\

DISTRICT SURVEY REPORT

OF TIRUNELVELI
 PREFACE

In Compliance to the Notification Issued by the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate
change Dated 15.01.2016, the preparation of District survey report of minor minerals is in
accordance appendix 10 of the notification. It is also mentioned here that the procedure of
preparation of District Survey Report is as per notification guidelines. Every effort have been
made to cover mining locations, areas & overview of Mining activity in the district with all its
relevant features pertaining to geology & mineral wealth in replenishable and non-
replenishable areas. This report will be a model and guiding document which is a
compendium of available mineral resources, geographical set up, environmental and
ecological set up of the District and is based on data of various departments, published reports
and websites. The data may vary due to flood, heavy rains and other natural climates.
Therefore, it is recommended that Sub Divisional Level Committee may take into
consideration all its relevant aspects / data while scrutinizing and recommending the
application for EC to the concerned Authority.
 SURVEY REPORT
OF
TIRUNELVELI DISTRICT

As per Gazette notification of 15th January 2016 of Ministry of Environment, Forest and
Climate Change a Survey shall be carried out by the District Environment Impact Assessment
Authority (DEIAA) with assistance of irrigation department, Drainage department, Forest
department, Mining department and Revenue department in the district for preparation of
District Survey Report as per the sustainable Miner mineral mining guidelines to ensure
identification of areas of aggradations or deposition where mining can be allowed; and
identification of areas of erosion and proximity to infrastructural structures and installations
where mining should be prohibited and calculation of annual rate of replenishment and
allowing time for replenishment after mining in that area.

Every effort have been made to cover mining locations, areas & overview of Mining activity
in the district with all its relevant features pertaining to geology & mineral wealth in
replenish-able and non-replenish-able of particular areas. The mineral potential is calculated
based on field investigation & geology of the catchment area. Also as per the site conditions
and locations, depth of minable mineral is defined. The area for removal of the mineral in a
particular area is decided depending on geo-morphology & other factors, it can be 10% to
40% of the area. Other constituents like clay soil and silt are excluded as waste while
calculating the mineral potential of particular mining area. This District Survey Report shall
 form the basis for application for environment clearance, preparation of reports and
appraisal of projects. The report shall be updated once every five years.

1. INDRODUCTION:

Tirunelveli district is bounded by Virudhunagar district in the north, Thoothukudi

district in the east, in the south by Gulf of Mannar and by Kerala State in the west and
Kanniyakumari in the southwest. The District lies between 08º08'09’’N to 09º24'30’’N
Latitude, 77º08'30’’E to 77º58'30’’E Longitude and has an area extent of 6810 sq.km. There
are 19 Blocks, 425 Villages and 2579 Habitations in the District.
 Fig.No.1: TIRUNELVELI DISTRICT AND TALUK MAP

2. PHYSICAL FEATURES & GEOGRAPHICAL AREA:

1. BRIEF DETAIL OF MADURAI DISTRICT

S.NO ITEMS STATISTICS

GENERAL INFERMATION

a)Geographical area(S.q.km) 6823.08 (12.97%)

i)
b) Administrative divisions
31.03.2007
as on
 1. Number of Taluk 9

2. Number of Block 19

e)Number of villages 586

Population
ii)
(as on 2011Censes)

Total- 3,077,233

Total population Male-1,520,912

Female-1,556,321

iii) Average annual rainfall (mm) 879.78

Geomorphology

Papanasam Upper slopes, Kalakkadu upper slope.

1. Major physiographic
Chittar plains, Thamarabarani plains &
units
Naguneri plains.

2. Major Drainage Thamarabarani, Nambiar, Chittar & Karamaniyar

Land use (Sq.km) during 2005-

06

iv) 1. Forest area 1208.01 Sq.km

2. Net area sown 1666.21 Sq.km

3. Cultivable waste 474.42 Sq.km

 Deep Red soil, Red Sandy soil, Black cotton Soil,
v) Major soil types
Saline Coastal Alluvium and River Alluvium.

