Socio-cultural Processes and Livelihood Patterns at Tirurangadi - CDS

So it is clear that although land reforms were effective in the region, there has not been
any industrialization worth the name. The exact reason for this would require further
examination which will be taken up shortly. One or two features are evident. The
expansion of coconut cultivation, with the stagnation in the industries based on coconut
products, is not specific to the region. As we have seen organized industrial production of
coconut products were absent even earlier, and it never picked up afterwards. Fiber
production as an occupation was affected by the regulations on the Coastal Protection
Zone, which banned work on fiber in the Kadalundi river basin, which affected coir
production all over the region, as all the producers used to transport their fiber to
Kadalundi. This practice has now stopped entirely. The clayey soil found in several parts
provide raw material for ceramic industry, but this also never picked up, because of the
import of machine tiles from other parts. The shift of housing to reinforced concrete and
the preference for fancy tiles also resulted in the stagnation in tile industry, and there was
no effort to further invest in the industry, which is now concentrated in Feroke. Iron and
steel was apparently affected by the use of low quality iron, and mostly by the
dependence of the consumer on iron and other metal products in Coimbatore, with which
the local producers are unable to compete. Although iron has been reported from
Thenhippalam and Vallikkunnu Panchayats, no systematic attempts at exploring the area
and determining the quality of iron has been conducted. The region also does not provide
the necessary resources for any other industry and only area that appears to be developing
is the construction works.
According the existing information there are large and medium industries in the area.
There are about 290 small-scale industries in the area, employing 391 persons. There are
also 95 small scale industrial Units (SSI units) run under various Government schemes.
These units are functioning in the following areas: