COASTAL DISTRICT PROFILES OF TAMIL NADU ENVIS CENTRE Department of Environment Government of Tamil Nadu Prepared by Suganthi Devadason Marine Research Institute No, 44, Beach Road, Tuticorin -628001 Sl.No Contents Page No 1. THIRUVALLUR DISTRICT 1 2. CHENNAI DISTRICT 16 3. KANCHIPURAM DISTRICT 28 4. VILLUPURAM DISTRICT 38 5. CUDDALORE DISTRICT 50 6. NAGAPATTINAM DISTRICT 64 7. THIRUVARUR DISTRICT 83 8. THANJAVUR DISTRICT 93 9. PUDUKOTTAI DISTRICT 109 10. RAMANATHAPURAM DISTRICT 123 11. THOOTHUKUDI DISTRICT 140 12. TIRUNELVELI DISTRICT 153 13. KANYAKUMARI DISTRICT 174 THIRUVALLUR DISTRICT THIRUVALLUR DISTRICT 1. Introduction district in the South, Vellore district in the West, Bay of Bengal in the East and i) Geographical location of the district Andhra Pradesh State in the North. The district spreads over an area of about 3422 Thiruvallur district, a newly formed Sq.km. district bifurcated from the erstwhile Chengalpattu district (on 1st January ii) Administrative profile (taluks / 1997), is located in the North Eastern part of villages) Tamil Nadu between 12°15' and 13°15' North and 79°15' and 80°20' East. The The following image shows the district is surrounded by Kancheepuram administrative profile of the district. Tiruvallur District Map iii) Meteorological information (rainfall / ii) Agriculture and horticulture (crops climate details) cultivated) The climate of the district is moderate The main occupation of the district is agriculture and allied activities. Nearly 47% neither too hot nor too cold but humidity is of the total work force is engaged in the considerable. Both the monsoons occur and agricultural sector. Around 86% of the total in summer heat is considerably mitigated in population is in rural areas engaged in the coastal areas by sea breeze. The months Agriculture and Allied activities. The major between April and June are generally very crops grown in the district are rice, cumbu - hot with temperature going up to an average ragi, green gram, black gram, sugar cane and groundnut. Apart from this, certain of 37.9º C. During the winter (December - horticultural crops like mango, guava and January) the average temperature is 18.5º C. vegetables have also bean cultivated The coastal areas receive more rains than the successfully. interior ones. The average normal rainfall of Total cultivated Area (ha) : 184198 the district is 1104 mm. Out of the total 52% Net Area Sown (ha) : 136648 of the rainfall occurs during the northeast Area Sown more than once (ha) : 50550 monsoon period and 41% during south west Cropping Intensity : 134.8% monsoon period. The district mainly depends on the monsoonal rainfall and faces distress conditions in the event of the failure Details of Crops Cultivated: of monsoons. Paddy 2. Resource-availability Paddy is the principal crop extensively cultivated during three season & i) Land resources (soil types) Sornavari (April to July), Samba (August to November) and Navarai (December to The Coastal region is mostly flat March). Normal area under paddy is 82869 while certain areas in Tiruttani and ha and Normal productivity of rice per ha. is Pallipattu taluks are undulated and even 3359 Kgs. hilly. The types of soil predominantly found are red noncalcareous and coastal alluvial. Millets The soil found in the coastal region is of the erinaceous type (sandy), suitable for The normal area under millets is casuarina plants. The predominant soil types 1578 ha. Among millets, cumbu is major are sand and sandy loam which are found in millet crop generally sown under rainfed all taluks with red loam in part of Tiruthani condition in a normal area of 1220 ha. The Taluk. Saline and alkaline soils also noticed normal productivity under millet is 2049 in some patches of Ambathur, Ponneri and Kgs / ha. Tiruvallur Division. Pulses The normal area under pulses is 8611 ha under Kharif and Rabi seasons and larger area of pulses is cultivated during Rabi season. The normal productivity of pulses is Mineral Resources in Thiruvallur District 549 Kgs. / ha. The predominant pulses crop Minor Minerals cultivated are reengram, Blackgram and Lime Shell : Pulikat Lake, Redgram. Sunnambukulam, Annamalaicherry Oilseeds Silica Sand : Elavoor, Eravanoor, Ennore, Groundnut is the major oilseed crop Gummidipoondi and cultivated in a normal area of 17401 ha Ponneri Taluks under Kharif and Rabi seasons. More area is Stoneware Clay : Adhigathur, Odhapai, cultivated during Rabi Season. The Normal Gudapakkam Kandigai productivity is 4274 Kgs. / ha. Major Minerals Sugarcane River Sand : Kosasthaliyar, Araniar, Sugarcane is cultivated in a total area Kallar, Nandi, Coovam of 5848 ha. with normal cane productivity of Blue Metal : Pallipattu and Tiruttani Taluks 117 MT / ha. Gravel : Ponneri and Gummidipoondi Taluks iii) Forest resources (reserved forest Brick Clay : Thiruvallur and Ponneri Taluk area / protected areas) v) Water Resources (river / major lakes Forests occupy 5.8% of the total and estuaries) area. The total extent of Reserved Forests and Reserve Lands are 