharati and Sri K. C. Narayana Kurup, ~y Deputy Superintendents, who have assisted me in compiling and test-checking the .material pieced together in this' volume. I am also grateful .to Sri Asok Mitra, I.C.S., Census Commissioner of India for having made it possible to conceive of a volume like this for publication in connection with the 196'­ 'Census. P. K. Nambiar \. CONTENTS PART I PA.GES ~. .. PREFA.CE . .... 1- 11 " " ,- '\ . Chapter I .. Int. !.ti}uctIOn . .. 1- 7 11;. )-, Chapter II ~. · . Characteristics of population 8-~ I Chapter III .. People.. c. 21-~4 Chapter IV .. Housing 25-S3 Chapter V ... · . Agriculture and Ammal Husbandry 34-36 Chapter VI_ _ Irrigation 37-39 Chapter VII _ Education and Public Health 40-43 Chapter VIII · . Industries and Trade 44-49 Chapter IX _ Handloo' ; - - 50-00 Chapter X •.• Local Administration and Elections 56-59 Chapter XI _ Achievements under Five w Year Plans - 60-73 Chapter XII _ Temples - - - - 74-7~ PART II-CENSUS TABLES A SERIES-GENERAL POPULATION TAJILES AI · . Area: Houses and Population- Fly leaf - - - - 81-82 Table - - - - 83-84 Appendix 1-1951 Territorial units constituting 85 the present set·up of Madras Start.' Sub·Appendix to Appendix I-Areas for 1951 85 and 1961 for those Municipal Towns which have undergone changes in area since 1951 Census Appendix II-Number of villages with a. 85 population of 5,000 and Over and towns with a population under 5,000 Appendix III-Houseless and Institutional 86 population. AU ... _ Variation in population during sixty years- ,Fly leaf ... •• . • 87 88 2 AlII _ Villa.ges classified by popula.tion- Fly leaf _ - Table - A IV Towns (and Town~Groups) classified by popu­ - lation with varia.tioa sinoo 1941- Fly leaf _ 0'-87 Table _ 98-101 B Sl!lRIl!I8.-GJ:NERAL EOONOMIc (B I-B IX) "-ND JrOUIJlROLD EOONOMIC (B X-B XVII) TABLES. Now on B-Serie. Ta.bles ... .. 105 BI •• Workers and non-worken olasllified by SIX and - broad age groupe- Fly leaf 106 Table 107-108 B III Part A Industrial classification of workers and noa­ workers by educational leyels in urbaD areas only- Fly leaf l09 Table - 110-111 B III Part B h' Induitrial classifica.tion of workers and non­ workers by educationa.l levels in rural areas only- Fly leaf 112 Table - - - 113-11& B IV Part A _ Industrial classification by sex and class of worker of persons Itt work a.t household Industry- Fly leaf - - 119-UO Table - - - 121 .... 122 B IV Part B I,. Industrial cIa.siti cation ay sex and class of worker of per sons .t work in DQn-houaehold industry, trade, businesliJ, profession or service- Fly leaf .. ... .'. 123 Ta.ble .. - 12'-127 B IV Pa.rt C Industrial classification by sex and cl&s8 of worker of persons at work in household Industries, non-household industrie8, trade, business, profession or service- Fly lea.f _ •• •.. - 128 TabJe _ •• _ - 129-131 :BV Occllpational olaslifica.tion by sex of perSOD!! at work other than cultivation- Fly lea.f I. ... - 133 TAble .. ., . - - 134-134 PAGES :B VI Occupational division of persons at werk other than cultiTa.tion clusified by sex, broad age groups and educational lovell in urban a.reas only- Fly leaf •• 185 Table .. .. 186-193 B VII Par\ A PerSOBS working principally (i) as cultivators (ii) as agricultural labourers or (iii) a.t house­ hold industry clas~ified by sex and by secondary v; ork (i) at household industry (ii) as cult,ivator (iii) as agricultural labourtlr- Fly leaf 1'4 Tabla 195-197 B VII Part B Industrial classifica.tion by Ret: of persons working in non-house~old industry, trade, business, profession or service wh.o are also engaged in household in dustry. Fly leaf .'. t •• 198 Table .. .. 11)8-200 ~ VIII Part A Persons unemp](')yed aged 15 and a.bove by Bex, broad age groups and educational levels in urban 8Jrea8 only- Fly leaf •.• .. 201 Ta.ble •• ..... 202-2{)4: B VIII Part B .. Persons unemployed aged 15 and above by sex a.nd educational levels In rural aleae only- Fly leaf - 205 Table ... ~OG. 1) IX •• PerSuUt; uot at work classified by sex, ·broad age groups- 'and type of aotivity- Fly leaf .• 207 Table ... 20B-211 Note on Houlehold Economio Tables 215-~22 Appendix.-Local rights in land in Coimba­ 223-22( tore. BX Sa.tIlplA hs>pseholds (i) engaged neither in cultiva.tion nor household indmstl'Y, (iil "engaged either in cultivation or household industry but not in both and (iii) engaged both in cultivation aId household industry., for all areas- Fly leaf ... 225 Table - - - - - - - 22' B XI .. Sample households engaged in cultiva.tion classified by interest in land and size of land cultivated in rural and urban areas • "Ieparat,efy- Fly leaf - - ...