RESOURCES OF TAMIL NADU

Resources

• The term ‘resources’ refers to the natural wealth available on the earth surface for the welfare of mankind.
• The surrounding environment contains many natural elements like rocks and minerals on and under the surface of the earth.
• Water is available in the form of lakes, rivers and seas.
• Living organisms like plants and animals are also present.
• These resources can be utilized for the betterment of a country’s economy.

Resources may be assessed on the basis of factors such as

• Types of resources
• Characteristics of resources

Resources have three main characteristics: Utility, Quantity (often in terms of availability), and Consumption

Natural Resources

• Natural resources are essential for our survival to satisfy human wants and needs.
• Its may be classified in different ways.
• On the basis of origin, resources may be divided into two: Biotic and Abiotic.

Biotic Resources

• Biotic resources are those obtained from the biosphere.
• Forests and their products, animals, rids and their products, fish and other marine organisms are examples of the biotic resources.
• Minerals such as coal and petroleum are also included in this category because they are formed from the decayed organic matter.

Abiotic Resources

• Abiotic resources comprise of non – living things.
• Examples are land, water, air and minerals such s gold, iron, copper and silver.
• On the basis of availability, resources are classified into two groups as renewable and Non – renewable resources.

Renewable resources

• Renewable resources are those which can be replenished or reproduced without getting depleted or exhausted.
• Examples of these resources are light, heat and energy from the sun; wind energy; water from lakes, rivers and seas and the soils from the earth’s crust.

Non – renewable resources

• Non – renewable resources are those which are formed over very long geological periods and are certain to be exhausted in course of time

Example

• Coal
• Oil and other minerals.

Resources are finally divided on the basis of their origin, These include:

• Land resources
• Soil resources
• Mineral resources
• Water resources

Land Resources

• The land is a basic resource as it satisfies the day – to – day requirements of human beings and animals that are obtained from the land.
• Human beings obtain their basic necessities of food by cultivating the land.
• The land is also used for a variety of purposes.
• It is mainly used for construction activities of houses, industries, roads and railway lines.
• Apart from this land is also under forests and grasslands.
• Forest provides valuable timber while grasslands provide fodder for animals.
• As far as the land resources of Tamil Nadu is concerned, its land resources are classified into 9 land-use types and are presented in the diagram given below.
• Among the districts of Tamil Nadu
• Erode holds the largest share (10%) of forests
• Krishnagiri (9.6%)
• Dharmapuri (7.7%)
• Thiruvannamalai (7.2%)
• Vellore (7.1%)

Category	Area	%
Forest	21,10,703	16.2
Barren and unculturable land	5,03,255	3.9
Land put to  non – agricultural uses	21,38,679	16.4
Culturable waste	3,68,661	2.8
Permanent pastures and other grazing lands	1,10,309	0.8
Misc. tree crops and groves not included in the net area sown	2,74,351	2.1
Current fallow	7,58,840	5.8
Other fallow lands	15,18,008	11.7
Net area sown	52,43,839	40.3
Geographical area	1,30,26,645	100.0

 

Soil Resources

• Soil is the loose material which forms the uppermost layer of the earth, consisting mainly of very small particles.
• It is an essential element for the development of agriculture, as it provides essential minerals or nutrients for the growth of vegetation.
• Soil forming processes are controlled by factors such as parent rock, climate, relief, the time factor, flora fauna and microorganisms present in the soil.

Soils of Tamil Nadu

• The soils of Tamil Nadu may be grouped into five types.
• They are classified according to their formation, size and colour.
• Their occurrence in the districts of Tamil Nadu is given below

Types of Soil in Tamil Nadu and their distribution

Alluvial soils	Thanjavur, Thiruvarur and Nagapattinam, Villupuram, Cuddalore, Thirunelveli and Kanyakumari.
Regur or the black soils	Coimbatore, Madurai, Virudhunagar, Thuthukudi and Thirunelveli
Red Loams	Sivagangai, Ramanathapuram
Laterite soils	Kancheepuram, Thiruvallur, Thanjavur, hilltops of western ghats and eastern ghats.
Saline soils	Predominantly in Vedaranyam, Coromandal Coast and for about 10 km in all the coastal districts of Tamilnadu

