Enayam Port

Tamil Research Institute
RAPID TECHNO-ECONOMIC FEASIBILITY REPORT FOR
DEVELOPMENT OF COLACHEL PORT AT TAMILNADU
FINAL REPORT
males and females are 93.92 % and 90.06 % literates respectively. In actual number 1,279,358 people are
literate in urban region of which males and females are 644,109 and 635,249 respectively.
As per 2011 census, 17.67 % population of Kanyakumari districts lives in rural areas of villages. The total
Kanyakumari district population living in rural areas is 330,572 of which males and females are 164,938 and
165,634 respectively. In rural areas of Kanyakumari district, sex ratio is 1004 females per 1000 males. If child
sex ratio data of Kanyakumari district is considered, figure is 957 girls per 1000 boys. Child population in the
age 0-6 is 33,780 in rural areas of which males were 17,262 and females were 16,518. The child
population comprises 10.47 % of total rural population of Kanyakumari district. Literacy rate in rural areas of
Kanyakumari district is 90.76 % as per census data 2011.
Gender wise, male and female literacy stood at 92.39 and 89.16 percent respectively. In total, 269,380
people were literate of which males and females were 136,432 and 132,948 respectively.
3.4.4.2. Natural resources and productive sectors
Basically Kanyakumari district is an agrarian economy. The demand for land for purpose other than agriculture is
continuously increasing. Land in the district has acquired new dimensions with economic development. The hectic
infrastructural developments like road, railways, transport, educational institutions and industries have increased
the residential requirement. Changing life-style of the people is competing with agricultural usage of land.
Kanyakumari Forest Division forms the southern part of Agasthiamalai region and is located between the Neyyar
Wildlife Sanctuary of Kerala and the KalakkadMundanthurai Tiger Reserve of Tamil Nadu. It encompasses the
southern most forest tracts of the Western Ghats. The tract has its significance in possessing peculiar types of
micro-habitats due to its geographical location, physical structure and varying altitudes. At Varaiattumudi, the
Western Ghats ridges turn almost towards east until it reaches the Mahendragiri peak and again continues
towards south in scattered hillocks until it reaches ground level at Nilapparai near Vattakottai. Moreover, the
Kanyakumari Forest Division has a peculiar constitution of the eastern, western as well as southern slopes of the
Western Ghats into its territory.
The general climate of sanctuary is pleasant. Both the south-west and north-east monsoon winds, the proximity of
the sea and the dwindling heights of Western ghats greatly influence the climate. In Kanniyakumari rainfall is
distributed over four seasons, (a) south-west monsoon (June-Sept) 37 % and 33.7 rainy days (b)
northeastmonsoon (Oct- Dec) 37.9% and 26.5 rainy days, (c) winter (JanFeb) 2.7% and 2.7 rainy days and (d)
the hot weather summer seasons 21.7 % and 16.8 rainy days.
In the hill region the rainfall is uniformly distributed in both monsoons and maximum rainfall occurs during
October and November. On the whole this district gets an average annual rainfall of 1369.5 mm with 79.7
rainy days.
The District has a favourable agro-climatic condition, which is suitable for growing a number of crops. The
proximity of equator, its topography and other climate factors favour the growth of various crops.The paddy
varieties grown in the second crop season in Thovalai and Agasteeswaram taluks are grown during the first crop
season in Kalkulam and Vilavancode taluks.
This shows that there is distinct variation in the climatic conditions prevailing within the district. Unlike other district
in Tamil Nadu, it has a rainfall both during the South West and the North East monsoons.
The South West monsoon period starts from the month of June and ends in September, While the North East
monsoon period starts from October and ends in the middle of December.
CP1832-FR-AX-05-CP-Initial Environmental Examination-Ed4.docx AX05 - 58
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