Thiruvananthapuram distrcit General information

Thiruvananthapuram, which was previously called Trivandrum, is an ancient city with tradition dating back to 1000 BC. Thiruvananthapuram became the capital of Raja of Travancore in 1750.

The city gets its name from the word, Thiru-anantha-puram, meaning the city of Anantha or the abode of the sacred Serpent Anantha on which Lord Vishnu, the preserver of the Hindu trinity, reclines.

Thiruvananthapuram, the capital of the state of Kerala is a beautiful seaside city built on seven hills. It is located on the west coast of India near the extreme south of the mainland spreading over a total of 2,192sq.km.

Geography

The district is situated between North latitudes at 8.17° & 8.54° and East longitudes 76.41° & 77.17°. The southern most extremity, Parassala is just 54 km away from the Southern Peninsular tip of India, Cape Comorin (Kanya Kumari). The district stretches 78 km along the shores of the Arabian Sea on the West, Kollam district lies on the North with Tirunelveli and Kanyakumari districts of Tamil Nadu on the East and South respectively.

The district can be divided in to three geographical regions : highlands, midlands, and lowlands. Chirayankeezhu, and Thiruvananthapuram Taluks lies on the midland and lowland regions, while the Nedumangad Taluk lies in the midland and highland regions, and the Neyyattinkara Taluk stretches over all the three regions.

The highland regions on the east and the north-east comprises the Western Ghats and this area is ideal for major cash crops like rubber, tea, cardamom and other spices. Timber trees like Teak and Rosewood are grown in this region. The Ghats maintain an average elevation of 814 metres, and Agasthyarkoodam, the second highest peak in the Ghats, is 1869 metres above sea level. The midland region lying between the Western Ghats and lowlands is made up of small and tiny hills and valleys. This is an area of intense agricultural activities. This region is rich in produces like paddy, tapioca, rubber, eucalyptus, spices and cashew. The lowlands are comparatively narrow, comprising of rivers, deltas and seashore. This area is densely covered with coconut trees. Water bodies cover about 55.25 km² while forest area is estimated to be 498.61 km².

Climate

The large forest reserves favourably affect the climate and induce rains. Cold weather is experienced in the mountain ranges whereas lower down, the weather is bracing and is generally hot in the plains. The mean maximum temperature is 95 °F (34 °C); humidity is high, and rises up to about 95% during South-West monsoon. The average rainfall is about 1500 mm per annum. There are two rainy seasons : South-West monsoon (June - September mid) and North-East monsoon(October–mid-November). December, January, and February are the coolest months (on an average, temperature goes down to 16 °C) and March, April, and May are hot (on an average, temperature rises up to about 35 °C). Summer showers are also common in May.

Flora and Fauna

The district has a rich variety of plants ranging from rare orchids, medicinal plants and spices to hedge plants, tuber crops, plants yielding edible fruits and fibre. Aromatic plants and spices such as pepper and ginger are cultivated on a large scale on the hilly tracts. Nedumangad taluk is one of the biggest centres of cultivation and trade of pepper and other hill produces. A major portion of the district comes under the middle plain and the region is under the cultivation of coconut, paddy, tapioca, tuber crops, plantains and vegetabless.

The forests of the district abound in a variety of animals & birds and are excellent wild life habitats. Elephants, bisons, monkeys and rare species of reptiles have the place of prominence in them. The Neyyar reservoir and nearby areas abound in wild life. Nestled in the lap of the Western Ghats, a wild life sanctuary is quickly growing over an area of nearly 777 km² around this reservoir. The forest under the Kulathupuzha range is the habitat of rare species of snakes and lizards. Mammals are well represented in the district. Nilgiri Langur (Kasi Fohnii), the Lion-tailed Macaque (Macaca Silenus), the Nilgiri brown mongoose (Herpestes fuscus) and the Malabar civet (Moschothere Civettina) are characteristic to this region. Carnivores include tiger, wild cat, jackal, leopard and wild dog. Sloth gear, gaur, a few species of deer and elephants are also seen. Reptiles include lizards, snakes, crocodiles and tortoises. There are about 75-80 species of snakes in this area and some of them are very poisonous.

