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DISTRICT SURVEY
REPORT OF MADURAI
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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
cliamities. 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.
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SURVEY REPORT OF
MADURAI 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.
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1.0 INDRODUCTION:
Madurai is the oldest inhabited city in the Indian peninsula. It is referred to
with names like Koodal Maanagar, Thoongaa Nagar (Sleepless City), Malligai
Maanagar (City of Jasmine) and Athens of the East. It is the cultural capital
of Tamil Nadu. It is a city in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu and is a
municipal corporation situated on the banks of the River Vaigai in Madurai
district. The city is referred as the Temple city. Madurai city has an area of
52 km², within an urban area now extending over as much as 130 km² and
it is located at on interactive map 9°56′N 78°07′E / 9.93°N 78.12°E / 9.93;
78.12. It has an average elevation of 101 meters above mean sea level. The
land use and land cover map clearly shows that area of crop land is higher
than others. Land with or without scrub has 605 sq km area it occupies
second place in this district, Plantation has 309 Sq Km and Fallow land has
227 Sq Km, Dense forest occupies 160 Sq Km while rest of other have low
than 100 Sq Km area.
Fig.No.1: MADURAI DISTRICT AND TALUK MAP
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2.0 PHYSICAL FEATURES & GEOGRAPHICAL AREA:
a) BRIEF DETAIL OF MADURAI DISTRICT
NAME OF
DISTRICT
AREA (PER
SQ. KM) POPULATION
DENSITY
(PER SQ. KM)
Madurai 3742
Total - 2578201
Male - 1303363 Female - 1274838
928
S.NO ITEMS STATISTICS
i)
GENERAL INFERMATION
a) Geographical area(S.q.km) 3742
b) Administrative divisions as
on 31.03.2007
c) Number of Taluk 7
d) Number of Block 13
e) Number of villages 670
ii) Population
(as on 2011Censes)
Total population
Total- 2578201
Male- 1303363
Female-1274838
iii) Average annual rainfall (mm) 857.63
Geomorphology
i) Major Physiographic units
hilly region and Plains of
Madurai & Melur regions
ii) Major drainages are Vaigai,
Gundar, Vaippur and
Pambar
iv)
Landuse (Sq.km)
a) Forest area
b) Net area sown
c) Cultivable waste
484.73 Sq.km
1530.82 Sq.km
71.27 Sq.km
v) Major soil types Red soil, Black soil and Sandy
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siol
vi)
Area under principal crops
a) Paddy 70996Ha-94%
b) Groundnut 4537Ha-3%
c) Pulses 9589Ha-6%
d) Oil seeds 20073Ha-12%
e) Non-food crops 37047Ha-23%
f) Vegetables 13174Ha-8%
vii)
Irrigation by different
sources
Number of area irrigated (Ha)
Number
Area irrigated
(Ha)
i) dug wells 53705 36953
ii) Tube wells 536 634
iii) Tanks 2287 18306
iv) Canals 80 36986
v) Other sources ---
vi) Net irrigated area 92879Ha
vii)Gross irrigated area 99408 Ha
viii) Predominant Geological
formations
Granite gneiss, Charnockites
and alluvium as patches along
the river.
ix)
Hydrogeology
i) Major water bearing
formations
Alluvium weathered and
fractured crystallines.
ii)Pre-monsoon depth to water level
4.16-10.66m bgl.
iii) Post-monsoon depth to
water level 7-68-13.11m bgl.
x) Long term water level trend in
10 years(2006-16)in m/yr
Annual
Rise
(m/year) Fall (m/year)
Min:0.05
Max:0.74
Min:0.74
Max:0.93
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xi)
Ground water exploration by
CGWB (As on 31-03-2016)
a) Number of exploratory wells 21
b) Number of observation wells 10
c) Number of Piezometers
under Hydrology project 13
d) Depth of range(m) 80-202
e) Discharge(lps)
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c) REVENUE DIVISION
No. of
Divisions
Revenue
Divisions
Name
Name of Taluk
Office
Name of
Panchayat union
2
Madurai
Madurai South Thirupparankundram
Madurai North Madurai South
Madurai West
Melur Melur
Kottampatti
Vadipatti Vadipatti
Alanganallur
Usilampatti
Thirumangalam Thirumangalam
Kallukudi
Periyur T.Kallupatti
Sedapatti
Usilampatti Usilampatti
Chellampatti
ADMINISTRATION & LOCAL BODIES
Total No. of Panchayat unions - 13
Total No. of Village Panchayat - 431
Total No. of Small hamlets - 1692
Total No. of Municipalities - 3
Total No. of Revenue Village - 670
Total No. of Revenue Firkas - 51
Total No. of Taluk offices - 7
EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTIONS
No. of Arts & Science Colleges - 7
No. of Engineering Colleges - 7
No. of Industrial Training Institutions - 5
No. of Teacher Training Institutes - 4
No. of Polytechnics - 10
No. of Primary Schools - 1034
No. of Middle Schools - 218
No. of High Schools - 94
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No. of Higher Secondary Schools - 109
No. of Matriculation High Schools - 89
No. of Matriculation Higher Secondary Schools - 71
a) ROAD TRANSPORT
Madurai District is having 145km route of National High ways 45A, B and
114 km route of State Highways and Rural High Ways roads. The National
Highway Authority has undertaken the work of widening all the National
Highways in this District. It will provide better infrastructure for
transportation of goods and movement of containers to the nearest Tuticorin
Fort.
