Tirunelveli District
Area, Population & Sex Ratio
Geographical Area : 6810.0 Km2
Population in Tirunelveli (Census 2011)
Total Population
Total : 3072880
Male : 1518595
Female : 1554285
Disabled population
Total disabled population : 74087
In seeing : 42905
In speech : 5784
In hearing : 2946
In movement : 17177
Mental : 5275
Rank ( VoiceOfBharat.org Analysis
)
Backwardness : 197
Sex Ratio Rank : 562
(Rank one is least sex ratio - Cenus 2001)
HIV Category District : B
(HIV Sentinel Surveillance 2004 - 2006)
Disability : 48 (Census 2001)
Literacy Ratio : 104 (Census 2001)
Minority : Does not figure in MCD
Brief About Tirunelveli District
Tirunelveli District, the penultimate southern
most district of Tamil Nadu, is described as a microcosm of the
State. The district has diverse geographical and physical features
such as lofty mountains and low plains, rivers and cascades, seacoast
and thick inland forest, sandy soils and fertile alluvium, a variety
of flora, fauna, and protected wild life. The glory of Tirunelveli
District is the pride of Tamils. The crawling clouds on the Western
Ghats, the picturesque Pothigai hills and the Courtallam water falls
are the special features which make Tirunelveli unique. The district
consists of all the five geographical divisions referred to in Tamil
literature. The Western Ghats form the Kurinji (Mountainous) region;
the Kalakkadu and Mundanthurai forests form the Mullai (Forest)
region; the lands watered by the Tamiraparani and other rivers fall
under Marudham (Paddy fields); the Radhapuram sea coast is its Neithal
land (coastal) and the teri land forms the Palai (desert) region.
The district is dotted with centres of natural beauty, pilgrimage,
architectural eminence and memorials to great warriors of Indian
independence.
General Details about Tirunelveli District
Tirunelveli the penultimate southern most
district of Tamil Nadu, is described as a microcosm of the State,
owing to its mosaic and diverse geographical and physical features
such as lofty mountains and low plains, dry Teri structures, rivers
and cascades, seacoast and thick inland forest, sandy soils and
fertile alluvium, a variety of flora, fauna, and protected wild
life.Thenpandiyanadu of the early Pandyas, Mudikonda Cholamandalam
of the Imperial Cholas, Tirunelveli Seemai of the Nayaks, Tinnevelly
district of the East India Company and the British administration
and Tirunelveli district of Independent India became Nellai-Kattabomman
district on its bifurcation in 1986 and subsequently was christened
as Tirunelveli-Kattabomman district. As per the decision of the
Government of Tamil Nadu to call all the districts by the name of
the headquarter town, Tirunelveli-Kattabomman district is
now Tirunelveli district.
Origin of the District
On acquisition
from the Nawab of Arcot in1801, the British named it as Tinnevelly
district though their headquarters was first located in Palayamkottai
the adjacent town, where they had their military headquarters during
their operations against the Palayakars. Two reasons may be attributed
for naming it after Tirunelveli. One is because, it was and is the
chief town of the district and the other is that it was already
called as Tirunelveli Seemai under the Nayaks and Nawabs. Both Tirunelveli
and Palayamkottai grew as the twin towns of the district.
Geographical Data
The Tirunelveli
District is located in the world map,
between 08o 8’ and 09o 23’ latitude
and 77o 09’
and 77o 54’ longitude. The total geographical area of
the district is 6,823 sq. km.
Climatic Condition
Temperature
In the day time the coastal regions
are cooler than the interior parts by about a degree
in summer and southwest monsoon seasons and warmer by one to two
degrees during the rest of the year.
From about the middle of February, temperature increases
steadily. In May which is usually
the hottest month in
the interior, the mean
daily maximum temperature is 37.1 degree Celsius.
The weather is
quite hot in May and June and the maximum temperature some times
reaches 45 degree Celsius. With the onset of the southwest
monsoon by the end of May or beginning of June, there is some drop
in temperature. By
about the middle of October, both day and night temperatures decrease
appreciably. The period
from November to January is the coolest part of the year with the
mean daily maximum temperature of about 30 to 31 degree Celsius
in the interior parts. The mean daily minimum in
these months is about 22 to 23 degree Celsius in the district in
general.
Humidity
The relative humidity in general, during the year,
is between 55 and 65 percent in the interior parts of the district,
except during the northeast monsoon season, when it is over 65 per
cent. The coastal parts
are comparatively more humid.
Rainfall
Main rainy season is from October to the middle
of January.
During these southwest monsoon season the rainfall is more in the
western parts of the district.
November is generally the rainiest month.
The heaviest rainfall in 24 hours recorded in the district was 371.5
mm at Sivagiri on 29/10/1929.
The average rain fall in the district is 814.8
mm per annum. |
