1 NAGAPATTINAM DISTRICT 2 NAGAPATTINAM DISTRICT 1. Introduction i) Geographical location of the district Nagapattinamisacoastaldistrictof TamilNadusituatedontheeasternsideof Nagapattinamthedistrictheadquarterlie 326 km, south of the State capital, Chennai, 145kmfromTrichy, Thisdistrictliessouth of Cuddalore district and another part of the Nagapattinamdistrictliestothesouthof KaraikkalandTiruvarurdistricts. NagapattinamliesbetweenNorthern Latitude10.7906degreesand79.8428 degreesEasternlongitude.Thedistrict spreads over an area of 2,715.83 sq.km ii)Administrative profile Thisdistrictenvelop11Panchayat unions,4municipalities,8townPanchayats onitsdevelopmentside2revenuedivisions and 523 revenue villages. iii) Meteorological information Theaveragemaximumtemperature of the district as a wholeis about 320 C and the average minimum temperature is 24.60C. Duststorms,whirlwindsanddustywinds blowfromvariousquarterstowards theend of May.The Southwest winds sets in during April,itisthestrongestinJuneand continues till September. Northeastmonsoonstartsduringthe monthofOctoberandblowtillJanuary.Cyclonicstormwithvaryingwindvelocity affectsoncein3or4yearsduringthe months of November-December. The storms affect the plantation crop. During Southwest monsoontheairiscalmandundisturbed. TheNortheastmonsoonwhichstartsin OctoberandendsinDecembercontributes about60% ofthetotalannualrainfall.The southwest monsoon rains occur from June to September. Theaveragenormalandactual rainfallis265.2and250.6mmrespectively during south west monsoon while it is 908.8 and 969.2 mm respectively during north east monsoon during 2007-2008. Revenue Divisions2 Taluks8 Municipalities4 Panchayat Unions11 Town Panchayats8 Village Panchayats434 Villages2508 3 2. Resources availability i) Land resourcesSandycoastalalluviumandblack soiltypescover88.71%and6.58% respectivelyinthisdistrict.Theothersoils inthedistrictcomprise4.71%.Thesoilof thedistrictismostlyalluvialbutvaries greatlyinquality.Therichsoilisfoundin thenorthandthesouthoftherailwayline betweenMayiladuthuraiand Thiruthuraippundi.Thesalinesoilisfound intheTirutturaippundiandNagapattinam taluks where the drainage is very defective. ii) Agriculture and horticulture One of the major economic activitiesofthedistrict,agriculturecontributesa highershareofriceproductionintheState. Importantcropsinthedistrictincluderice, groundnut,pulses,gingelly,sugarcaneand cotton. Details of important crops in district Sl. No. Name of the cropArea in ha 1Rice1,54,945 2Sugar cane8,824 3Cotton650 4Groundnut5,820 5Gingerly2,950 6Green gram17,130 7Black gram48,400 8Vegetables746 9Coconut3,116 This coastal district abounds in green paddyfields,tallcoconutgroves,vast gardensofmangoandplantainandother vegetations.Paddyisthemaincropofthis district and it is grown three times in a year.Thefirstcropisknownas`Kuruvai'(the short-term crop) with duration of three and a halftofourmonthsfromJune-Julyto October-November.Thesecondcropcalled the`Thaladi'hasdurationoffivetosix monthsfromOctober-Novemberto February-March.Thirdisthe`Samba'(the long-term)cropandhasdurationofalmost sixmonthsfromAugusttoJanuary.Other cerealcropsofthedistrictarecumbu,ragi, maize,korraandvaragu.Thepulsesgrown inthedistrictareredgram,greengramand blackgram. Other food crops are condiments andspecies,sugarcrops,fruitsedibleoils crops(groundnuts,coconutandgingelly) andvegetables.Amongthenon-foodcrops, cotton/fibre,non-edibleoilscrops(castor, migerseeds,thoughinverysmallarea)are the important ones. i)Forest resources Thereare41forestareasinthe Nagapattinamdistrictconstitutingatotal areaof5,311.70hawith35forestareas fallingundertheReserveForestcategory with5,037.21haand6underreserveland categorywith274.49haForestryactivities inthedistrictarebeingcarriedoutby WildlifeDivision,withWildlifeWardenas theadministrativehead.Thedivision consistsof4rangeswithheadquartersat Nagapattinam,Kodiakkarai,Muthupetand Thanjavur.Thebasicresponsibilitiesofthe divisionincludeafforestationactivitieslike raisingcoastalshelterbelt,greenbelts, mangroverestoration,wildlifemanagement andattendingtoenvironmentalissuesThe importantforestandwildlifeareasinthe divisionincludesPointCalimereWildlife sanctuary. The other important areas are, 1.Vaduvoor 2.Udayamarthandapuram 3.Karaivetti bird sanctuarie 4.Muthupet mangroves Tropicaldry-evergreenforestcovers nearly15sq.kmofPointCalimereWildlife 4 sanctuary.Theforestsaremostlyofthe natureofscrublandthatstandsonlowsand