DISTRICT SURVEY REPORT COIMBATORE DISTRICT · It is bounded by Palakkad district of Kerala on the...
Transcript of DISTRICT SURVEY REPORT COIMBATORE DISTRICT · It is bounded by Palakkad district of Kerala on the...
DISTRICT SURVEY REPORT
COIMBATORE DISTRICT
Aadhi Boomi Mining and Enviro Tech (P) Ltd.,
(QCI/NABET Accredited EIA Consultant Organization)
No.3/216, IIIrd Cross, K.S.V.Nagar,
Narasothipatti, Salem-636004.
Phone (0427) 2440446, Cell: 09842729655
www.abmenvirotech.com
2 A.B.M.ENVIRO TECH PVT LTD
DISTRICT SURVEY REPORT OF COIMBATORE DISTRICT
Introduction
Coimbatore District is one of the districts of the state of Tamil Nadu in India. The
headquarters of the district is Coimbatore city. It is located in the western part of the state
in the Kongu region. Coimbatore lies at 11°1′6″N 76°58′21″E in at 411 meters (1349 ft)
above sea level. It is bounded by Palakkad district of Kerala on the west and by Idukki
district of Kerala in the South. Coimbatore shares its borders with Tirupur in the East and
Nilgiris in the North. A small portion of Erode district shares the border near Puliampatti in
the North East. It is about 500Kms away from Chennai and 335Kms from IT City,
Bangalore. As of 2011, Coimbatore district had a population of 3,458,045 with a sex-ratio of
1,000 and literacy rate of 84%. The district has spread over 4,723 km2 (1,824 sq mi).
The entire western and northern part of the district borders the Western Ghats with
the Nilgiri biosphere as well as the Anaimalai and Munnar ranges. The Noyyal River runs
through Coimbatore and forms the southern boundary of the old city limits. The city sits
amidst Noyyal's basin area and has an extensive tank system fed by the river and
rainwater. The eight major tanks / wetland areas of Coimbatore are Singanallur,
Valankulam, Ukkadam Periyakulam, Selvampathy, Narasampathi, Krishnampathi,
Selvachinthamani, and Kumaraswami tanks. Sanganur pallam, Kovilmedu pallam,
Vilankurichi-Singanallur Pallam, Karperayan Koil pallam, Railway feeder roadside drain,
Tiruchy-Singanallur Check drain and Ganapathy pallam are some of the streams that drain
the city. The eastern side of the Coimbatore district, including the city, is predominantly dry
the district was part of the historical Kongu Nadu and was ruled by the Cheras as it served
as the eastern entrance to the Palakkad Gap, the principal trade route between the west
coast and Tamil Nadu. In 1804, Coimbatore was established as the capital of the newly
formed Coimbatore district. The district experienced a textile boom in the early 19th
century due to the decline of the cotton industry in Mumbai. Post independence, the district
has seen rapid growth due to industrialization. Coimbatore district is well connected by
roads and highways; there are five National Highways that connects the district to other
3 A.B.M.ENVIRO TECH PVT LTD
parts of the states
District Map of Coimbatore District
Administrative Details:
Coimbatore district is divided into 9 taluks. The taluks are further divided into 19
blocks, which further divided into 481 villages.
4 A.B.M.ENVIRO TECH PVT LTD
Demographics According to 2011 census, Coimbatore district had a population of 3,458,045 with a
sex-ratio of 1,000 females for every 1,000 males, much above the national average of
929.[32] A total of 319,332 were under the age of six, constituting 163,230 males and
156,102 females. The average literacy of the district was 83.98%.The district had a total of
958,035 households. There were a total of 1,567,950 workers: 75,411 cultivators, 201,351
main agricultural laborers, 44,582 in house hold industries, 1,121,908 other workers,
124,698 marginal workers, 4,806 marginal cultivators, 28,675 marginal agricultural
laborers, 5,503 marginal workers in household industries and 85,714 other marginal
workers. Tamil is the principal official language and Kongu Tamil, a variant of Tamil
and English are widely spoken with a small proportion speaking Malayalam,
Telugu and Kannada. Hindus formed the majority of the population at 90.08% followed
by Muslims at 5.33%, Christians at 4.35% and others at 0.24%
5 A.B.M.ENVIRO TECH PVT LTD
Transport
Air The district is served by the Coimbatore International Airport at Coimbatore. The
Coimbatore International Airport caters to domestic flights to major Indian cities
like Ahmedabad, Bangalore, Chennai, Delhi, Hyderabad, Kolkata, Mumbai and international
flights to Sharjah and Singapore. Its runway is 9,760 feet (2,970 m) in length and is capable
of handling wide-bodied and "fat-bellied" aircraft used for international flights. Sulur Air
Force Station, located at Kangayampalayam near the periphery of the city, is an air base of
the Indian Air Force.
Rail Train service in Coimbatore district started in 1863, upon construction of
the Podanur – Madras line connecting Kerala and the west coast with the rest of
India. Broad gauge trains connect Coimbatore to all parts of India and Tamil Nadu. Meter
gauge line existed between Podanur and Dindigul got closed in May 2009 and is under
gauge conversion. Coimbatore Junction is well connected to all the major Indian cities and
the district comes under the Jurisdiction of the Salem Division. Coimbatore
North, Podanur, Pollachi and Mettupalayam are other important railway stations in the
district. The other stations include Peelamedu, Singanallur, Irugur, Perianaikanpalayam,
Madukkarai, Somanur and Sulur Road
Road
Coimbatore district is well connected by roads and highways. There are seven
regional transport offices namely: Coimbatore South (Peelamedu), Coimbatore North
(Thudiyalur), Coimbatore West (Kovaipudur), Mettupalayam, Pollachi and Sulur. There are
five National Highways that connects the district to other parts of the states
6 A.B.M.ENVIRO TECH PVT LTD
Geomorphology
Coimbatore district forms part of the upland plateau region of Tamil Nadu with many hill
ranges, hillocks and undulating topography with a gentle slope towards east except for the hilly
terrain in the west. The undulating topography with innumerable depressions, are used as tanks
for storage of rainwater for agriculture. The prominent geomorphic units identified in the district
through interpretation of Satellite imagery are 1) Structural hills, 2) Ridges, 3) Inselbergs, 4)
Bazada, 5) Valley fill, 6) Pediment, 7) Shallow Pediments and 8) Deep Pediments. The Nilgiris
on the northwest and Anamalai on the south are the important ranges, which attain a heights of
over 2513m above mean sea level (MSL) and the highest elevation in the valleys adjoining the
hills is 600 M above MSL. The ‘Palghat Gap’, which is an east-west trending mountain pass, is
an important physiographic feature is located in the western part of the district.
Geomorphologically, three major units are recognised from west to east. The
western part comprises the Western Ghats roughly trending N-S and marked by a
continuous range of Hills, extending from Nagercoil in the south upto Nilgiri -Bilgirirangan
Hills in the north and further northwards through Karnataka. The elevation of these Hills
ranges between 1275m and 2637m. The prominent Hills are Mahendragiri, Agasthiarmalai,
Anaimalai, Palani andNilgiris. Doddabetta with an elevation of 2637 m is the highest peak
in the Nilgiri Hills.
The east-west trending Palghat Gap is a prominent physiographic break in the
Western Ghats. The central part of the state is a vast track of dissected pediments and
pediplains. Residual Hills in this part viz., Shevaroy, Kalrayan, Chitteri, Kollimalai,
Pachchaimalai and Javadi demarcate the extensions of Eastern Ghats, while Karandamalai,
Sirumalai andKodaikanal Hills form another set of residual Hills, further south.The eastern
part of Tamil Nadu and Pondicherry and Karaikkal are marked by a coastal plain with
associated landforms like vast tidal flats, continuous beach ridges, estuaries and lagoons
and a narrow but fairly continuous beach. The area is drained by a number of Rivers such
as Palar, Cheyyar, Ponnaiyar, Cauvery, Moyar, Bhavani, Amaravathi, Vaigai, Tambraparani
etc. flowing ESE from the Western Ghats. Pondicherry and its surrounding lie in the
drainage basin of the Gingee River.