b) RAILWAY TRANSPORT
Madurai District is having Train routes to the distance of 82.95 km Broad
gauge, running between Madurai to Vadipatti, Silaiman and Kallikudi.
Further Meter gauge route of 40km is available between Madurai to
Usilampatti. Madurai is well connected with nearby Districts through
railway lines. Recently Railways have taken efforts to convert meter gauge to
Broad gauge line between Madurai to Vadipatti, which connects nearby
Dindigul District.
Train Routes and Stations:
Broad gauge lines = 82Kms
Meter gauge lines = 40kms
Railway Junction = 1
Railway Station = 9
c) AIRPORT
Madurai District is well connected in Air route with important destinations.
One Airport is available in this District, which is located at Perungudi
15kms away from Madurai. The Government of India has taken efforts to
modernize the Madurai Airport and have plans to make it to the
International Standards in order to promote tourism.
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d) ELECTRICITY
Madurai District is getting Electricity from “Tamilnadu Electricity Board” as
well as from a Private Electricity Company, namely “Madurai Power
Corporation, Samayanallur, Madurai. The production capacity of Electricity
generation is 105 MW. Maximum requirement of Electricity 241MVA and
Average requirement of Electricity 226MVA
3.0 PHYSIOGRAPHY:
a) Topography:
The geological formations met within the basin in Madurai district comprise
of pre-cambrian charnockites. The basin area is chiefly occupied by
crystalline rocks in the western, upper gondwanas and Cuddalore sandstone
capped by laterites in the central part and alluvium in the eastern part.
Recent and tertiary sediments occur along the coast and a narrow belt of
alluvium along the river course. The terrain is mostly plain. The soils
available in the command area are predominantly red sandy clay loam soils,
brown clay loam soils, alluvial soils and black clay soils.
b) Drainage:
Vaigai, a major ephemeral river originates in Western Ghats of Theni district
flow in NW-SE direction, in the central part of the district. In addition,
tributaries of Vaipar and Gundar drain in south-western part of the district,
while the tributaries of Pambar drained in north eastern part. The general
flow direction of the drainage is NW-SE.
4.0 RIVER SYSTEM
Madurai district can be further subdivided into Vaigai, gundar, Vaipar and
Pambar sub-basins.
It originates in Varusanadu hills, the Periyar Plateau of the Western
Ghats range, and flows northeast through the Kambam Valley, which lies
between the Palni Hills to the north and the Varushanad Hills to the south.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Varusanaduhttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hillshttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Western_Ghatshttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Western_Ghatshttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Western_Ghatshttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cumbum,_Tamil_Naduhttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Palni_Hills
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The Vattaparai Falls are located on this river. As it rounds the eastern
corner of the Varushanad Hills, the river turns southeast, running through
the region of Pandya Nadu. Madurai, the largest city in the Pandya Nadu
region and its ancient capital, lies on the Vaigai. The river empties into
the Palk Strait in Ramanathapuram District. The Vaigai is 258 kilometres
(160 mi) long, with a drainage basin 7,031 square kilometres (2,715 sq mi)
large.
TRIBUTARIES
The main tributaries of the river Vaigai are, the river Suruliyaru, the river
Mullaiyaaru, the river Varaganadi, the river Manjalaru and river
Kridhumaal. All these rivers, except Kridhumaal join with the great Vaigai
river nearer to the places around the Vaigai dam which is situated in Theni
district, whereas Kridhumaal joins Vaigai in Madurai. Vaigai gets major feed
from the Periyar Dam in Kumuli, Kerala. Water from the Periyar River in
Kerala is diverted into the Vaigai River in Tamil Nadu via a tunnel through
the Western Ghats. In summers, the Vaigai river ends up dry very often. The
water never reaches Madurai, let alone flowing into places past Madurai.