duneslocatedonthewesternhalfofthe sanctuary.Manilkarahexandra,locally called Palaiis themostimportant evergreen species of the sanctuary. In the sanctuary grasslands the dominant graminoid is Aeluropus lagopoides followed bySporobulutremulusandCressacretica. Theforestishometo154speciesof medicinalplantslikeMucunapruriens, Solanumtrilobatum,Tinosporacordifolia RandiadumatorumandCissus quadrangularis.Aforestresthouseat Kodiakkaraiisavailableforvisitorstothe sanctuary. PointCalimereWildlifeSanctuaryand theMuthupetmangrovesarethemost importantforestsandwildlifeareasof Nagapattinamdistrict.PointCalimere Wildlifesanctuaryislocated60kmfrom NagapattinamandMuthupetmangrovesis located70kmfromNagapattinam.Point CalimereWildlifesanctuarywithatotal protectedareaof30sq.kmishometothe largest population of the endemic Blackbuck insouthIndia.Otheranimalsofthe sanctuaryincludethejackal,spotteddeer, junglecat,feralhorses,blacknappedhare, including a variety of reptiles. FromOctobertoJanuarynearly90 speciesofmigratorywaterbirdsvisitthe sanctuary and its surroundings. They include Flamingoes,Paintedstorks,Pelicans, Spoonbills,ducks,tealsandavarietyof shorebirds.Thebesttimetovisitthe sanctuaryforbirdwatchingisNovember-December. The sanctuaryis open to visitors throughout the year. Theforestsofthisdivisioncanbe dividedintotworegionsfromthe topography,andflorapointofview;the alluvialregionsorriverinelandareasand the coastal regions. Riverine areas lie on the banksofriverandcanalintheformof narrowstrips.Teakplantationsmostly covertheseareas,whereverthesoilis unsuitableforDalbergiasisso,Terminalia arjuna and Eucalyptushavebeen plantedin suchareas.Althoughthesoilislightand porous with high water table, the forest areas underthesezonesaresubjectedto tremendousbioticpressureandatpresent theirpoorfloristiccompositionconsistsof limited number of herb and thorn species. Thepresentsituationsdoesnotbring theminanycategoryofForesttypeasper ClassificationofforestsmadebyChampion and Seth 1968.The Coastal regions contain the Casurina plantations, the mangroves and thescrubjunglewiththeexceptionofa portionofPointCalimeresanctuarywhere about23sq.kmoftropicaldryevergreen forests are existing. iv) Mineral resources Major minerals Theimportantmajormineralsavailable in Nagapattinam District are as follows: 1.Crude oil 2.Natural gas 3.Silica sand 4.Lime shell 5.Heavymineralsand(Garnet, Iluminite, Rutile Zircon, Monozite 5 Silica sand The silica sand is an oxide of silicon which is used mainly for the manufacture of Sodium Silicate, which in turn is used in the soap and detergentmanufacturingindustries and also used in foundries, glass making andceramicsasanabrasives.TheSilicasand depositis4.86milliontonnes,occuringin VadamalaiManakkadu,Vanduvancherri, ThanikottagamvillagesofVedaranyam Taluk in Nagapattinam District.There are 7 silicasandleasesfunctioningin Nagapattinam District. Grude oil and natural gas Crudeoilispetroleuminitsnatural state before it has been refined. Petroleum is naturallyoccurringhydrocarbonsinfree state whether in the form of natural gas or in a liquid viscous (or) solid form.Natural gas meansgasobtainedfromboreholesand primarilyconsistingofhydro-carbons. The oilandnaturalgasarebeingextractedin Narimanam,KuthalamvillagesbytheOil and Natural Gas Commission. Lime-shell Lime-shelldepositsareavailablein SirkaliandNagapattinamatalukof Nagapattinamdistrict(1,87,064Tonnes).It isusedformakinglime-mortarand bleachingagentinsugarindustries. In Nagapattinam district, one lime-shell lease is functioning. Heavy minerals Theheavymineralsandscomprise an assemblage of minerals of higher specific gravity and occur as placer deposit along the seacoastinthebeachsand.Itoccursin TharangampadiandSirkalitaluksinNagapattinamdistrict Garnetisusedinthe abrasiveindustries,and manufacturing syntheticgems.Ilminateisusedforaircraft industry. Zirconisusedformanufacturing Zirconiumcrucibles.Theestimatedreserve of the following minerals are Theabove estimationdoesnot include seasonalreplenishment ofheavy minerals in the coastal area. Minor minerals InNagapattinamdistrict,minor mineralssuchassandandbrickearth quarriesareavailable. Thereare8sand quarriesoperatinginthisdistrictin Kollidamriver,Thirumalairajanriverand Vettar areas. The details of quarryingleases grantedforquarryingvariousmineralsare given in the following table. Area of occurrence of silica sand in Nagapattinam district Name of the Belt Area ( sq.m) Vadamalai-Manakkadu 1,795 Kariappattinam-Chettipulam 6,985 Avarikkadu 1,000 Nagakkudaiyan 3,200 Vellikidankku-Tanikkottagam 6,500 Dumbavanam-Vanduvancherri 10,250 Thillaivilagam-Melvaymedu 16,500 ambuvamadal-Therkku Thillaivilagam 9,500 Mineral table MineralVolume Ilmenite8,670 metric tonnes Garnet8,450metric tonnesZircon430metric tonnesMonozite330metric tonnesRutile110metric tonnesLeucozyme430metric tonnesMagnetite1,720metric tonnes 6 Quarry details Water resources