Area under principal crops (as

on (2005-2006)

1. Paddy 86397Ha, 62%

vi)
2. Groundnut 2553Ha, 2%

3. Pulses 2193Ha, 2%

4. Sugarcane 4614, 3%

Irrigation by different sources Area irrigated (Ha)

(2005-06)
Number

1.dug wells - 45376

vii) 2. Tube wells - 971

3. Tanks 22272 46980

4. Canals 285 175586

5. Net irrigated area 111132Ha

6. Gross irrigated area 139776Ha

NUMBERS OF GROUND WATER MONITORING WELLS OF CGWB (AS ON

31.03.2007)

1. No of dug wells 32

2. No of piezometers 24

viii) PREDOMINANT GEOLOGICAL Recent Alluvium, Granite Gneiss & Charnockites

 FORMATIONS

ix) HYDROGEOLOGY

1. Major water bearing Alluvium, weathered Granite Gneiss &

formation Charnockites.

ii) Pre –Monsoon depth to

1. o 13.35 m bgl
water level

2. post- monsoon depth to

1. o 07.97 m bgl
water level

Fall (m/year)
3. Long term water level trend Rise (m/year)
in 10 years Min:0.0021 Min:0.0169

Max:1.1284 Max:0.6893

GROUND WATER EXPORATION BY CGWB( AS ON 31-03-20070

1. Number of exploration
25
wells

1. II.Number of observation
xi) 5
wells

2. III.Number of piezometers
25
under Hydrology project.

iv.Depth range (m) 20.40 to 212.0 m bgl.

v. Discharge (lps) 1 to 4.50

 vi. Storativity (S) 1.87 x 10-3 to 4.8 x 10-3

vii.Transmissivity ( m2/ day) 3 to 475

GROUND WATER QUALLITY

xii) 1. Presence of chemical

constituents more than NO3, CL, & TDS
permissible limit

2. Type of water NaCl, & Mixed

DYNAMIC GROUND WATER RESOURCES (as on 31.03.2004) in MCM

1. Annual Replenishable
897.49
ground water resources

2. Total Annual ground water

465.69
draft for all purposes.
xiii)
3. Projected demand for
domestic and industrial uses 40.38
up to 2025

4. Stage of ground water

52%
development

1. ROAD TRANSPORT

Tirunelveli city is well-connected by roads. It is located on NH 7, 150 kilometers (93

mi) to the south of Madurai and 80 kilometers (50 mi) to the north of Kanyakumari. NH7A,
an extension of NH7, connects Tirunelveli with Tuticorin. The road infrastructure is being
 expanded with an extensive 4 carriageway expansion and the NH7A stretch is almost in its
final stage.

2. RAILWAY TRANSPORT

The city is beautiful by a majestic looking structure with a high elevated faced is one
of the busiest and most important stations in Tamil Nadu. It is connected to major cities in all
four direction. Madurai to the North, Nagercoil to the south, Tenkasi to the West and
Tiruchendur to the East.

3.0 PHYSIOGRAPHY:
a) Topography and Drainage/River:

Tirunelveli district falls in Tamiraparani river basin, which is the main river of the distr
ict.The river has a large network of tributaries which includes the Peyar, Ullar, Karaiyar, Serv
alar, Pampar, Manimuthar,Varahanathi, Ramanathi, Jambunathi, Gadana nathi, Kallar, Karun
aiyar, Pachaiyar, Chittar, Gundar, Aintharuviar,Hanumanathi, Karuppanathi and Aluthakanni
ar draining the district. The river Tamiraparani originates from the hills in the west and enters
Thoothukudi District and finally confluences in Bay of Bengal.
The other two rivers draining the district are river Nambiar and Hanumanathi of Nangu
neri taluk in the south that are nothpart of the Tamiraparani river basin. The small part of the
district in the northern part falls in river Vaippar basin. Thamarabarani, Nambiar, Chittar and
Karamaniar are the important rivers draining the district. Amarabarani originating from
Papanasam flows thorough the district.The Nambiyar river originates in the eastern slopes of
the Western ghats near Nellikalmottai about 9.6 km west of Tirukkurugundi village at an
altitude of about 1060 m amsl At the foot of the hills, the river is divided into two arms. The
main arm is joined by Tamarabarani at the foothills. Chittar originatesnear Courtallam and
flows through Tenkasi and confluences with Tamarabarani. The hilly terrains have resulted in
number of falls in the district. There are three major falls in Manimuttar reservoir catchments
area and there are few falls in the Tamarabarani River also. A series of falls in Chittar River
 in Courtallam comprising Five Falls, Honey Falls, Main falls and Old Courtallm Falls are
some of the important falls in the area. The drainage pattern in general is dendritic. In
addition, there are eight dams at the places as given below for irrigation and power eneration
purposes.
Papanasam, Servalar, Manimuttar, Gadana Nadhi, Ramanathi, karuppanadhi, Gundat
& Advainainar Koil.

