SOURCE OF IRRIGATED AREA,CROPPING PATTERN AND HYDROLOGICAL FEATURES IN

DINDIGUL DISTRICT

Geographic coordinates of district

LATITUDE LONGITUDE ALTIDUDE

1003’ 77015’ 926m

RAIN FALL AVERAGE(mm) NORMAL ONSET NORMAL CESSATION

S.E.MONSOON(june-sep)

218 1ST

WEEK OF

JUNE

1ST

WEEK OF

OCT

N.E.MONSOON(oct-dec)

418 2ND WEEK OF

OCTOBER

1ST

WEEK OF

DEC

WINTER(jan-feb) 45

SUMMER(mar-may) 155

ANNUAL 836

IRRIGATION:

NET IRRIGATED AREA - 99.4

GROSS IRRIGATED AREA - 105.3

RAINFED AREA - 139.5

SOIL TYPES

Red Soil,

Red Sandy Soil

Black Cotton Soil

Red soils are prevalent in palani, nattam and Odanchattiram.

Red sandy soils are prevalent in Nilakottai, Dindigul and Vedasandur.

Black soils are found in all taluks except Kodiakanal

Net ground water availability in block level

Total Ground water level in Dindigul -63422.88

Aatur 3698.57

Batlagundu 2789.69

Dindigul 3230.63

Guzliamparai 3811.04

Kodaikanal 5326.35

Natham 4295.27

Nilakottai 697813

Palani 7664.22

Reddiarchathiram 4469.81

Sanarpatti 3627.09

Thoppamampatti 6226.80

Vadamadurai 3225.63

Vadasandhur 3406.06

Oddanchattram 4773.53

- - - - Pumpsets - Micro-irrigation -

Sources of Irrigation Number Area(‘000 ha) % area

Canals 41 5.6 5.5

Tanks 3104 6.5 6.4

Open wells 94088 91.5 83.1

Bore wells 3266 3.7 3.6

Lift irrigation

Other sources 0.96 0.9

Total - 108.7 98.9

Geographical distribution of area

The Pulney hills (of Western ghat) –KodaikanalTaluk

The hills are divided into two distinct geographical zones

The Upper Pulneys.

The Lower Pulneys

The Lower Pulneys consist of peaks from 1000 to 1500 M height separated from one another by steep wooded valleys.

subtropical climate

maximum temperature - 20 oC to 30 oC,

minimum of 15 oC to 20 oC.

The rainfall is around 1455 mm

Nearly, 43 to 46% of the rainfall is received during the North East monsoon.

The South West monsoon, summer e showers and winter season rains account for 25%, 22% and 5% respectively.

Soils of the Pulney hills fall under the broad soil group “Laterite’.

Major crops/cropping pattern/cropping systems

Under the Lower Pulney hills condition, coffee is grown as a base crop under multitier cropping system.

In this system cash crops like banana, orange, pepper and chow-chow are mostly grown as inter crops.

Suggested cropping pattern

Lower Palani hills – Coffee, Mandarin, Cocoa, Vanilla, Chowchow,

Pineapple, French beans, Avocado, Cardamom, Pepper

Cut flowers

Upper Palani hills – Potato, Pear, Peaches, Plums, Apple Garlic,

Cabbage, Cauliflower, Ginger

Pineapple is grown in some rocky patches as single crop or inter crop with banana, orange, etc.,

Cardamom was normally grown in reserve forests earlier, but now in patta lands.

Multitier cropping system

Coffee + banana + orange

Coffee + orange + silver oak (or) jack (with pepper)

Coffee + orange + silver oak

Coffee + chow chow

Coffee + orange + chow chow

Coffee + lime + jack (or) silver oak

Pine apple + banana

Pine apple + orange

CROPPING PATTERN

Wet lands

I Crop : Paddy (Oct – Feb)II Crop : Paddy (Feb – March)I Crop : Paddy (Oct – Feb)II Crop : Pulses (March – May)Single Crop : Sugarcane / Banana (Dec – Jan) (June – July

GARDEN LANDS

I Crop : Paddy (Aug – Dec)II Crop : Millets / Pulses / Groundnut/ Vegetables( Dec, Jan – March)

I Crop : Cotton ( Sept – Feb)II Crop : Millets / Pulses / Vegetables (Feb –March)

Single Crop : Sugarcane / Banana (Dec – Jan) (June – July

DRY LAND

(i) Red soils : Cholam (June – Aug) Cumbu ( Aug – Sept) Groundnut (June – July ) ; Minor Millets; Horsegram ( Sept – Oct)

(ii) Black soils : Cholam (Sept – Oct); Cotton (Sept – Oct); Sunflower ( Sept – Oct)

DAMS IN DINDIGUL

Manjalar dam Perunai dam Marunanadhi dam Varadhamanadhi Porundhalaru Pallar Kuthiraiaru Parappalar Kamarajar sagar Kudaganar

IMPORTANT RIVERS

Marudhanadhi,

Manjalar

Vaigai

Shanmuganadhi

Nangangiar

Kodavanar

• These rivers flow north and northeastward and join Amaravathiriver which finally confluences with river Cauvery.

• The southern part of the district falls under Vaigai Sub basin.

• The important rivers are