Thedistrictissituatedinthedeltaic regionofthefamousriverCauveryand criss-crossed by network of irrigation canals. Kollidam river forms the Northern boundary ofthedistrict,whereasArasalar, Thirumalairajan,VettarandVennarrivers draintheotherpartsofit.Alltheseare tributariesandbranchesoftheriver Cauvery.Canalsservenearly80percentof the total net area irrigated and only the river Cauveryfeedsthesecanals.TheCauvery deltasystemisthemostancientofall irrigationschemesintheundivided Thanjavur.Thiscomprisesmainlyofthree importantprojects.Theyarethefamous GrandAnicut,theUpperAnicutandthe CauveryVennarRegulatorProject.Tanks and wells are rarely used for irrigation is the district. The gross area irrigated by canals andothersourcesis1,13,374haand21,405ha respectively. The gross areairrigated by the tanksandthewellsare40haand50ha respectively.Thereforecanalirrigation constituting84.07%ofthetotalirrigated arearemainsthepredominantsourceof irrigation.Onanaverageabout58.20%of thetotalcroppedareaisirrigated. Mayiladuthuraiblockachievesabout74% irrigationatthemaximumand Vedaranniyamachieves17.85%atthe minimum.Someblocksachieveirrigation at about 60%.

vi) Fisheries production TheNagapattinamdistricthasa coastallineof188kmFisheryisthethe economicbackboneofthiscoastaldistrict. Having a long coastal area, this district plays amajorroleinmarinecommodities.The marineecosystemprovidesmankindwith food,medicines,industrialproductsetc. Thisecosystemhastobemaintainedina healthystate,ifitistoprovidepeoplethe benefitsinasustainedmanner.Thewaters alongtheBayofBengalcoastofIndiaare biologicallyveryproductiveandpossess severaluniqueenvironmentalfeatures. However,littleisknownaboutthemarine biodiversityresourcesalongtheBayof BengalcoastnearSirkalitaluk, Nagapattinam district (Tamilnadu State). Numerousindustries,chemical factoriesandaquaculturefarmsarealso developingalongthiscoast,whichalready threatensthemangroveforestsandmarine lifealongthecoastinSirkalitaluk.The inputoffreshwaterandsiltimpactsthe salinityofthecoastalandestuarinewaters as well as coastal circulation patterns. Some coastalareasservingasnurserygroundsfor commercially valuable species of prawns are polluted.Theareasofcriticalbiological diversity are the mangrove rich habitat along thecoastofNagapattinamdistrict. The district has good fishing potential in view of itsrichcoastalarea.Thecoastalfish productionismorethantheinlandfish Name of the minerals No. of leases in patta lands No. of leases in poramboke lands Crude oil and natural gas2-- Silica sand7-- Lime shell-1 Sand28 Brick earth4-- Total159 7 productionandtheproductionhasseen fluctuations. vii) Heritage sites Nagapattinam Thedistrictcameintoexistencein theyear1991withitsheadquarterin Nagappattinamtown.IthasShri KayahoranaSwamiNeelayathatchiAmman Temple,SowrirajaPerumalTemple,and NellukkadaiMariammanTemple.Themini museum,thetoweringlighthouseandthe longbeautifulbeacharesomeoftheplaces worth visiting in this city. The pillar located in front of the district collectorate stands for theacheivementoftheadministrationalong with the citizens of this district in taking the guinness record acheivement of planting the maximum number of saplings in 24 hours. Poombuhar PoombuharisinSirkalitalukof Nagapattinamdistrict. Itisknownas Kaveripoompattinam. Tourists have to alight atMayiladuthuraijunctiontoproceed Poombuharbyroad.VisitorsfromChennai bytrainhavetogetdownatSirkali. PoombuharisconnectedtoMayiladuthurai as well as Sirkali by road. The distance from PoombuhartoMayiladuthuraiis24kmand to Sirkali 21 km Nagore

TheDarghainNagorenear Nagapattinam,thedistrictheadquartersisa holyplace.NotonlythefollowersofIslam butalsoofallfaithsvisitthissacredcentre throughouttheyeartooffertheirprayers andgettheblessingsofthesaint.Nearly fivehundredyearsagoasonwasbornina devoutMuslimfamilyinavillageinthe central provinces [Madhya pradesh], He was namedAbdulKadhar.HecametoTamil Naduaftervisitingdifferentplaceslike Keelakkaraiandpreachingthedoctrineof love,servicedevotiontotheAlmighty.He settleddowninNagoreinapieceofland granted by a devotee of this saintly preacher. Hiswordsanddeedsweredivineand prophetic.HesaidIslampreachesthe fatherhood of God and brotherhood of Man. Hesenthisdisciplestoworkamongthe peopleandspreadthemessageofProphet Mohammed.Hepassedawayinyear1,558 attheageof68inNagoredargha. Khandoorifestivalistheanniversary celebrationsanddevoteesfromalloverthe worldjointhefestivalstogetblessedby Nagore Andavar. Dargha in Nagore Velankanni Velankanni is one of the most visited pilgrim centres in India. It is a town situated ontheshoresofBayofBengal.This renownedshrineBasilicaoftheLadyof Healthdrawspilgrimsfromalloverthe World.NotonlyChristiansbutalsothe people of other faiths come to this church to prayattheshrineofourladyofhealth.

8 Knowing the importance of this town thePopeintheVaticancityhasdeclared VelankanniasaHolycity.ThisRoman CatholicChurchhasanextendedBasilica, which has two floors where one can find the statueofJesusChrist.TheGothicstyleof architectureisauniquefeatureofthe church. Velankanni Church Thechurchitselfisanimposing buildingwithinspiringarchitecture.While thebuildingshavebeenpaintedwhite,roof of the churchismadebytiles withstriking red in contrast to the colour of the walls. The environmentaroundtheshrineisspickand span.Thereisalsoashrineof'ladyof sorrow'whereinthesorrowingMotheris depicted carrying infant Jesus in her hand. Tarangampadi It is 35 km north of Nagapattnam on theeastcoastofBayofBengal.Bus facilitiesareavailabletothisplacefrom Nagapattinam,Mayiladuthurai,Poompuhar, SirkaliandChidambaram.Builtintheyear 1620itexhibitsDanisharchitecture.The fortisnowunderthecontrolofTamilNadu ArcheologicalDepartment.Ithousesan archaeologicalmuseum.Thismuseumis open on all days expect Friday. Sikkal AbeautifulMuraganTemple dedicated to Lord Singaravelanishousedin alargecomplex.Thepillarsofthistemple areadornedwithintricateandexquisite carvings.Thebeautifulpaintingsofa bygoneeraareamazingincolourand portrayal.Besidethistemplehastheshrine ofSiva,VishnuandHanuman.Itisarare combination, indeed. Worship in this temple removes all the hurdles of the devotees, it is believed. Thirumullaivasal This town is 14 km East of Sirkali. It is popular for its fine beach, which is full of naturalbeauty.Thistownhasanancient temple. The presiding deity of this temple is Arulmigu Mullaivananathar. Keelaperumpallam Situated3kmfromPoompuhar, Keelaperumpallamreceivesastreamof devoteeseverydayforworshippingShri Naganatha Swami. This temple is the seat of the Ninth Navagraha, the Kedhu. Thiruvengadu Thiruvengaduissituated 8 km from Poompuhar.NavagrahaBudhanissituated inside the Temple of Arulmigu Swetharanya Swami.DevoteesfromalloverIndiaand abroad come to worship Budhan every day. Vaitheeswarankoil InthedivinesongsofDevaram, VaitheeswarankoiliscalledPullirukku- vellur.ThePresidingdeityLord VaithiyanathanandtheDeviis Thaiyalnayagi.LordMurugaiscalledhere asArulmiguMuthukumaraswami. Vaitheeswarankoilissituated12kmfrom Mayiladuthuraiand5kmfromSirkazhi. Thistempleistheseatofanother Navagraha, the Mars. 9 Thirunangore Situated 10 km from Sirkazhi, Thiru- nangore is one of the most sacred places for Vaishnavaiter.ShriNarayanaperumal Temple,PurushothamaPerumaltemple, KudamadumKoothaPerumalkovil, Semponnarangarkovil,Pallikondaperumal kovil,VaradharajaPerumalkoilwhichhad beenperformedMangalaSananamby ThirumangaiAzhwararelocatedinthis smalltown.AroundThiruNangore,there areotherVaishnavatemplesinThiruvali, Thirunagiri, Keezhasalai and Perumal koil. Thirukkadaiyur Thirukkadaiyurisinandthebus routebetweenChidhambaram- Nagappattinam.Inthistemple,LordSiva had annihilated Yama, the God of death and destructiontosavethelifeofMarkandeya andbestowedimmortalityonhim.Itisone of the most important seats of Sakthi. Inside theprecinctsofthetempleofArulmigu Amerthakadeswararislocated the temple of Shri Abirami Amman. Sirkazhi Sirkazhi is located on the main route betweenMayiladuthuraiandChidhambaram. Shri Arulmigu Sattanatha Swami temple has many wonderful architecturaland sculptural features.Thistemplehasbeenglorifiedin thedivinesongsofThevaram.Oneofthe fourgreatdivinepoets,theSaivaSaint ThirugnanaSambandarwasbestowedwith thedivinegracebyLordSivaandParvathy here.EveryyearintheTamilmonthof Chithirai,Thirumulaippalfestivalis celebrated in a grand manner. Mayiladuthurai ArulmiguMayuranathartempleis locatedhere.AccordingtotheHindu