The Vaigai Dam is built across the river in Periyakulam Taluk, in the Theni
district of Tamil Nadu. It provides water for irrigation for the Madurai
district and the Dindigul district as well as drinking water to Madurai and
Andipatti. Near the dam, the Government of Tamil Nadu has constructed an
Agricultural Research Station for researching the growing of a variety of
crops, including rice, sorghum, blackgram, cowpea and cotton.
The Periyar Dam was built in 1895 by John Pennycuick, who implemented a
plan proposed over a century earlier by Pradani Muthirulappa Pillai of
Ramnad. The dam was built by the British Army Engineering corps for
the Travancore kingdom. The first dam was washed away by floods, and a
second masonry dam was constructed in 1895.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vattaparai_Fallshttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pandya_Naduhttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Palk_Straithttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ramanathapuramhttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Drainage_basinhttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vaigai_Damhttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Theni_districthttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Theni_districthttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Theni_districthttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Periyar_Riverhttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Keralahttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tamil_Naduhttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Western_Ghatshttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maduraihttps://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Periyakulam_Taluk&action=edit&redlink=1https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Madurai_districthttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Madurai_districthttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Madurai_districthttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dindigul_districthttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ricehttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sorghumhttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blackgramhttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cowpeahttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cottonhttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Periyar_Damhttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pradani_Muthirulappa_Pillaihttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Travancore_kingdom
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4.0 CLIMATE AND RAINFALL DATA
a) Climate Conditions of Madurai district:
The climate of Madurai district is comparatively more pleasant than that of
the Surrounding districts due to general dryness of atmosphere and
appreciable drop in Temperature in the monsoon season. The year may be
divided into four season namely dry season from January to March, summer
season April and May, southwest monsoon Season from June to Sept. and
northeast monsoon season from October to December. During summer
season (April to May) the maximum temperature is about 41°C, and the
mean daily minimum temperature of about 27°C in the plains. There is a
gradual decrease of both day and night temperatures from June onwards till
December, when the mean daily maximum temperature is about 32°C and
the mean daily min. is about 21°C in plains. The day temperature increases
gradually from January onwards. The lowest temperature is reached in
January when the mean daily minimum is about 19°C.
Fig.No.2: CLIMATE DATA FOR MADURAI DISTRICT
b) RAIN FALL:
Analysis of long term rainfall data (1901-2004) shows that the district
receives rainfall during NE monsoon (47%), SW monsoon (32%), summer
(17%) and winter (4%). The normal annual rainfall varies from 806 mm
(Sholavandan Rain Gauge Station) in the northern part to 964.1 mm (Melur
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Rainguage Station) in the eastern part of the district. The entire district
experiences a declining trend in annual rainfall except at Melur, where a
rising trend is noticed. The climate is subtropical and the temperature varies
from 15 to 41°C in the district. The relative humidity varies from 45 to 85%
and is high during NE monsoon.
Table No.1 Climate and Rain fall data in Madurai district
C) HUMIDITY:
Relative humidity is generally high in the mornings, exceeding 70 per cent
except during the summer season when it is less than 50 per cent. The
humidity is comparatively less in the afternoons. The driest part of the year
is the summer season when the relative humidity in the afternoons is about
25 per cent or less.
D) WINDS:
Winds are generally light with some strengthening in the summer and early
part of the monsoon season. In the post-monsoon and cold season, winds
are light and variable in direction in the morning and mostly from the west
or north-west in the afternoons. In April and May, winds are mainly from
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direction between north-west and north-east in the mornings and between
west and north-east in the afternoons. By June, easterlies and south –
easterlies also blow and in the south-west monsoon season. Winds are more
commonly from directions between north-east and south-east.
E) SPECIAL WEATHER PHENOMENA:
Western disturbances affect the weather over the district during the cold
season, causing widespread rain and gusty winds. Dust-storms and
thunderstorms occur in the summer season. Occasional fog occurs in the
cold season.
5.0 GEOMORPHYLOGY AND SOIL TYPES
a) Geomorphology:
The prominent geomorphic units in the district are structural and
denudated land forms such as structural and denudational hills, residual
wells, linear ridges, uplands and barried pediments.
b) Soils:
The district is characterised by Red soil, Black clayey soil and alluvial soil.
Red soil is found in all the blocks of the district while black clayey soil is
found in Tirumangalam, Usilampatti and Peraiyur blocks of the district and
alluvial soil is found along the courses of the river.
The area is built up with Archean rocks, which composed of complex gneiss,
mica, chalk gneiss with calcareous quartzites, granite gneiss, granites and
quartz veins. In general, the soils are of sandy loam with reddish colour.
Strips of alluvial soil are found in the banks of Suruliaru and Vaigaiaru.
Black cotton soil is also found in some pockets.
c) IRRIGATION:
Madurai is getting water for Agricultural usage from Vaigai River and Periyar
River.
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The Agriculture water is being released from 1 Reservoirs, namely viz.,
1. Sathaiyar Dam
S.No Block
Net Area irrigated by Total net
area
irrigated Canals Tanks
Tube
wells
Ordinar
y wells
Other
sources
1 Madurai
East 7860 0 0 1388 0 9248
2 Madurai
West 5189 0 0 1298 0 6487
3 Thiruparank
undram 1950 940 0 3847 0 6737
4 Melur 9992 2620 8 1690 0 14310
5 Kottampatti 2562 4449 0 259 0 7270
6 Vadipatti 3658 1119 0 3330 0 8107
7 Alanganallur 2910 965 0 2752 0 6627
8 Tirumangala
m 3 1860 25 3049 0 4937
9 Kallikudi 0 1977 6 1393 0 3376
10 Usilampatti 0 405 36 4683 0 5124
11 Chelampatti 2862 2033 482 3748 0 9125
12 Sedapatti 0 920 65 6917 0 7902
13 T.Kallupatti 0 1018 12 1965 0 2995
Total 36986 18306 634 36319 0 92245
Table No.2:The block wise and source wise net area irrigated in Ha
There are 22 Nos. of system tanks, 6433 no. of PWD large tanks, 7183
Nos of small tanks available in this District.
The net area irrigated is 68365 hectres.
There is another Reservoir at Viraganoor of Madurai District in the Vaigai
River to store excess water released from Vaigai Dam.
6.0 GROUND WATER SCENARIO
a) Hydrogeology:
The district is underlain predominantly by crystalline formations and
alluvium is found along the courses of the river. Ground water occurs under
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phreatic conditions in weathered residuum and interconnected shallow
fractures and under semi-confined to confined conditions in deeper
fractures. The depth of weathering varies from 20-25 m bgl in Usilampatti,
Sedapatti and Kottampatti area, while it varies from 30 to 40 m bgl in
remaining parts of the district.
Fig.No.3: GEOMORPHOLOGY OF THE MADURAI DISTRICT
The depth of dug wells varies from 10 – 20 m with a yield of 45 – 135
lpm. In the exploration programme of Central Ground Water Board, 29% of
the wells yielded less than 1 lps while 30% of the wells yielded between 1 –
3lps. In general there are about 2 – 3 fracture zones less than 50 m and
about 2 – 3 fracture form beyond 100 m also. The variations in the yield of
bore wells are very high in the district. Potential fractures with high
discharge have been established along Valandur-usilampatti-
Timmarasanayakanur, Thirali-Peraiyur tract and Palkalainagar-Nilayur tract
in the district. The depth to water level in the district varies from 3.13 to
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7.66 m bgl during premonsoon (May 2006) and 1.86 to 5.74 m bgl during
post monsoon
b) Long Term Fluctuation:
The long term water level fluctuation for the period 1998-2007 indicates
rise in the water level in the order of 0.05 to 0.74 m/year while the fall in
the water level is in the range of 0.07 to 0.93 m/year.
i) Aquifer Parameters
1) Shallow Aquifer;
Permeability : < 1 to 70 m/day
Specific yield : 1 – 2%
2) Deeper fractured Aquifer;
Transmissivity : 5 – 33 m2/day
Storataivity : 5.7x10-4 to 8.7 x 10-3
c) 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, Government of Tamil Nadu). The
computation of ground water resources available in the district has been
done using GEC 1997 methodology. The salient features of the
computations are furnished below.
d) Ground Water Quality
Ground water in phreatic aquifer in general is colorless, odourless and
alkaline in nature. The specific electrical conductance of ground water in
phreatic zone during May 2006 varied between 632 -6520 μs/cm at 25°C
and in major part of the state it is less than 2200 μs/cm. It is observed that
ground water is suitable for drinking and domestic uses in respect of all
constituents except TH and NO3. It is found to be excess of permissible limit
in 34% of sample analysed in respect of TH and in about 66% in respect of
NO3. The high incidence of TH can be attributed to geogenic causes while
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NO3 excess may be due to either excess use of fertilisers or due to improper
waste disposal.
