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

admin@abmenvirotech.com,

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