mythology,AnnaiParasakthidancedinthe formofapeacockandhencetheplaceis calledMayiladuthurai.Devoteesafter worshippingMayuranatharcantravelfrom heretoalltheplacesofNavagrahasand other important temples by bus. The festival of Holy bath known asKadai Muzhukku in the river Cauveryis celebrated in themonth of Ippasi. Ananthamangalam Ontheeastcoastbetween NagappattinamandChidhambaram, Ananthamangalamislocated5kmfrom Thirukkadaiyur.People from all over Tamil Nadu visit the temple of Lord Anjaneyar for hisgrace.ThedivinestatueofAnjaneya hereisuniquewithitsthreeeyesandten hands.SpecialworshipofAnjaneyaisheld on Saturdays and on the days of Amavasya. viii) Biodiversity Kodikkarai (55 km) also called Point Calimere, is situated abutting the Palk Strait. Spreadoveranareaofover312.17ha,this Wild Life Sanctuary boasts of mammals like blue buck, spotted deer, wild boar, semi wild ponies,bonnetmacaque,waterbirdslike flamingoes,ibises,herons,andspoonbills. Seaturtle,starredtortoise,vipers,marsh crocodiles,etc.,aresomeofthereptiles. Fish, dolphins, dugong, sea lion, sea cow are occasionally found here Point Calimere Wildlife Sanctury 10 TheMuthupetmangrovewetlandis locatedintheSouthernmostpartofthe CauverydeltawithPalkStraitinthesouth and extensive mudflats in the north. Many of thedrainagearteriesoftheCauveryRiver, namely,Pamini,Korayar,Marakakoryar, PattuvanachiandNasuvini,emptytheir waterinto theMuthupetmangrovewetland. TheMuthupetmangrovewetlandcomprises ofhealthyanddegradedmangroves,large lagoonandcanals,besidescreeksand manmade fishing canals. Accordingtothe1996remote sensingdata,thetotalareaoftheMuthupet mangrovewetlandisabout12,000haand for administrative purposes it is divided into 6 Reserve Forests. The presence of two large lagoonsofabout1,700hawhichare contiguous,isoneofthecharacteristic featuresoftheMuthupetmangrove wetlands. The data also show that the area of thehealthymangroveforestisonlyabout 1855hawhereasnearly7,178haof mangroveforestisindegradedcondition. Only5mangrovespeciesnamely,Acanthus illicifolius,Agicerascorniculatum, Avicenniamarina,Excoecariaagallocha and Luminitzera racemosa are present in the Muthupetmangrovewetland.Amongthem, Avicenniamarina,whichislocallycalled Alaiyathiisdominant,constitutingmore than95%ofthetreepopulation.Butunlike Pichavaram,treesofAvicenniamarinaare verytallinMuthupetandformabeautiful linealongthebanksofthetidalcreeks, lagoonsandcanals.Hypersalinityinsoil andwateristhemainreasonforthe presenceoflownumberofmangrove species. The harvestable forest resources such astimberandnon-timberproducearevery limited in the Muthupet mangroves. Though fodder is available in the wetland, no regular grazing is practised since mangrove forest is locatedfarawayfromthevillagesand accessisverydifficultduetomuddysoil. Useofmangrovesforfirewoodfor household consumptionis also verylessbut about75families,mostlyheadedby destitutewomenandwidows,collectdead woodanddrytwigsofthemangrovesand sellthematthelocalmarketfortheir livelihood.Peoplebelongingto26hamlets of16revenuevillageslivearoundthe Muthupetmangrovewetlands.Thetotal populationofthesehamletsisabout37,255 but average use of the mangrove wetland for fishing is only limited. Onlyduringthemonsoonseason (OctobertoDecember)fishersofallthese fishing hamlets are engaged in fishing in the mangrovelagoon.Duringthenon-monsoon period,mostofthefisherfolksfishinthe nearby coastal waters. 3. Impacts i) Urbanization Theestimatedsewagegenerationis 123.75lakhlitersamongmunicipalitiesand 45.57lakhlitersamongtownpanchayats. Nature of disposal is through river water and quantitiesis123.75lakhlitersin municipalitiesand45.57lakhlitersintown panchayats..Thesolidwastegenerationis highestinNagapattinamamong municipalitiesandVedaranniyamamong townpanchayats.Overallthesolidwaste generatedaddsupto37.16tonneswitha collection efficiency of 75.22%. ii) Industrial development The districtis deprived of anymajor industrybutitisaflourishingcentreof cottageindustriesandhandicrafts.The districtisequallywellknownforitspith articlesconsistingofbeautifulmodelsof Hinduidols,temples,mosques,flower garlands,bouquets,parrotsandpeacocks. 