4.0 CLIMATE AND RAINFALL DATA

1. Climate Conditions of Tirunelveli district:

The district, in general experiences tropical climate with minor changes. The normal
temperature varies between 24.4°C and 27.1°C at mean minimum, whereas the hottest climate
experiences from March to May with mercury reaching 38.5°C at the highest. The climate is
comparatively cool during the months from November to February. The average rainfall
during 2005-06 is 917.86mm and the number of rainy days varies from 98 to 110.
2. Humidity

The relative humidity, in general around the year is between 55 and 65% in most parts
of the district, except during the north-east monsoon season when it is over 65%. However,
the coastal areas will be comparatively more humid.
3. RAINFALL:

The average annual rainfall and the 5 years rainfall collected from IMD, Chennai is as
follows:
Actual Rainfall in mm Normal Rainfall in mm

2011 2012 2013 2014 2015

896.90 724.00 1348.50 1546.80 845.10

Senkottai, Sankarankoil and all along the coast and it decreases towards inland. The areas
around Ambasamudram, Tirunelveli and Kadayanallur receive minimum rainfall. The district
enjoys a Sub tropical climate. The period from May to June is generally hot and dry. The
weather is pleasant during the period from December to January. The relative humidity is on
an average between 79 and 84%. The mean minimum temperature is 22.9°C and means
maximum daily temperature is 33.5°C respectively.

1. GEOMORPHYLOGY AND SOIL TYPES

1. Geomorphology

Tirunelveli district is bordered by Western Ghats (Ridge and valley complex) in the
West. A major part of the district constitutes a plain terrain with a gentle slope toward East
and Southeast, except for the hilly terrain in the west. The general elevation of the area varies
from less than 10 to 1408 m (Tulukkaparai hill range). The prominent geomorphic units
identified in the district through interpretation of Satellite imagery are Structural Hill, Bazada
Zone, Valley Fill, Flood Plain, Pediment, Shallow buried pediment, Deep buried pediment
and Coastal Plain.

2. Soils type:

Soils in the area have been classified into

1. Deep Red soil

1. Red Sandy Soil.

2. Block Cotton Soil.

3. Saline Coastal Alluvium, and

 4. River Alluvium.

Major parts of the area are covered by Deep Red soil and are found in Sivakasi,
Tenkasi, Senkottai and Sankarankoil blocks and it is suitable for cultivating coconut and
palmyrah trees. Red sandy soil also in reddish yellow in colour and are found in Nanguneri,
Ambasamudram, and Radhapuram blocks and it is suitable for cultivating groundnut, millets
and pulses etc.,

The soil condition of the district may be grouped into two main varieties namely red
loam soil and black soil. The black soil is of a higher value compared to the red loam soil and
the black soil of the Tamirabarani River Valley overlies a stiff yellow colour. The red loam
found in Tenkasi, Shenkottai, Sivagiri, and Radhapuram Taluks. The black soil is found in
Sankarankoil, Palayamkottai, and Tirunelveii Taluks. The other soils like lateritic, sandy
coastal alluvial soil and red-sand soil are not found much in the district. It is showed in Table
In the south-east coast of the soil is deep, loose and red loam surfaced by sand with its depth
varying from a few inches to 20 feet
 The Block Cotton Soil is found in Tirunelveli, Palayankottai and Sankarankoil blocks,
and it is suitable for cultivating Paddy, Ragi and Cholam etc., The Saline Coastal Alluvium
are dark grey to deep brown in colour and spread over the Nanguneri and Radhapuram
blocks. The River alluvial soils occur along the river courses of Tamrabarani and Chittar river
covering in the blocks Tirunelveli and Palayankottai and it is suitable for cultivating
Groundnut, Chillies and Cumbu.
5. IRRIGATION: The nine-fold lands use classification for the district is given below. (2005-06)

The chief irrigation sources in the area are the tanks, reservoirs and followed by wells
and bore wells. The block wise and source wise net area irrigated in Ha is given below (2005-
06).
Net area irrigated by
Total Net
S.No Block Tupe Area
Ordinary Other
Canals Tanks /Bore irrigated
wells sources
wells