Table No.3 Ground water development of area in Madurai district
In reference to irrigation suitability based on EC and Sodium Absorption
Ratio (SAR), the ground water in phreatic zone may cause medium to very
high salinity hazard and medium to high alkali hazard. Hence proper soil
management practices are to be adopted when the ground water from
phreatic aquifer is to be used for irrigation purposes. In case of deeper
fractures, the ground water is suitable for domestic and
irrigation purposes. However, the data of State Ground & Surface Water
Resources Data Centres shows that ground water in Pulipatti,
Chinnalatalai, Usilampati and Vikramapuram have fluoride concentration
more than the permissible limit.
The Ground Water levels from the 31 number of observation wells of TWAD
have been analysed for PostMonsoon and PreMonsoon. 5 Since 1991,
average Ground water level in m Below Ground Level for pre and post
monsoon is as follows:
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Fig.No.4: GROUND WATER LEVEL OF THE MADURAI DISTRICT
e) Water Conservation and Artificial Recharge:
The topography of Madirai district, in general, is suited for construction of
various artificial recharge structures such as percolation ponds, check dams
and sub-surface dykes. However, detailed studies are necessary to formulate
a comprehensive scheme for artificial recharge of phreatic ground water in
the district in view of the variations in the geomorphic setup and the
complex hydrological and hydrogeological conditions. The number and type
of artificial recharge structures recommended for all the blocks in Madurai
district are furnished in Table 2. The exact locations of these structures,
however, are to be decided on the basis of detailed field investigations. The
implementation of the schemes may be taken up in phases, giving priority to
blocks where the development of ground water resources is comparatively
high.
Table No.4 Artificial recharges structures recommended in Madurai
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7.0 LAND USE/LAND COVER MAPPING USING SATELLITE DATA
Multi-date satellite imageries of IRS-P6 LISS III acquired in February-
March, 2004; June, 2004 and September, 2004 were used for land use
mapping. The IRS P6, FCC on 1:50,000 scales, generated from Green, Red
and NIR bands were visually interpreted to delineate various land use/ land
cover categories. A field survey was carried out to check the validity of
various land use classes and sub classes. Necessary corrections were
incorporated after ground truth verification. Final land use/land cover map
for the district was prepared. Land use/ land cover classes were digitized
using Arc-Info GIS package and area under various land use classes
computed. The detailed discussion of each category is as follows:
A) BUILT-UP LAND
The built-up land includes residential, industrial, commercial, public, road
network etc. but with the 23.5 meter resolution data of IRS-P6 LISS III
sensor it is not possible to segregate them. Therefore the present study was
limited to the identification of urban and rural built-up areas. The total area
under built-up land in the district was 22598.19 ha which is 8.44 per cent
of TGA of the district There is 10848.46 ha area under built-up and 433.15
ha area under industrial built-up in the district which is 4.05 and 0.16 per
cent of the TGA of the district respectively. The rural built-up area in the
district in 11316.58 ha (4.23 % of TGA of district). The Urban (Towns/Cities)
and Industrial built-up area is mainly concentrated in Melur block of the
district comprising the city of Madurai and industrial establishments in and
around the city. Block wise analysis of the data shows that Madurai west
block has maximum built-up area (11203.6 ha, 26.28 % of the TGA of
Block) including urban, industrial and rural built-up whereas vadipatti
block has minimum built-up area (3.35 % of TGA of blocks) closely followed
by vadipatti block 3.38 % of TGA. Thiruparankundram block, located
Madurai south in the district has nearly 21.8 per cent area of the block
(9298.48 ha) is under urban settlements /district administrative
establishments as Madurai city and Usilampatti cantonment fall in this
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block and 0.74 per cent of the TGA is under industrial establishments. The
Melur block has largest area under rural settlements compared to other
blocks which is 2170.36 hectare (6.73% of TGA).
Band Spectral
range(Microns)
Electro
magnetic
spectrum
Ground
resolution
(m)
Characteristics and uses
1 .45 to .515 Visible
bluegreen
(reflected)
30
"true color" composites,
sedimentation in water, scattered easily
by atmosphere, urban
development
2 .525 to .605
Visible bluegreen
(reflected)
30 "true color" composites
3 .63 to .690 Visible red
(reflected) 30 "true color" composites
4 .75 to .90 Near
Infrared (reflected)
30 Vegetation/chlorophyll very
highly reflective
5 1.55 to 1.75
MidInfrared
(reflected)
60
Moisture in vegetation/soils, clouds vs. snow, mineral
content of rocks/soils
6 10.40 to 12.5
Thermal
Infrared
(emitted)
30
Temperature of
surfaces, distinguish
between 0.6 Celsius
7 2.09 to 2.35
MidInfrared (reflected)
30 Moisture in vegetation/soils, mineral content of rocks/soils
Pan 0.52 to .90
Visible light
(reflected)
15 Very High resolution visible
scan
Table No.5: Spectrum and Ground resolution characteristics
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Fig.No.5: LAND USE AND LAND COVER DETAILS OF THE MADURAI
DISTRICT
Fig.No.6: IMAGE SHOWING LANDUSE AND LAND COVER AREA AS A
PERCENTAGE
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S.No Land use land cover Area in sq km
1 Crop land 2137
2 Dense forest 160
3 Fallow land 227
4 Barren rocky land 68
5 Settlement 63
6 Land with or without scrub 605
7 Plantations 309
9 Water bodies 50
B) AGRICULTURAL LAND
The study revealed that total double cropped area in the district is 1,64,389
ha which is nearly 87.79 per cent of total geographical area (TGA) of the
district. Paddy-Sugar cane is the major crop rotation followed in the district.
Apart from these major crops, malligai (jasmine), groud nut, coconut and
maize crops are also grown. Among vegetable crops like snake gourd,
brinjal, drum stick, ladies figures, tomato and chillies are also grown. The
total land mass under agriculture comprising of crop land and land under
plantations is found to be 374173Ha which is 88.55 per cent of the TGA of
the district.
C) WASTELANDS The total area under wastelands comes to be 94400Ha which is nearly 0.25
per cent of the TGA of the district. The wastelands include gullied/revenu
land, land with or without scrub, land under mining. The area under these
classes is 68, 227, 160 and 605 ha respectively which is 0.01, 0.60, 0.04
and 0.16 per cent of the TGA of the district, respectively. Across the blocks,
Thirumangalam block has the maximum per cent area (1.80% of TGA of the
block) whereas Vadipatti block has the minimum per cent area (0.16% of
TGA of the block) under wastelands. Usilampatti block of the district with its
proximity to the city of Madurai has 167.76 ha of area under their mining
fields and is followed by Melur (156.14 ha of block). The revenous lands in
the district are found along the river Vaigai bordering the district Madurai in
Usilampatti and Madurai block only occupying an area of 356.1 ha (1.10%
of TGA of block). The wastelands with and without scrub are spread over the
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entire district. Granite with their mining areas is well distributed in the
district.
D) LAND HOLDING PATTERN
(Cropping Pattern): Paddy-Cotton is the major crop rotation followed in the
district. Other crops like maize; Malligai, etc. occupy negligible area as
compared to rice. Besides agriculture, the area has a good potential for
horticultural crops like grapes, pear, guava and coconut tree.
8.0 GEOLOGY AND QUATERNARY GEOLOGY
Systematic geomorphological and quaternary geological mapping carried out
in this area, has brought out an interesting sequence of Quaternary
Formations which was originally mapped as calcareous mud and clay,
kankar and soil, with complex evolutionary history. The distinct surfaces
with their own characteristic lithological attributes are being dealt with
individually and presented in the table form.
MINERALS
1. In Madurai District, Melur Taluk and Madurai North Taluk are having
enormous wealth of Granites.
2. All over Madurai District lot of Minerals such as Sand, lime, Blue Metal &
Quarts are available.
3. More enterprises have come up in this District, using this mineral wealth
and providing more employment.
Granite, Charnockite, Pegmatite, Gneissic Rocks are found largly found
in Madurai area. Sedimentary rocks namely calcareous gritty (sand stone
mixed clay), and quartz vein.The younger alluvium formations are seen
predominantly in the northern part of the area and are considered as highly
permeable. The northwest and middleeast part of the area consist of fluvial–
deltaic sediment deposits, which are laid on Granitoid gneiss and are
considered as good zone for groundwater potential.
