| Viluppuram District lies between 11 38' 25" N and 12 20' 44" S:
78 15' 00" W and 79 42' 55" E with an area of 722203 Hec. It
was carved out from the South Arcot District on 30.09.1993 and was rehristened
as Viluppuram District. The residual part of the erstwhile South Arcot
district was named as Cuddalore District. It is surrounded on East and South by Cuddalore District. The West by
Salem and Dharmapuri District and on the North by Thiruvannamalai and
Kanchipuram District.
At present Vilupuram district comprises of 1490 Revenue Villages,
4 Revenue Divisions, 8 Administrative Taluks, 22 Blocks, 16 Town Panchayat
Unions,
1104 Village Panchayats and 2 Municipalities.
The General geological formation of the District appears to be simple. The
greater part of it is covered by the Metamorphic rocks belonging to Genesis
family. There are also three great groups of sedimentary rocks belonging
to different geological periods. The Kalrayan Hills in the North represents
a continuous range of hills covered with some thorny forests and vegetation.
Among the hills, the most beautiful part of the district lies, round about
the Gingee Hills.
The climate of Viluppuram District is fairly dry and on the
whole healthy. The temperature is moderate.
Viluppuram district is developing in the industrial sector.
The Sugar industry is the major industry in the district. There are 4 sugar
factories at Mundiyampakkam, Periasevalai, Kacharapalliyam, Mungailthuraipattu.
In the area of small schale industries there are 67 Rice mills, 17 Sago
factories 5 Rice bran oil extracting units and 8 Cotton Ginning Mills.
Besides this mineral water, ceramics, automobile workshop are also running
in the district.
Major minerals produced, in the district includes Black granite, Blue
metals, River sand etc. There is no Industrial estate in the district and
when compared to the population the industrial establishments are quite
inadequate to meet out the job requirement of the educated youth.
In Viluppuram district about 34 Handloom weavers
co-operative societies are existing. Out of which only 26 societies are
functioning, besides 2000 individual weavers are engaging in this sector
and produce silk sarees and cotton lungies. Now the societies and weavers
are facing the problem of accumulated stock, high cost of production, competition
from power look sector and they remained idle for most of the days.
The district does not get heavy rainfall with the exception
of Marakanam and Vanur Blocks, while in Kandamangalam and Koliyaur blocks,
the rainfall is moderate it is scarcity in Kallakurichi and Sankarapuram. The actual total rainfall for the year 2002-03 is 617.4mm against 1030
mm of normal rainfall. The percentage of deviation is (-) 38.9 mm.
The chief food crops of Viluppuram district
are paddy, Cholam, Ragi, Cumbu, Redgram. Blackgram, Horsegram and Varage.
The chief cash crops are Sugarcane, Groundnut, Cotton, Casurina and Coconut.
Viluppuram district has a coastal length of
about 41 kms in Vanur and Marakanam blocks in Bay of Bengal. There are
about 19 landing places by active fishermen population of 2986. There are
fishermen co-operatives societies, fisher women co-operative societies
and inland fishermen co-operative societies functioning in the district.
There is one fish net making unit in Vanur Block. There are about 18 brackish water acquaculture forms in the district.
The scope for inland fisheries in the district is limited. Inland fishing
is mostly carried on tanks and reservoirs owned by PWD.
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