1. Manur 2453 2997 0 1856 0 7306

2. Palayamkottai 2314 3672 0 967 0 6953

3. Sankarankovil 0 2019 0 3276 0 5295

4. Kuruvikulam 0 943 0 3989 0 4932

5. Melaneelitha nallur 0 1264 49 2390 0 3703

6. Tenkasi 1178 2904 79 1032 2 5195

 7. Kelapavoor 598 2891 0 1760 0 5249

8. Alagulam 0 775 0 3847 0 4622

9. Kadayanallur 503 3244 114 2567 0 6428

10. Senkottai 1052 1749 0 522 0 3323

11. Vasude vanallur 0 6311 0 6331 247 12889

12. Ambasamudram 2578 1253 8 329 0 4168

13. Kadayam 1700 1916 51 1517 0 5154

14. Cheranmadevi 2762 2492 25 1129 0 6408

15. Pappakudi 1486 1903 0 3204 0 6593

16. Nanguneri 16 4636 324 2668 0 7644

17. Kalakkadu 916 4161 6 2007 0 7090

18. Radhapuram 0 975 161 2685 0 3821

19. Valliyur 0 875 154 3300 0 4329

Total 17556 46980 917 45376 249 111132

6. STUDIES/ ACTIVITIES CARRIED OUT BY CGWB:

Central Ground Water Board carried out the Systematic hydrogeological surveys in
the district during the period between 1977-78, 1978–79 and 1989-90. Detailed
Geophysical investigations (Electrical Resistivity Surveys and Profiling) were carried out in
parts of Nanguneri, Sattankulam and Tiruchendur taluks in 1978. Reappraisal
 hydrogeological surveys were conducted during the period of 1993 – 94. CGWB carried out
exploratory drilling in the coastal sedimentary tract of the area and six exploratory
boreholes were drilled down to the basements in depth ranging from 45 to 130m bgl.
Groundwater exploration was also taken up by CGWB in hard rock. In hard rock areas 12
bore holes were drilled down to a depth of 200m bgl.

CGWB is monitoring the groundwater regime for the changes in water level and
water quality through 32 dug wells and 24 piezometers. The monitoring of water levels are
carried out during May (Pre monsoon), August (Middle of south west monsoon),
November (post south west monsoon & initial stage of north east monsoon) & January
(Post North east monsoon) to study the impact of rainfall on groundwater regime. Water
samples are collected during May for determining the changes in chemical quality of
groundwater.

7. GROUND WATER SCENARIO:

1. Hydrogeology

The district is underlain by both porous and fissured formations. The important
aquifer systems in the district are constituted by i) Weathered and fractured hard rock
formations of Archaean age. ii) Porous sedimentary formations ranging in age from
Tertiary and Recent.
 The porous formations are found as small patch in the southeastern part of the
district and include sandstones, Limestones, Laterite and Clays from Tertiary to
Quaternary. Isolated occurrence of calcareous sandstone and fossiliferous limestone are
seen in coastal area on the southeastern side. The fossiliferous limestone is found south
west of Kudankulam covering an area of 3 sq.km. Laterites are exposed as patches along
Radhapuram-Edakkadu, Vijayanarayanam-Kumarapuram, Ittamoli, Nanguneri and Uramozi
area. Beach sand occurs as a patch along the coast with a width varying from 50-250m in
Idindakarai-Ovari Belt. The river alluvium is found along the river courses and the thickness
of alluvium is restricted to 5-6m.

The exploration in sedimentary tract has revealed that the depth to basement occurs
at a depth of 120m bgl and granular zones are encountered between the depths of 20 to
92 m bgl. The yield of bore wells varies from 1-4.5 lps. The aquifer at the shallow depth is
under unconfined condition and aquifer at depth is under semi-confined to confined
condition. The shallow aquifer is developed through dug wells and deeper aquifer through
tube wells. The dug well can sustain a pumping of 4 to 6 hours while the tube wells can
sustain a pumping of 6-8 hours.

The water-bearing properties of crystalline formations, which lack primary porosity,

depend on the extent of development of secondary intergranular porosity. These aquifers
are highly heterogeneous in nature due to variation in lithology, texture and structural
features even within short distances. Ground water generally occurs under phreatic
conditions in the weathered mantle and under semi-confined conditions in the fissured
and fractured zones at deeper levels. The thickness of weathered zone in the district is in
the ranges up to 30m bgl.