Forest

Thiruvananthapuram district has a reserve forest area of 495.145 km² and vested forest area of 3.534 km² spreading over three ranges, viz., the Kulathupuzha range in the north, Palode range in the middle and the Paruthipalli range in the south. These forests may be broadly classified into three categories, namely, (a) southern tropical wet ever green forests, (b) southern tropical and semi ever green forests and (c) southern tropical moist deciduous forests. Veeti (Dalbergia latifolia), Thembavu (Terminalia crenulata), Aini (Artocarpus hirsutus), Plavu (Artocarpus heterophyllus), Akil (Dysoxylum malabaricum), Venga (Pterocarpus marsupium), Venthekku (Lagerstroemia lanceolata), Manjakadamb (Adina cordifolia) and Irul (Xylia xylocarpa) constitute the important timber species. Social forestry programmes are being implemented under the World Bank aided Kerala Social Forestry Project, National Rural Employment Programme (NREP) and Rural Fuel Wood Schemes to assist small and marginal farmers.

River

Among the three rivers in the district, the Neyyar (56 km), the southernmost river of the Kerala state, has its origin in the Agasthyamala, the second highest peak in the Western Ghats. Karamana river (67 km) originates from Vayuvanthol (vazhuvanthol), another mountain in western ghats and the Vamanapuram River have their origin from Chemunji Mottai of the Western Ghats. There are 10 major back waters in the district. The major lakes are Veli, Kadinamkulam, Anchuthengu(Anjengo), Kaappil, Akathumuri and the Edava-Nadayara lakes. Besides these, there is a fresh water lake at Vellayani in Thiruvananthapuram taluk, which has the potential to become the major water sources of the Thiruvanthapuram city in future.

Demography

Population : According to the final figures of 2001 census, the population of the district is 3,234,356. The details are as below:

Language : Malayalam is the mother tongue. People in Neyyattinkara taluk living adjacent to Tamil Nadu border, speak Malayalam mixed with Tamil. Thiruvananthapuram city is more cosmopolitan with people speaking various languages like Malayalam, English, Tamil, Hindi, Tulu, and a minor percentage speak Gujarati.

Religion and Caste : Hindus constitute the majority of the population followed by Christians and Muslims. The Hindu community lies grouped on the basis of castes and sub castes as elsewhere in the state. The Nairs,the Nadars, the Ezhavas, the scheduled castes and 11 tribes form the majority of the Hindu community. Christians belong mainly to the Latin Catholic Church, the Church of South India and the Orthodox Syrian Church. The Muslim community also forms a major division of the total population. Economic, social and other ties bind the members of different religious groups at the local level. People live in peace and amity, influencing and being influenced by the culture of one another.

Socio-Economic Conditions : More than 50% of the total population depend on agriculture for their livelihood. Agricultural labourers constitute 42% of the total labour class. Most of the people are engaged in low remunerative pursuits which require very little capital. Political and social consciousness, coupled with the efforts of the social, religious and cultural leaders, have helped to pull down the age-old feudal order. Economic changes have also affected the social life and attitude of the people.

Economy

Agriculture

Agriculture has been the primary occupation of the people of the district. More than 42% of the total population depend on agriculture. Cultivable land may be classified as wet, dry, garden and plantations. Paddy is the most important crop cultivated in the wet lands. Tapioca and pulses are the important dry land crops. Coconut, one of the most important crops of the district, is cultivated in an area of 843.08 km² and the annual production is about 516 million nuts. Rubber cultivation is mainly confined to Nedumangad taluk. At present, there are about 269.99 km² of rubber plantations and the annual production is estimated at 30,717 tonnes. Newly introduced agricultural development schemes have opened new vistas in this field. Fresh schemes are introduced in every panchayat with a view to maximize yield per unit area by exploiting the production potential of paddy and vegetables. Cashew is grown in 21.84 km² of land and the production is about 1745 tonnes. Pepper cultivation covers an area of 50.9 km² and the yield is about 1824 tonnes. Soil conservation projects are being implemented with subsidy and loans.

Irrigation

The Neyyar Irrigation Project, commissioned in 1959, irrigates an area of 116.65 km² in Thiruvananthapuram. Neyyar is the source of water for the reservoir. The length of the dam is 294.13 meters and the height is 50.6 meters. The catchment draining into the reservoir, covering an area of 140 km² of forest land, receives an annual average rainfall of about 2260 mm from two monsoons. The total length of the main canal and its branches is 266 km.

Animal husbandry and dairy

The Regional Poultry Farm and the District Livestock Farm at Kudappanakunnu, the Dry Stock Farm at Palode, the Intensive Poultry Block at Pettah, Clinical lab, broiler farm, piggery, veterinary sub centres, veterinary Biological Institute, Disease Investigation Office, Livestock Disease Control unit and the SPCA (Society for Prevention of Cruelty to Animals) are the major animal husbandry institutions in the district. At present there are 23 veterinary hospitals 76 veterinary dispensaries and 144 such centres in the district. In Thiruvananthapuram, milk is being distributed to consumers from the dairy at Ambalathara. There are 376 dairy co-operatives besides, 294 Anand model co-operatives. Kerala Livestock Development and Milk Marketing Board (K.L.D. & M.M.B.) and the Kerala Co-operative Milk Marketing federation (MILMA) strive to improve production. Nearly 147,000 litres of milk is being collected and distributed daily through the co-operative societies.