11 Themakingofmusicalinstruments of jack wood like the veena, the tambura, the violin,themridangam,thetablaandthe kanjaraexhibitexcellenttaste,knowledgeandworkmanship.Thereare490industrial unitssituatedinthecompositeThanjavur district,ofwhich,foursugarunits,a petroleumrefinery,adistillery,athermal powerplantarecomingunderhighly polluting industry. M/s. ONGC has explored crudeoilandnaturalgasinNagapattinam District.The crude oil is made available for MadrasRefineriesLimitedwhereasnatural gasisutilizedasfuelintennumbersof sodiumsilicateunits.Alsothisgasis utilizedasafuelforonethermalpower generation unit (2X5 MW) by TNEB in this area.ASIDCOIndustrialEstateislocated atNagapattinam.Theindustrialunitsin theseestatesarenon-pollutingorless pollutinginnature.MadrasRefineries Limited(MRL),amajorrefineryinSouth Indiawithanexemplarytrackrecord,has been conscious of its role in maintaining the eco-balancethroughanumberof environmentalcontrolmeasures.Cauvery RiverBasinRefineryatPanangudiin Nagapattinam,MRLrefines0.5million metrictonnesperannumofcrude.MRL, eversinceitsinception,hasbeen methodicallyplanningandimplementing severalenvironmentrelativeprojectsto containpollutionwithintheMinimal NationalStandards(MINAS)onseveral fronts.MRLhasbeenworkingonreducing air pollution on two fronts: at its own plants aswellasinvehiclesusingpetrolordiesel. Atitsplants,MRLhasswitchedoverto LSHSfuel farless polluting than thehigh sulphurfuelusedearlier.ASulphur RecoveryUnithasbeeninstalledatMRL, resultinginsubstantialreductionofsulphur dioxideemission.Takingitsactivities beyondthegreeningofMRLandits environsisanotherfactofenvironmental conservation.Plantingandmaintaining thousandsoftreesandshrubsformaGreet Belt around MRLs Plant in Panangudi. This mitigatesfugitiveemission,dilutes accidentalreleasesandbalanceseco-environmentbesidesbeautifyingthe surroundings. Theareaswithairpollutionarethe ThalainayarandPanangudivillageswhere sugarfactoryandrefineryarefunctioning.Aspertheambientairqualitystatus,the average industrial SPM values seem to be on thelowersidecomparedtothestandards.RestoftheindicationonAirQualityStatus is found to be well within the limits. Ground watercontaminationisobservedincertain locationsduetoseawaterintrusion.In severalplacesalongthecoasteitherthe groundwaterisnaturallysalineoritis artificiallymadesalinebyoverextraction andconsequentintrusionofseawaterinto thelandaquifers.Theareamainlyaffected fromseawaterintrusionintotheland acquires,areKuttamareainNagapattinam District. TNPCBismonitoringthequalityof waterfrom16placesinCauveryriverbed.Asperthetest,thequalityofwateris normal.InKollidam,samplingstation fallingwithinthecompositeNagapattinam district, TDS and Chloride contents of water are exceeding the standard value, because of morewaterevaporationandinfluenceof backwater.pHofwaterisslightlymore than the standard. iii) Natural hazards The tsunami caused heavy damage to houses,touristresorts,fishingboats,prawn cultureponds,soilandcrops,andaffecting thelivelihoodoflargenumbersofthe coastal communities. It was found that 1,320 ha of agricultural andnon-agriculturallands wereaffectedbythetsunami.Thelands 12 wereaffectedbysoilerosion,salt deposition,waterloggingandother deposited sediments and debris. Pre and Post Tsunamisurveysonsoilqualityshowedan increaseinpHandECvalues,irrespective ofdistancefromthesea.Rainfallduring seasonshoweddilutionofsolublesaltsin sediments.Pumpingofwaterhasreduced thesalinitylevelsinthewellwatersamples as well as in the open ponds. iv) Natural disaster prone areas About7.09%ofthelandisaffected bywaterloggingand56.21%isproneto floods.Ithasbeenascertainedfromthe availableinformationthatallthe6taluks and 12 blocks were affected by flood during theyear1991-92andcycloneduringthe year1993-94.AsIndiaandtheworld witnessedthecatastrophiclossofhumanity duetotsunamion26th December2004, Nagapattinamalsounintendedtheworst tragedywith6065confirmeddeaths.The entirecoastlinewasdevastatedinthe district. Around 73 habitations in 38 revenue villagesand5talukswereaffected.Outof 6065peoplewhodied,1776werechildren (887male,889females)and2406were women.Thehighdeathtollofchildrenand womenhighlightedthefactthatTsunami had caught people unawares. Apossibleexplanationforthehigh numberofdeathsamongwomenwasthat thetsunamistruckatatimewhenmostof themwereintheshorereceivingtheirmen folkreturningfromthesea.Addedtothis wasthefactthatitwasadayafterthe Christmas and a Sunday morning, which had alargenumberofpeople,enjoyingthe morning breeze. Nagapattinam district alone accountedfor76percentofthedeathsof entirestateandwastheworstaffected districtinIndia.Intheeducationfront,41 elementary/primaryschools,twohigh schools and 1 higher secondaryschool were damaged.Onthehealthsidefourpublic healthcentresandonegovernmenthospital was damaged. 4. Government initiatives i)Initiativestoimprovefisherfolk livelihood