The yield of large diameter wells in the district, tapping the weathered mantle of
crystalline rocks ranges from 50 to 250 lpm and are able to sustain pumping for 3 to 5
hours per day. The Specific capacity of large diameter wells tested in crystalline rocks
ranges from 25 to 300 lpm / m. of drawdown. The yield characteristics of wells vary
considerably depending on the topographic set-up, lithology and nature of weathering.

The groundwater exploration in the district down to a depth of 200m bgl has revealed
that in the western part of the district potential fractures are encountered beyond 100m
bgl while in the rest of the area, potential fractures are restricted to 100m bgl. The yield of
the wells varies from 1 to 3.6 lps. In general, the wells drilled by various State agencies
mainly for domestic purposes have yield in the range of 63 to 270 lpm. The depth to water
level in the district varied between 1.19 to 13.35 m bgl during premonsoon depth to water
level (May 2006) and varied between 0.18 to 7.97 m bgl during post monsoon depth to
water level (Jan 2007). The seasonal fluctuation shows a fall in water level, which ranges
from –0.12 to –2.14 m bgl, and rise in water level, which ranges from 0.33 to 11.24 m bgl.
The piezometric head varied between 1.72 to 13.65 m bgl (May 2006) during pre monsoon
and 0.47 to 13.25 m bgl during post monsoon.
 Fig.No 2: GEOMORPHOLOGY OF THE TIRUNELVELI DISTRICT

2. Long Term Fluctuation:

The long-term water level fluctuation for the period 1998-2007 indicates both rise and
fall in different parts of the district. The rise in water level is in the range of 0.0021 to
1.1284 m/year, while the fall is the water level varies between 0.0169 and 0.6893 m/year.

3. Aquifer Parameters

Hydraulic
Yield of Transmisstivity Specific
Formation conductivity Storability
wells (lps) (m2/day) Yield (%)
(m/day)

Porous
1.0-4.5 50-250 20-65 3-6 1.98x10-4
Formation

Weathered
<1-4.0 25-150 <1-15 1.5 -
Rock

Fractured 1.87x10-3 to
1.0-3.6 25-250 <1.25 -
rock 4.8x10-3

4. Ground Water Resources

The ground water resources have been computed jointly by Central Ground Water
Board and State Ground & Surface Water Resources and Development Centre (PWD, WRO
 and Government of Tamil Nadu) as on 31st March 2004 and salient features of the
computations are furnished below.

5. Ground Water Quality

The chemical characteristics of ground water in the phreatic zone in Tirunelveli

District has been studied using the analytical data of ground water samples collected from
Network Hydrograph Stations of CGWB and for deeper aquifers from water samples
collected during exploration programme of CGWB.

Ground water quality of phreatic aquifers in Tirunelveli district, in general, is

colourless, odourless and slightly alkaline in nature. The specific electrical conductance of
ground water in phreatic zone (in Micro Seimens at 25oC) during May 2006 was in the range
of 510 to 9320 µS/cm. And major parts are having the electrical conductivity below
1500µS/cm. The quality of formation water in the fractured aquifer varies from place to place.
Electrical Conductivity varies form 487 (Kuruvikulam) to 3620 µS/cm(Taruvai) at 250 C and
Chloride content varies from 28 to 1049 mg/L. Electrical conductivity in major parts of the
district is less than 2000 µS/cm at 25C.

The quality of groundwater in porous formation shows variations with depth. The
exploration at Puttataruvai (near the boundary of Thoothukudi District) revealed the presence
of good quality water in the depth range of 24-32m while the saline water was noticed in the
depth range of 49-54 & 75-78m bgl. It is observed that the ground water is suitable for
drinking and domestic uses in respect of all constituents except few places are having higher
concentration of NO3 than the BIS permissible limit.

Fig.No:3 Ground Water Level of the Tirunelveli District

6. Water Conservation and Artificial Recharge:

 CGWB had prepared a master plan to augment groundwater potential by
saturating the shallow aquifer taking into consideration the available unsaturated
space during post monsoon and available uncommitted surplus run off.
Subsequently, computations have been made for Drought Prone Area Programme
(DPAP) for over exploited and critical blocks in the districts warranting immediate
attention. Institute of Remote Sensing, Anna University had prepared block wise
maps demarcating potential zones for artificial recharge for the State of Tamil Nadu.
Subsequently, State Government agencies have constructed artificial recharge
structures with their own fund or with fund from Central Government, dovetailing
various government programmers.