7 A.B.M.ENVIRO TECH PVT LTD
Karaikkal is located in the fertile Cauvery Delta and is fed by the waters of Arasalar,
Nattar, Vanjiyar and Nandalar. The coastline of Tamil Nadu and Pondicherry comprises a
number of cusps, spits and wave cut platforms and several palaeo-shorelines. Some of the
palaeo-shorelines extend inland suggesting periods of transgression and regression. The
ongoing geodynamic process is generally progradation along the coast, which is modified at
several places by erosion and deposition by Aeolian and fluvial agents. The eastern areas of
the central part of the state are marked by the depositional regime of many Rivers
manifested by typical fluvial features like levees, channel bars and palaeo channels, back
swamps and vast flood plains..
Rainfall and Climate
The district receives the rain under the influence of both southwest and northeast
monsoons. The northeast monsoon chiefly contributes to the rainfall in the district and
summer rains are negligible. Rainfall data from six stations over the period 1901-2000
were utilized and a perusal of the analysis shows that the normal annual rainfall over the
district varies from about 550mm to 900mm. It is the minimum around Sulur (550 mm) in
the eastern part of the district. It gradually increases towards south and attains a maximum
around Anamalai hills. The district enjoys a tropical climate. The weather is pleasant during
the period from November to January. Mornings in general are more humid than the
afternoons, with the humidity exceeding 78% on an average. In the period June to
November the afternoon humidity exceeds 66% on an average. In the rest of the year the
afternoons are drier, the summer afternoons being the driest. The period from April to June
is generally hot and dry. The temperature recorded varies from 11.7°C to 42.6°C.
Soils
The soils of Coimbatore district can be broadly classified into 6 major soils types’
viz., Red calcareous Soil, Black Soil, Red non-calcareous, Alluvial and Colluvial Soil, Brown
Soil, and Forest Soil. About 60 per cent of the district is covered by red soils, of which red
calcareous soil is predominant. They occupy most parts of Palladam, Coimbatore,
Mettupalayam and Udumalpet taluks. Medium to deep red calcareous soils are found
8 A.B.M.ENVIRO TECH PVT LTD
mainly in Pollachi and Udumalpet taluks. Parts of Palladam, Avinashi and Udumalpet taluks
are occupied by red non-calcareous soils. The highlands in Coimbatore, Palladam and
Avinashi taluks are mostly occupied by the black soils, which are dark gray to grayish
brown in co lour. The Alluvial soils are found in small patches along the Noyil River mainly
in the upper reaches. The Colluvial soils are found mainly in Chinnathadagam and
Chitrachavadi sub-basins and as scattered patches at the foothills of the Anaimalai. The
Forest soils are confined to the reserve forest area and have a surface layer of organic
matter.
Drainage:
The Bhavani River which has its origin in the silent valley ranges in Kerala state and
enters in to Coimbatore district about 25 km west of Mettupalayam and flows in a northeast
direction. The river drains an area of 1056 Sq.km with in this district. The Noyil River has its
origin in the Boluvampatty valley of the Vellingiri hills and comes to be called the Swami
Mudiyar. Further south it is joined by the Periyar and Chinnar. The Amaravathi River rises in the
Anjanad valley in the Kerala state between the Anamalai hills and the plains and flows in the
northeastern direction. Amaravathi dam is located on this river. The Palar, Aliyar and Upar
which are the main steams of the river Ponnani are originating from the Anaimalai hills and
flows in a north-northwest direction on the southern part of the district, the Aliyar and
Thirumoorthy dams are located on Aliyar and Palar respectively. The Parambikulam and
Sholaiyar streams, which are tributaries to the Periyar River has a southwesterly direction
on the southwestern part of the district. Five surface reservoirs are located on this river,
which form part of the Parambikulam Aliyar project
Hydrogeology
The district is underlain by both porous and fissured formations. The important
aquifer systems in the district are constituted by i) unconsolidated formations and ii)
weathered and fractured crystalline rocks. The porous formations in the district are
represented by alluvium and colluvium. The Colluvial formations are occurring in the
western boarder of Coimbatore district especially in Chinnathadagam and Chitrachavadi
sub-basins of Noyil river basin. Studies carried out in this area indicate that the sand and
gravel beds constitute more than 60 to 70 percent of the colluvium in the western part of
9 A.B.M.ENVIRO TECH PVT LTD
Chinnathadagam basin. The Colluvial material in Chitrachavadi basin is mostly composed
of silt and kantar with admixtures of sands and gravels. Ground water is occurring under
phreatic conditions in the colluviums and is developed by means of dug wells and bore
wells. The depth range of these shallow aquifers ranges from 34 to 56 m. The saturated
thickness of these aquifers ranges from a few meters in Chitrachavadi basin to as much as
56 m at the center of Chinnathadagam sub-basin. The river alluvium is occurring along the
major river courses. The hard consolidated crystalline rocks are represented by weathered
and fractured Granite Gneisses, Granites, Charnockites and other associated rocks. Ground
water occurs under phreatic conditions in the weathered mantle and under semi-confined
conditions in the fractured zones. The shallow aquifers in the major part of the district
occur within the depth of 30 m while in the western most part of Coimbatore; they are
more than 30 m. The depth of the wells ranged from 7 to 45 m bgl. The yield of large
diameter wells in the district, tapping the weathered mantle of crystalline rocks ranges
from 50 to 300 lpm and are able to sustain pumping for 2 to 4 hours per day. The Specific
capacity of large diameter wells tested in crystalline rocks from 6.28 to 200.00 lpm / m. of
drawdown. The yield of bore wells drilled down to a depth of 50 to 100 m, by various state
agencies mainly for domestic purposes ranged from 1 to 5 lps. The yield of successful bore wells
drilled down to a depth of 304 m bgl during the ground water exploration programme of Central
Ground Water Board ranged from
WATER LEVEL AT PRE & POST MONSOON
10 A.B.M.ENVIRO TECH PVT LTD
CGWB STUDY LOCATIONS OF DUG & EXPLORATORY WELLS
Geology:
Coimbatore district is underlain by a wide range of high grade metamorphic rocks
of the peninsular gneissic complex. These rocks are extensively weathered and overlain by
recent valley fills and alluvium at places. The geological formations found in the district are
Khondalite, Calc-granulite, complex gneiss mainly Hornblende-Biotite and crystalline
limestone, Dolerite, Charnockite, Granite gneiss, Granite and Syenite, Pegmatite, and
Quartzite veins. The generalized stratigraphic succession of the geologic formations met
within this district is as follows: Recent to Sub recent: Soils, Alluvium, Laterites, Colluvium
and Kankar. Archaean: Syenite, granite, Hornblende biotite gneiss, garnet Sillimanite,
gneiss, quartzites and charnockite. The generalized stratigraphic succession of the geologic
formations met within this district is as follows:
11 A.B.M.ENVIRO TECH PVT LTD
Age Rock Formation
Top soil –Red soil - Recent Age
Charnockite - Archaean formation
Availability of Minerals.
Coimbatore district is not endowed with any remarkable mineral wealth. Major
minerals like limestone, soap stone, quartz, & Feldspar occurs in this district in small
quantities. Minor minerals rough stone, gravel, brick earth, & granite also occur in this
district. Availability of huge quantities lime stone in Ettimadai & Walayar area of
Madukkarai Block has helped the growth of cement industries in Madukkarai. The details
of the production of minerals are given in the following table.
Mineral Resources as per GSI
Old workings for gold are also recorded in Bensibetta-Modikadavur-Inbakombai
sector in parts of Erode and Coimbatore districts. Auriferous quartz veins are found within
the sheared granitic gneisses which occur in association with charnockite, pyroxene
granulite and minor meta sedimentaries of Sathyamangalam Group. These litho units show
intense shearing marked by cataclasites, mylonites and phyllonites. Preliminary sampling
by GSI has indicated gold values from 0.1 to 0.8 g/Besides these primary gold occurrences,
placer gold is reported from several parts of Tamil Nadu in Singiliyankombai and
Iswaramurthipalaiyam area in Salem district, Veppanapalli area in Dharmapuri district and
in Arakkadavu-Gudaiyur-VelliyankaduBhavanisagar sector in Coimbatore and Erode
12 A.B.M.ENVIRO TECH PVT LTD
districts.