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The following geological sequence for the area:
Kankar and soil
Quaternary Calcareous mud and clay, laterite
----------------------------------U.C-----------------------------------
Granite and Pegmatite
Acid charnockite
Archaean Biotite gneiss
Garnetiferous sillimanite gneiss │composite
gneiss
Quartzite
Impure crystalline limestone
Calc gneiss
However, the hard rock materials composed of crystalline charnockite,
conglomerate, and quartzite vein present in the southern part of the area are
not suitable for groundwater potential zones.
Limestone:
Limestone in Tamil Nadu occurs as crystalline and non-crystalline
(amorphous) varieties besides corals. The crystalline limestones of
Precambrian age are mainly distributed in parts of Madurai, Virudhunagar,
Ramanathapuram, Tirunelveli and Tuticorin Districts. The total reserves of
crystalline limestone are 200 million tonnes of „Proved‟ category and about
25-30 million tonnes of „Inferred‟ category. Non-crystalline limestones are
located in parts of Tirunelveli and Tuticorin Districts. The total estimated
reserve of non-crystalline limestone is about 670 million tonnes of both
'proved' and 'inferred' categories of which 650 million tonnes of Cretaceous
age distributed in erstwhile Tiruchirapalli District while rest are of Tertiary
age distributed in Tirunelveli District.
Khondalite and Charnockite groups
The Khondalite and Charnockite groups and their reworked equivalents
occupy large tracts of the state. Although each of the above two groups cover
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predominantly certain sectors of the state, they are not mutually exclusive,
but occur in very close association at many places.
Fig.No 7: MAP SHOWING 3D IMAGE OF THE MADURAI DISTRICT
Khondalite Group (Ak)
In Tamil Nadu, Khondalite Group is well developed in the south, which is
considered by some workers as terrane boundary between the Archaean
Craton in the north and the Proterozoic Mobile Belt in the south. The
Khondalite Group essentially consists of rocks of sedimentary parentage
such as quartzite and garnet-sillimanite gneiss ± graphite ± cordierite
(metapelites). These are interbanded at places with mafic granulite /
amphibolite and charnockite. The charnockite interbands rich in diopside
are considered to be metamorphosed cafemic sediments, while mafic
granulites / amphibolites probably represent mafic volcanics.
The metapellites of the Khondalite Group are characterised by Mg-Al
silicates such as sapphirine, kornerupine / prismatine and cordierite in
Kiranur, Ganguvarpatti, Usilampatti and other areas. The Khondalite Group
is intruded by ultrabasics – anorthosite complexes and younger granites.
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Rocks similar to Khondalite Group viz., garnetiferous sillimanite gneiss ±
graphite ± cordierite, sillimanite quartzites and calc-granulites are also
reported in negligible quantities in the northeastern part of the state
occupying the synformal keels within predominantly Charnockite Group.
The large volume of quartzite and crystalline limestone in the Khondalitic
Group in the southern part are completely lacking in this sector.
Charnockite Group (Ac)
The Charnockite Group, comprising of charnockite, two-pyroxene granulite,
banded quartz-magnetite granulite / banded magnetite quartzite and thin
pink quartzo-felspathic granulite are extensively developed in the north-
western sector of the state and are well exposed in many prominent hill
ranges such as vadipatti and usilampatt areas. The pyroxne granulite of
Charnockite Group are considered to represent mafic volcanic, indicates a
volcanic exhalative origin, while the pink granulite is interpreted to
represent the associated acid volcanic. In contrast to the essentially
sedimentary parentage of the Khondalite Group, the Charnockite Group
appears to be of igneous / volcanic parentage derivatives. Charnockite
Group also occurs in the northwest of Vadipatti, Usilampatti and other
areas of forming the Hills to the west and northwest of Madurai areas.
These charnockite is considered to have been derived from the prograde
metamorphism of the peninsular gneiss and the associated Sargur type
supracrustal rocks of Dharwar Craton. They occupy some of the hill ranges
such as Kodaikanal, Palani, Sirumalai, Varushanad, Agasthiarmalai and
Hills around Dindigul.
Incipient charnockite formation is reported along certain major joint /
fracture systems within garnetiferous quartzo-feldspathic granulite near
Melur in Madurai District from garnetiferous granulite and gneiss near
Papanasam in Tirunelveli District
Thus the Charnockite Group shown on the map as a single entity of
Archaean age contains in reality, rocks of different ages and origin. The
limited geochrnological data available for charnockites of Tamil Nadu show
varying ages ranging from Ca 3000Ma to 550Ma.