Ministry of Water Resources, Government of India has initiated Dug Well

Recharge Scheme in the State. The scheme is being implemented by the Nodal
Department (SG &SWRDC, PWD, WRO and Government of Tamil Nadu) with the
technical guidance of CGWB. The subsidy of Rs4000/- for small and marginal
farmers and Rs2000/- for the other farmers is credited to the beneficiaries’ bank
account through NABARD. The scheme after implementation will prove to be
beneficial to the irrigation sector. The available uncommitted surplus run off has to
be recomputed, taking into consideration the quantum of recharge effected
through existing irrigation dug wells also. The existing structures and uncommitted
surplus flow should be considered for further planning of artificial recharge
programme. On the basis of experimental studies, it has been found that desilting
of existing tanks followed by percolation pond with recharge wells, recharge shafts
are economical.

There is considerable scope for implementation of roof – top rainwater

harvesting in the district. Recharge pits / Shafts / trenches of suitable design are
ideal structures for rainwater harvesting in such areas. Central Ground Water Board
 is also providing free technical guidance for implementation of rooftop rainwater
harvesting schemes.

7. GROUNDWATER RELATED ISSUSE & PROBLEMS:

In view of the comparatively high level of ground water development in

Melneelithinallur, Valiyur, Sankarankoil & Radhapuram Blocks, these blocks may be
considered as vulnerable to water level depletion. Radhapuram Block being o the

coast, the high level of groundwater development may result in seawater intrusion
in

future if augmentation measures are not taken up.

8. GEOLOGY AND MINERAL RESOURCES:

In the coastal tract of Tuticorin and Tirunelveli Districts, a group of fine grained
limestone and gritty sandstone intercalated with pebble beds are found to overlie
the Archaean unconformably and below the recent formations. These are referred
to as Panamparai Sandstone and their fossil assemblage indicates Mio-Pliocene
age. The entire assemblage of Panamparai points to a mixture of continental and
marine derivation. Along the west coast of Kanyakumari District, a sequence of
sandstone and clay with thin lignite seams is recorded. These are correlated to
Warkhali beds of Mio-Pliocene age of south Kerala and are similar to Cuddalore
Formation.

Kankar and tuffaceous limestone occur in the southern part of Tuticorin District and
southeastern part of Coimbatore District. Kankar occurs as conspicuous high grounds along
the margin of black cotton soil. Beds of open textured loosely indurated, coarse calcareous
gritty sandstone and shell limestone are found in the coastal tracts of Tuticorin District. These
are mostly covered by red "Teri" sands. Similar calcareous gritty sandstone (Czc) is recorded
near Soyamali in Tirunelveli District beneath the kankar. It carries vertebrate fossils of
probable Pleistocene age.
The red sand or 'teri' as known locally occupies a great part of the coastal districts of
Ramanathapuram, Tuticorin and Tirunelveli. The 'teri' lies some distance away from the shore
and forms large barren wasteland of high mounds and ridges composed of piles of red dunes
with intervening depressions. The formation is made up mainly of red stained quartz with an
admixture of fine red clayey dust and fine grains of iron ore. The thickness of teri sand
increases from the coast the interior from about 1.5m to maximum 7.0 m. The sands are
composed of quartz, fragments of feldspar, magnetite and rare garnet. The alluvial soils vary
in colour and texture from light brown to dirty white and are composed of sand grains, clay
and silt. They are more sandy along River and stream courses but silty and clayey in the flood
plains.

Geological Formation Rock Type

Recent age - Topsoil- (2m Thick) Sandy clay, Alluvium soil

Tertiary age - Sandstone, Limestone

Archaean age - Gneiss, Granite,

Archaean complex - Granite, Pegmatite, Charnockite,

9. AREA NOTIFIED BY CGWA/SGWA:

 Central Ground Water Authority has not notified any area in the district.
Government of Tamil Nadu vide G.O.No. 53 has restricted groundwater
development for irrigation in the over exploited blocks of Tamil Nadu. In Tirunelveli
district the over exploited blocks are as follows.