Baryte occurring as lenses in pegmatites occurs near Kurichchi, Coimbatore District.
The mineral is associated with quartz veins near Alangayam, Vellore district, Tamil Nadu,
Satyamangalam area (11°15'- 11°28': 76°54'-77°15'; 58 A/15 & E/3), Periyar district,
Kerala and Coimbatore district, Tamil Nadu: 64 Geological Survey of India suture zone
(transform fault?) which extends right across the Tamil Nadu State in an eastwest direction
from its western border with Kerala to the boundary of the Cretaceous sedimentary basin
on the east, Sulphide mineralization occurs in sheared, silicified zones occurring within the
meta gabbro or close to the meta gabbro/hornblende-biotite gneiss contact. These zones
contain pyrite, pyrrhotite and chalcopyrite with some nickel and gold values. In addition,
sulphide mineralisation with copper-nickel-cobalt and marginal PGE and gold values also
occurs in sheared ultramafic bodies occurring within hornblende gneiss. During regional
geochemical survey and mapping by GSI, numerous sulphides in well dumps with copper-
nickel-cobalt values and as many as 15 silicified zones with development of in situ limonite
after sulphides have been delineated. The silicified zones range in strike length from 100 -
200 m to about 6500 m, as seen in the Nadukavundanpudur and Ballepalayam and other
areas. The width of these silicified zones ranges from 0.5 m to about 8 m. Data of a few
boreholes indicate that the sulphide content ranges from sparse disseminations of less than
0.1% to as much as 50% total sulphides in some sections. Analytical data of core samples
yielded and there is bulk of limestone deposits in the district. Amphibole asbestos has been
noted near Bargur and Muddampalayam in Coimbatore district, In Gopanari-Velliyankadi
sector in Coimbatore district, forming the eastern extension of Attappadi valley in Kerala,
gold minerlisation is reported within the fractured and sheared quartz veins emplaced
along minor shears developed close to the major Bhavani Shear Zone. The general trend of
the quartz veins varies from NE-SW to ENE-WSW and occasionally along NNW-SSE to NW-
SE directions. The quartz veins occur as small stringers as well as thick veins having a
maximum width of about 5 m over 150 m length. The quartz vein contains sulphides which
are mostly pyrite and subordinate arsenopyrite. Limonitisation is seen along the fracture
planes. A total of five zones of gold mineralization represented by lensoid auriferous quartz
veins have been delineated. These zones vary in length from 7 to 13.5 km. Samples
13 A.B.M.ENVIRO TECH PVT LTD
collected from the auriferous quartz veins have shown gold values ranging from 0.03 to 3.5
g/t. This prospect falls within the Gopanari Reserved Forest area.
Mining and Quarrying in the District
Flora and Fauna Coimbatore district is home to Anaimalai Wildlife Sanctuary and National Park. The
park and sanctuary is the core of the Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve and is under consideration
by UNESCO as part of the Western Ghats World Heritage site. The park is home to a wide
variety of flora and fauna typical of the South Western Ghats. There are over 2000 species
plants of which about 400 species are of prime medicinal value. The animals in the park
include tiger, leopard, sloth bear, elephant, and Indian giant flying squirrel. The birds
endemic to the Western Ghats residing here include Nilgiri wood pigeon, Nilgiri
pipit, Nilgiri flycatcher, Malabar grey hornbill, spot-billed pelican etc. The Amaravathi
reservoir and the Amaravathi River are breeding grounds for the mugger crocodiles.
Forest
Coimbatore is one among the districts with top forest coverage. 1052 Sq. Kms of
area accounting for 22.28 % of Geographical area of Coimbatore district are under the
classification of forest. Forest exists in Karamadai, P.N. Palayam, Thondamuthur,
Madukkarai, Anaimalai & Valparai Blocks. Timber, Fuel Wood, Gallnut, Mango & Elavam are
major forest products available in this district