19791 ha protected Apart from seasonal rivers like by this Division. About 1800 ha of Reserve Kesathaliar, Aravar, Nandi, Kallar, Coovam Lands, notified under section 26 of Tamil and Buckhingham Canal there is no Nadu Forest Act is also under active perennial river in the district. Since these consideration for declaration of Reserve seasonal rivers are not sufficient, irrigation Forest. These Lands are in bits and pieces through tanks, tube wells and open wells are spreading over the district. The total no. of very common. blocks is 108. The forest types available in the district are one of tropical in nature and vi) Fisheries production (fish landing they fall under dry thorn and dry evergreen details / aquaculture) types. Much of the natural forests have been converted into man-made forests since the The total coastal area of the district late 50s. However, chunks of natural forests is about 49803 ha and has a coast line of 80 still exist but in various stages of km for marine fisheries. Prawn/shrimp degradation. culture is famous along the coast line of Gummidipoondi and Minjur. The total iv) Mineral resources (garnet etc.) marine fish production is to the tune of 7937 tonnes and inland fish production 14816 The district does not contain any tonnes during 2009-10. The inland fresh precious mineral. However it has a few water area spreads over 75006 ha. and varieties of major and minor minerals. estuaries and brackish water area are 14841 Lingam) on the North and Tiruvalangadu (of ha. puranic fame) with Lord Nataraja on the East. Marine fishing is practised in 39 fishing villages of the district. Marine and Bhavani Amman Temple, Periyapalayam inland production has increased both in Bhavani Amman Temple in quality and value. A comparison of fish Periyapalayam near Chennai attracts to production indicates that the coastal many devotees, Bhavani Amman is the main production is slightly higher than the inland deity of the temple, and people throng here fish production during 2009-10. in thousands on weekends and in the month of Aadi and Avani. Located at about 45 kms. vii) Heritage Resources (shore temples / from Chennai at Chennai-Kolkata highway churches) near Red Hills people can reach Periyapalayam earily. Lord Arulmigu Subramaniya Swami Temple, Tiruttani The Temple is busy throughout the year and people visit the temple with their The beautiful temple of Lord families and seek the blessings of Bhavani Muruga at Tiruttani crowns a single rock Amman. Especially on the weekends people 700 ft. above sea level. It is situated amidst a visit here in groups and have a divine get range of hills with a panoramic view. This together here. sacred place is situated in the Chennai- Mumbai 13 Kms. from Arakkonam and 84 Vadivudaiamman Thygarajaswami Tempe, Thiruvottriyur Kms. from Chennai. Around this town are famous religious places such as North Chennai, the industrial face of Kancheepuram (Banares of the South) on Chennai, from refineries to the transport highway South, Sholingar and Vallimalai on offices North Chennai stands as the densely the West, the popular and renowned populated place of the city. Thiruvotriyur pilgrimage centre, Tirupati (otherwise called nestled in this part of the city is the place of Balaji) and Kalahasti (with its Vayu importance during the month of Aadi as Vadivudaiamman thygarajaswami temple is located here. Sri Viswaroopa Panchamukha Anjaneyaswami Temple There is a shrine for Panchamukha Hanuman at Kumbakonam. This is taken as the reference for the sculpturing of the Swami Murti ashram. The Mahapradishtai of 32 ft. tall Sri Viswaroopa Panchmukha Anjaneyaswami at Periakuppam Village at Tiruvallur ( 45 kms. from Chennai, enroute to Tirupathy ) was performed on the Lord Arulmigu Subramaniya Swami 6th June, 2004 with the blessings of Gurudev Temple, Tiruttani Poojyasri "Mantramurthy Dasan" S.Venkatesa Bhattachariar Swamigal, Founder Trustee of Sri Viswaroopa site of Old Dutch settlement. Migratory Panchmukha Anjaneyaswami Foundation, a birds from various countries flock here registered trust. every year between December and February. This happened to be a unique event for the entire humanity. The uniqueness is 3. Impacts due to the fact that this is the one and only Pradishtai in the entire world under the i) Urbanization (municipal solid waste mantra shastra. dumping / sewage etc.) Devi Karumariamman Temple, Thiruver The proportion of urban population kadu to total population has shown fluctuations The city of Chennai is well over the decades in the district. The connected by Air, Rail and Road Routes. At estimated sewage generation is at 284.67 Chennai, we have International and mld in urban centres with a break up of Domestic Airports facilitating the people 202.42 mld for municipalities and 82.25 mld from all over the world to reach the city with for town panchayats. There is no treatment ease. Chennai has two Railway Terminals plant in the district and therefore there is no facilitating the movements of North South, organised disposal of sewage.