1. Melaneelitha nallur

2. Radhapuram

3.Sankarankovil

4. Valliyur

10. LAND USE/LAND COVER MAPPING USING SATELLITE DATA:

Tirunelveli district, about 79,668 (11.7%) hectares are wet lands well suited for
the cultivation of paddy and other crops which need adequate water supply, while
others are not useful for agricultural purposes. Nearly 3,58,151 (52.5%) hectares is
dry land with no irrigation facilities for agriculture, although soil condition is
moderate for growing crops, so that it mat be used to grow drought resistant plants
which offer firewood. A block of waste lands which about 39,274 (5.7%) hectares is
proclaimed to be not useful for growing crops, because of lack of enough water,
poor soil, and undesired topographic conditions. Approximately 57,676 (8.5%)
hectares is unassessed wasteland where soil condition is fair while water supply
scarcity prevails for several months, so that it is used for agriculture only when
rainfall is high. Yet, another 1, 22,055 (17.8%) hectares is occupied by forests which
are declared to be reserves as forest resources for lion- tailed monkeys, rich in
deciduous and evergreen plants. Poromboke - common lands, covers about 25,456
(3.8%) hectares, which may be used to create social forests although water is
scarce.
The output images of land use land cover and their analysis is presented. The land
use land cover images generated for the years 2005 and 2015 along with the future
predicted land use land cover image of the year 2025 are presented in the following
figure 4. Table 1 shows the statistical change analysis of the land use land cover
between the years 2005, 2015 and 2025. An overall change in the land use land
cover in all the three years is shown in figure 4. From the change analysis of the land
use land cover between 2005 and 2015 it is observed that there is an increase in
settlement, barren land and shrub land and a decrease in water body and
agriculture. The decreased land use land cover is mostly utilized for the settlement
based upon the increase in population density. A significant change has been
occurred between the years 2015 and 2025. It is observed that there is a greater
increase in the area of settlement. The barren land, shrub lands and the agricultural
areas are converted into settlement regions due to the increase in population
density and the soil conditions. Tirunelveli and palaymkottai taluk regions would
experience rapid urbanization as predicted in the final output land use land cover
image. This prediction would be an effective tool for urban planning and
environmental management plans.
Fig.No: 4 Land use land cover obtained for the different years
 Fig. No: 5. Land use land cover (LULC) changes in different years

1. Forest

The total area of the forest in the district is 1, 22,055 hectares, of which 81,700
hectares are set apart as reserve of Kalakkadu-Mundanthurai. The entire forest of the district
stretches in the Western Ghats. As far as forest resources are concerned, about 600 species of
timber trees are grown in this district. The important of them are teak wood, rose wood, wild
jack, manjakadamba, ven teak, vengai, pillai maruthu, and karumaruthu. Cane and bamboo
are also grown in plenty. A number of industries utilising the above said woods have
developed in and around of Shenkottai and Tenkasi Taluks. The district has many lofty
mountains, low plains, rivers and sea-coasts which together provide unique geographical and
physical conditions suitable for the growth of tropical evergreen forests to thorny shrubs. The
 forests in the district are technically classified as southern hill top, tropical evergreen forests,
west coast evergreen forests, southern moist mixed deciduous forests, ochlandra reed forests,
umbrella thorn forests, southern euphoria scurbs and southern thorn scurbs.
2. Agriculture

Factors like soil nature, climatic conditions, and irrigation facilities availed, and the
like determines the cropping pattern in the district. Tirunelveli district is predominantly an
agricultural district. The district has mainly two seasons namely Kar (the first crop season -
from June to September during south-west monsoon), and Pishanam (the second crop - from
November to February during north-east monsoon). However, most of the rain-fed areas in
the district are cultivated in both the seasons.
The district has fertile soils in scattered regions. Less fertile red loam soil is distributed
over most of the region. The network of the irrigation system makes full use of the water
resources. In the district there are number of crops having been cultivated. However, cropping
pattern of the district varies from Taluk to Taluk. Wet cultivation is, essentially paddy
cultivation obtains a major share of the gross cropped area. Under dry regions, diversified
crop patterns exist and no single crop claims a large share of the gross cropped area.
Cultivation which characterises these regions is also basically milled and cash crop
cultivations. Even in dry regions, wherever water is available, it is the paddy crop that sown
by the farmers. Paddy occupies however, the largest area of cultivation, followed by cotton.
Paddy is cultivated mainly in Tirunelveli, Palayamkottai, Tenkasi, Shenkottai,
Ambasamudram, and Nanguneri Taluks, through which the perennial river Tamirabarani
flows. Other crops grown in the district are Cumbu, Ragi, Pulses, Groundnut, Gingelly,
Banana, Chilli, Sugarcane, and Indigo. Most of the crops are on the ground for three or four
months, except chilli and cotton which take more than 5 months. Portions of Sankaran Kovil
Taluk have the rich, fertile black soil which is highly suitable for cotton cultivation.