Following initiatives were taken after the tsunamiforthecoastalfisherfolk, Construction of permanent houses 1.15,038houseshavebeenrelocatedand 4,698housesarebeingconstructedon in-situ sites. 2.Of19,736houses,theconstructionof 19,019havebeencompletedhanded overtothebeneficiaries717housesare under various stages of completion. 3.Inthe2,035housesconstructedbythe Government1,143housesarebuiltby tsunamidistrictimplementationunitin ruralareasand892housesbyTamil NaduSlumClearanceBoardinurban areas. 4.Of717houseswhichareundervarious stages409housesbyNGOswere completedbeforeDecember2009and remaining276housesbyGovernment by November 2009. ii) Coastal protection initiatives

Nagapattinam port ThebarrenlandNorthof Nagapattinamportisanexcellentplacefor denseplantations.Thepresenceofthe verticalwallconstructedforthe Nagapattinam port atadistance of about 60 mfromtheshorelinehasactedasabarrier onlymarginallyagainstthepowerful tsunami. 13 In spite of the presence of this wall, a numberofboatswerecarriedawaytothe land and water on its rear side has moved to a distance of 300 mandaheightofabout 8 m.Keechankuppam This is the worst affected area due to tsunami and a number of casualties andloss ofpropertywerereported.Theplantations have just begun along the coast. The tsunami hasresultedindamagetoseveralbridges and houses along this stretch. VelankanniThe hutments close to the beach have beenwashedawaybythetsunami.Aclear widthofbeachisavailable.Theriver Vellayar joins the sea adjacent to this stretch ofthecoast.Itisrecommendedtodredge themouthofriverVellayarandnourishthe beachonitsNorthernsideaswellasto construct a sand dune. Plantations backed up withsanddunesandmasonrybufferblocks arerecommendedforthisstretchofthe coast. The buffer blocks may also serve as a relaxing facility for the pilgrims and locals. VellapallamThis area can be taken up for dense plantations as hutments are away from the shorelineat a distance of about 200 m. The shoreline is found to be stable. Two long training walls for the improvement of the mouth of Nallar Straight cut should be taken up. Tharangampadi (Tranquebar) Thisstretchofthecoastat Tharangampadicomesundertheprotection ofmonumentsandplacesofNational heritage.ThevillageSathankudi,located Northoftheforthassufferedhugelossof lifeanddwellingunits.Thewaterhas penetrated to a distance of about 750 m from theshoreline.ThePWDhasaproposalfor constructionofaseawallforadistanceof about850mfromtheexistingseawall.In additiontotheseawall,agroynesfield consisting of 5 transition groynes of average length of 100 m, with one or two groynes is tobeformedas'Thoondilvalivu'.Thiswill helpthefishingcommunityasthereare number of boats. The rubblemound seawall maybeconsideredafterconstructionofthe groynesandmonitoringtheshoreline changes.Inthebarrenlandduetothe damagedhouses,plantationsare recommended. Poombuhar Thebeachsouthsideoftheabove locationisprotectedbyanexistingseawall.Thetsunamihaspenetratedtoadistanceof about75mfromshorelinewitharun-upof about1.5m.Theperformanceofthe existingseawallisgoodasbeachhas formed.However,theseawallhastobe rehabilitatedwithacrestelevationof+4.3 m.TheNorthofthisvillagehastobe protectedbyaseawallforadistanceof about 650 m. The large extent of barren land is to be developed with plantations. Vaanagirikuppam Thisstretchofthecoastissituated SouthofPoombuharandSouthofCauvery infallpoint.Thisisalocation,where,a number of casualties and damages to houses havetakenplace.Thedamagesonthe Southernsideofthelocationshowedthat landhasbeencleared.Thisareahasagain been cleared of the debris and barren land is anideallocationforplantations.Thebeach canbeprotectedbygroynesfieldandthe rubblemoundseawallwithcross-section similar to Tharangambadi. Pudukuppam Theentirevillagehasbeenwashed outbythetsunamiandthepeoplehave totallyabandonedtheirhouses.Only plantationsarerecommendedinthisstretch of the coast. 14 Palayur

Anumber of casualties and damages tothepropertyhavetakenplaceinthis stretch of coast. As the village is right on the banks of river Coleroon, one suggestion is to retainthedunesalreadyconstructedbythe localpeopleandthetoplevelofthedune maybefurtherraised.Theditchinfrontof the dune should be shifted to rear side of the dune.Theduneshouldtaketheshapefora distanceofabout1kmPlantationsonthe seaside and on the dune are recommended.