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Graphite
A major graphite occurrence of Tamil Nadu is located in Puvandhi in
Sivaganga District over a strike length of 11 km. Reserves are estimated at 5
lakh tonnes of graphite concentrate upto a depth of 15m with 15% fixed
carbon. Depth persistence upto 100m is established by drilling. In the
western segment of this 11 km stretch, a resource of 75,000 tonnes of
graphite with F.C. upto 10.9% has been inferred upto a depth of 15 m over a
strike length of 5.25 km. Tirumangalam, Ponnamangalam in Madurai
District having a reserve of about 17,000 tonnes.
FOLDS AND FAULTS
In southcentral Tamil Nadu, covering parts of Theni, Madurai and Dindigul
districts, three distinct zones of diverse structural trends, viz., NE-SW, NW-
SE and N-S are noticed. These three zones are named respectively as Suruli
Ar Lineament Zone (SALZ), Vaigai Lineament Zone (VLZ) and Vattlagundu –
Idaiyakkottai Lineament Zone (VILZ). Based on their mutual relationship,
the NE-SW structural element which is prominent in the west as seen in the
Kambam – Periyakulam areas (SALZ) is the earliest and are being cut by the
NWSE structural trend (VLZ) which is prominent in the Vattlagundu area
and further southeast. The N-S shear / fault is prominent in the Dindigul
area, and it transects both NE-SW (SALZ) and NW-SE (VLZ) structural
trends and hence the youngest in the area. The earlier compressional
tectonic regime, manifested by recumbent folding and thrusting, followed by
tensional regime in the Kambam valley resulted in the development of a
series of NNE-SSW trending horsts and grabens with the latter occupied by
Quaternary sediments. Emplacement of alkali granites and carbonatites
marks the extensional tectonic regime in this domain.
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9.0 OVERVIEW OF MINING ACTIVITY
Mainly three types of Minor Minerals constituents such as Granite, Rough
Stone and Gravel are required for any type of construction apart from other
material like Limestone and Dolomite mineral. In the earlier time the mud
houses/buildings were constructed with the use of mud. However with the
passage of time, new techniques of development activities were started. As
such the demand of Minor Mineral started on an increasing trend.
Accordingly, mining plan is prepared under Rule 41 of Tamil Nadu Minor
Minerals Concession Rules, 1959 and Minor Mineral Conservation and
Development Rules, 2010 for quarrying, with due consideration of
environmental parameters so as to obtain Environ mental clearance (EC)
form District EIA Authority (DEIAA), as per the EIA Notification, 2006
and its amendments.
10.0 TOTAL MINERAL POTENTIAL FOR THE DISTRICT:
a) MINERAL POTENTIAL FOR REPLENISHABLE AREA:
S.No Name of
Mineral
Portion of the area
Recommended for
mineral (in Ha)
Recommended
for mineral
concession (in Ha)
Mineable
mineral
potentional in % m3
b) MINERAL POTENTIAL FOR NON- REPLENISHABLE AREA:
Quantity for non- replenishable area could not be ascertained due to
non- willingness of land owners for excavation of minor minerals from
their own lands. However, it is recommended that on reciept of
request of land owner, a Sub Divisional Level Committee may visit the
site quarry to ascertain the viability of mineral potential i.e. Area and
mineral quantity for recommending the case to the concerned
Authority for approval.
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11.0 FLORA AND FAUNA:
a) Flora:
Plantation has 309 Sq Km and Fallow land has 227 Sq Km, Dense
forest occupies 160 Sq Km while rest of other has low than 100 Sq Km
area.
b) Fauna:
This Sanctuary was declared as grizzled squirrel Wild Life Sanctuary
in 1989. This Sanctuary is contiguous with the Periyar Tiger Reserve
on the South Western side and the Megamalai Reserve Forest on the
North Western. This Grizzled squirrel wild Life Sanctuary lies mostly
in Virudhunagar District and partly in Madurai District nestling in the
High ranges of the Western Ghats.
11.0 CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS:
The study area carried out has brought out that the quaternary sediments
vary in thickness from 40 to 80 m in the western parts, from 30 to 40 m in
the central parts and 55 to 61 m in the eastern parts. The depositions of
these sediments were tectonically controlled by the basement structures
which were reactivated during quaternary period. The morphogenetic
evolution depicting a series of changes in the Periyar and Vagai river
courses, their capture and entrenchment and the present day landform
disposition are all corroborated by the isopach map and the basement
configuration map. Detailed ground water studies for estimating the
potentials of the number of paleochannels in both western and eastern
parts.