3. Irrigation
 Irrigation is the artificial application of water to soil for the purpose of crop cultivation.
As the timing and amount of rainfall are not adequate to meet the moisture requirement of
cultivation, irrigation is essential to raise crops and meet the need for food and fiber. In areas
where the rainfall is plentiful and well distributed over the year there will be year round
production. Indeed, rainfall in certain areas will be very scanty as well as uncertain. This is so
in Tirunelveli district.
The irrigation system in Tirunelveli district consists of rivers like Tamirabarani,
Manimuttaru, Pachaiyaru, Nambiyaru, and Chittaru which originating from Western Ghats
and running across the gentle slopes of the mid lands and confluence in Bay of Bengal. The
River Tamirabarani is the main source of irrigation which also provides drinking water
facilities to a number of places in the district, as well. Pabanasam, Manimuttar and Chervalar
are the major reservoirs in the district. Gadana Nathi, Ramanathi, Karuppanathi, Gundaru,
Adavi Nainar Koil, Vadakku Pachaiyaru, Kodumudiyaru, and Nambiyaru are the minor
reservoirs in the district. Besides these rivers and reservoirs the other different sources of
irrigation prevailing in the district are canal, tank and well. Of the total cropped 1, 61,976
hectares 38,080 hectares (23.5%) utilises such types of sources. The source-wise irrigation
distribution in Tirunelveli district during 2005-2006 is given in the Table.
4. Land Use Pattern

Of the total of 6, 82,300 hectares area in Tirunelveli district, about 79,668 (11.7%)
hectares are wet lands well suited for the cultivation of paddy and other crops which need
adequate water supply, while others are not useful for agricultural purposes. Nearly 3,58,151
(52.5%) hectares is dry land with no irrigation facilities for agriculture, although soil
condition is moderate for growing crops, so that it mat be used to grow drought resistant
plants which offer firewood. A block of waste lands which about 39,274 (5.7%) hectares is
proclaimed to be not useful for growing crops, because of lack of enough water, poor soil,
and undesired topographic conditions. Approximately 57,676 (8.5%) hectares is unassessed
wasteland where soil condition is fair while water supply scarcity prevails for several months,
so that it is used for agriculture only when rainfall is high. Yet, another 1, 22,055 (17.8%)
hectares is occupied by forests which are declared to be reserves as forest resources for
liontailed monkeys, rich in deciduous and evergreen plants. Poromboke - common lands,
covers about 25,456 (3.8%) hectares, which may be used to create social forests although
water is scarce.

8.0 RECOMMENDATION:

As the development of ground water has still in safe stage in many blocks of
this district, further development of ground water for creation of additional
irrigation potential has to be carried out with extreme caution.

Necessary measures for regulating the exploitation of ground water may be

implemented in the Over Exploited blocks of the district. Intensive monitoring of
ground water levels and water quality has to be taken up in the coastal areas of the
district to monitor the movement of fresh water – saline waterinterface.

Waste land development programme and micro irrigation system has to be

implemented for increasing the agricultural produces by way of more food and
income per drop of water in view of the limited water resources in the districts.
9.0 CONCLUSON:

In this work urban expansion of the rapidly growing regions Tirunelveli taluk
has been studied over the past 10 years (2005-2025) to predict the future urban
expansion in the year 2025. Satellite images from Land sat for the years 2005 and
2015 are used for this study. The total area of the study area is 6823 square
kilometers. Land use Land cover image are developed in ERDAS imagine and the
future land use land cover image was predicted using the CLUE-S due model. The
output result predict that there is a great increase in the growth of settlement due
to the conversion of barren land, shrub land and agriculture land areas in the year
2025. An accuracy of more than 80% was obtained in all stages. This rapid and
massive conversion of the agricultural and shrub land into settlement would lead to
serious environmental impacts unless proper environmental management plans
were implemented for the rapid urban area.