Thirumalaivasal

Thelocalpeoplereportanumberof casualtiesanddamagetoproperty.This stretch of the coast is at the confluence point oftheriverVellapallamUppanar.Entire stretchneedstobedredgedandabundhas tobecreatedusingthisdredgedspoilfora distance of about 1 km from the mouth. Two trainingwalls,atthemouthoftheriver VellapallmUppanararerecommended.A few spursalong thebanks of this river need tobeprovidedinordertodiverttheflow into the ocean. Plantation along the banks of the river is recommended. iii) Awareness initiatives

Various awareness creation activities have been made among the fisher folk about tsunamiandCRZissuesbydifferent GovernmentandNonGovernment organizations.Attemptshavebeenmadeto developbioshields,rebuildlivelihoods,and reclaimsoilinthetsunamiaffected agricultural fields in Nagapattinam district. iv) Biodiversity

Mangroverestorationhasbeendone byM.S.SwaminathanResearchFoundation (MSSRF)afterthetsunami.MSSRFstarted a project during 1993 in Muthupet mangrove wetlands to identify causes of degradation of Muthupetmangrovewetlandsandto developanddemonstratetechniquesto restore the degraded areas. 5.Summary / Conclusion Nagapattinamisacoastaldistrictof Tamil Nadu, which lies on the east coast southofCuddaloredistrictandpartof theNagapattinamdistrictliestothe southofKaraikkalandTiruvarur districtswithanareacovering2,715.83 sq.km Thisdistrictisenveloping11panchayat unions,4municipalties,and8town panchayatsonitsdevelopmentside.On therevenuesideitishousing2revenue divisionswith4and3taluks respectively and 523 revenue villages. The soil type comprises of sandy coastal alluvium(88.71%,)blacksoil(6.58%) and other soils (4.71%). Agriculture, the major economic activity thedistrictscontributeshighershareof riceproductioninthestate.Important cropsgrowninthedistrictarerice, groundnut,pulses,gingelly,sugarcane and cotton. Thereare41forestareasinthe Nagapattinam district constituting a total areaof5311.70ha35forestareasfall underthereserveforestcategorywith 5037.21haand6underreserveland category with 274.49 ha Theimportantmajormineralsavailable inNagapattinamdistrictarecrudeoil, naturalgas,silicasand,limeshelland heavymineralsand(garnet,iluminite, rutile zircon, monozite). Thedistrictissituatedinthedeltaic region of the famous river cauvery and is criss-crossedbylengthynetworkof irrigation canals. 15 TheNagapattinamdistricthasacoastal lineof165kmFisheryistheeconomic backbone of this coastal district. Themuthupetmangrovewetlandis locatedintheSouthernmostpartofthe cauverydeltawithPalkStraitinthe southandextensivemudflatsinthe north. Accordingtothe1996remotesensing data,thetotalareaoftheMuthupet mangrove wetland is about 12,000 ha Thedistrictisdeprivedofanymajor industrybutitisaflourishingcentreof cottage industries and handicrafts alike. OneThermalPowerProjectwith installedcapacityof10MWis(2x5 MW) available in the district. Thetsunamicausedheavydamageto houses,touristresorts,fishingboats, prawn culture ponds, soil and crops, and consequentlyaffectedthelivelihoodof large number of coastal communities.

It was found that 1,320 ha of agricultural andnon-agriculturallandswereaffected by the tsunami. Thetsunamileftaround6065people deadandtheentirecoastlinedevastated inthisdistrict.Around73habitationsin 38revenuevillagesand5talukswere affected. Mangroverestorationhasbeendoneby M.S.SwaminathanResearchfoundation after the tsunami.