Fisheries

Thiruvananthapuram district stretches along the shores of the Arabian Sea for a distance of 78 km, offering immense scope for the development of fisheries as an important source of earning foreign exchange. Varkala, Anchuthengu, Marianad, Poonthura, Vizhinjam and Poovar are some of the major fishing centres. The fishermen population is about 200,000 and the catch is around 32,000 tonnes. Anchovies, sardine, catfish, perches, mackerel, tuna and carangids are the important species caught in this area. Introduction of mechanized fishing crafts and modern fishing gear has augmented the fish catch. There are 42 fishermen villages and the total number of households engaged in fishing is about 40,000. Development activities and welfare programmes are implemented by the Department of Fisheries, Matsyafed, Fish Farmers Development Agency (FFDA), and Brackish Water Fish Farmers Development Agency (BWFFDA). The inland catch is significant in the district. The newly launched people oriented fish farming scheme aims at fish cultivation in 2.05 km² of public ponds. All the 78 panchayats in the district are readied to adopt the scheme under the guidance of local bodies. The coastal fisheries belt is divided into 42 fisheries villages and most of such villages have fishermen welfare societies formed under the Kerala Fisheries Welfare Society Act of 1980.

Industry

In Thiruvananthapuram district there are 2 Central sector, 14 state sector, 1 co-operative sector, 4 joint sector and 60 private sector medium and large scale industries. The Kerala state Industrial Development Corporation (KSIDC) units employ 9262 people with an investment of Rs.34,394 lakhs (as on 31.03.2003). In 2002 there were 901 registered working factories. They include oil mills, cashew factories, cotton textiles, saw mills, printing units, rubber industrial units, chemical units, match factories, general engineering units and automobile workshops. The S.M.S.M. Institute in Thiruvananthapuram is a major institution through which the products of the handicraft industries are marketed. As of 31 March 2003, there were 28,918 small scale industrial units employing 115,597 people in the district. In agro based industries, 4544 people work, 3080 work in forest based, 980 in animal husbandry based, 5057 in pesticide based, 1282 in chemicals based, 4708 in engineering based, 3075 in manufacturing and building materials section and 6192 in other industries. Of these SSI units, 1323 are Scheduled Caste/Scheduled Tribe units and 6065 are women units. There is an industrial estate at Pappanamcode and an industrial development centre at Kochuveli. Traditional industries such as coir and hand loom are now faced with several problems. The main varieties of coir produced are Anchuthengu and Muppiri. Handloom weaving is prevalent at Balaramapuram, Amaravila, Kulathur and Chirayinkeezhu. It is estimated that clothes worth Rs.95,000,000 are annually produced in the handloom sector. There are 20 Hantex (Handloom Weavers’ Co-operative Society) depots and five showrooms in the district. Keltron (Kerala state Electronics Development Corporation) has made inroads into electronic markets throughout the country. The opening of many private Television channels in the state, made Thiruvananthapuram the home of several studios and related industries.

Tourist Place

Shree Padhmanabhaswamy temple: Shree Padhmanabhaswamy temple dedicated to Lord Vishnu is held sacred by the Hindus from antiquity. The temple has a large complex with a huge gopuram. It has a tank beside it for ritual bathing.

Kovalam: Kovalam is 12kms to the south of Thiruvananthapuram and is one of the finest beaches in India. It has been developed into an integrated seaside resort. The beach complex has many hotels, cottages, yoga centres etc.

Vizhinjam: About 2kms south of Kovalam, it is believed to be an ancient port. The Dutch and Portugese had commercial establishments here. It is being developed as a modern fishing harbour.

Ponmudi: A pleasant resort at an elevation of 912m above sea level. It is 61 kms from Thiruvananthapuram and connected by road. There are many tree and rubber estates around the hills.

Veli: lagoon The boat club attracts tourists by providing facilities for pedal boating , row boating , swimming on the placid waters of the veli lake.

The Kanakakunnu Palace: This palace in the heart of Trivandrum city is one of the most beautiful buildings. The palace and its sprawling grounds are today the venue for many cultural meets. The Museum building is an architectural splendour. The napier museum, the natural history museum, the reptile house and the Shri Chitra Art Gallery are in the same complex amidst a well laid out garden and park.

The Science and Technology museum, the Government Secretariat, the Kowdiar palace, the Senate house, are some of the other tourist attractions in the city.