Forest Resources

• Tamil Nadu’s wealth of flora and fauna lies in the hilly and forest regions.
• Some of its major wildlife sanctuaries like Mudumalai and Anaimalai (Indira Gandhi wildlife sanctuary) are situated on the hills of the Western Ghats, which have habitats for elephants, tigers, bison and a variety of monkeys and deer.
• Among the 3,000 and more plant species found in Tamil Nadu, the majority of them are found in the mixed deciduous forests.
• One of the most noteworthy flowers is the kurinji of Kodaikanal hills which blooms once in 12 years.
• The state has recognized it with special status.
• Cinchona a forest product from which quinine – a drug for treating malaria is extracted.
• Eucalyptus which grows abundantly in the Nilgiris is also used as medicine for curing a cold and as a pain reliever.
• Medicinal herbs are commonly found on the Palani hills and Courtallam.
• Palmyrah trees are grown abundantly in Thirunelveli district of the state are being regenerated and protected by the state Forest Department.
• These forests not only provide for the large economy of the state but also to the local livelihood.
• Vanamahotsava’ is celebrated in October every year to highlight the importance of wildlife
• World wildlife day – October 4
• World Forest Day – March 21
• World Water Day – March 22

Water Resources

• Water resources comprising of surface water (river and lakes), groundwater, marine and coastal waters; support all living things including human beings.
• Basically man requires safely protected water supply for drinking, cooking, washing and bathing.
• In the agricultural sector, the growth of plants and the yield of crops are directly related to the quality and quantity of water available.
• Underground water is also used for the purpose of irrigation and other utilities.
• All industries require water either for processing or for other utilities.

Water resources in Tamil Nadu

Water sources	Numbers
Rivers	17
Lakes	15
Tanks	40319
Ponds	21205
Canals	2395
Reservoirs	71
Wells	1908695

• Rainwater harvesting is the process of collecting rainwater from rooftops and directing it to an appropriate location where it is stored for groundwater recharge. On average, one spell of rain for two hours is enough to recharge 8,000 litres of water.

Animal Resources

• Apart from food grains meat, poultry and dairy products are also considered as dietary components.
• Animals which are domesticated yield wool, fur and skin that form the basic raw materials for specific clothing, shoes and other products.
• The animal resources contribute a lot to the development of the economy where they are reared commercially

Livestock in Tamil Nadu

Livestock	No of animals
Cattle	91,41,043
Buffaloes	16,50,343
Sheep	55,93,485
Goat	81,77,420

 

Glossary National Park

• A natural area designated to protect the ecological balance of one or more ecosystems for the present and the future generations is referred to as a National Park.

Mineral Resources

• A mineral is a substance or compound of organic or inorganic origin found on the earth’s crust.
• Every mineral has a definite composition and distinct physical characteristics.
• Most of the minerals are crystalline in nature and occur widely in rocks. Rocks contain one or more minerals.
• Natural forms of minerals are called ores and minerals are processed from ores.
• The salt used in cooking and graphite in your lead pencil is a mineral.
• The major mineral resources of Tamilnadu include lignite, vermiculite, garnet, zircon, graphite, limonite, rutile, monazite and magnesite.

Classification of Minerals

• Minerals are classified into three categories.
• They are
• Metallic minerals
• Non – Metallic Minerals
• Mineral fuels

Metallic Minerals of Tamil Nadu

Minerals	District
Iron ore	Salem, Namakkal and Thiruvannamalai
Copper	Salem, Nilgiris, Coimbatore, Madurai and Mamandur
Bauxite	Salem, Nilgiris, Coimbatore, Vellore, Dharmapuri, Madurai and Villupuram
Chromite	Salem, Namakkal, Thiruchirappalli and erode
Pyrite	Villupuram

 

Non – Metallic minerals of Tamil Nadu

Minerals	District
Limestone	Virudhunagar, Thuthukudi, Thirunelveli, Thiruchirappalli, Kanchipuram and Salem
Mica	Thiruchirappalli, Coimbatore and Ramanathapuram
Magnesite	Salem, Namakkal, Coimbatore and erode
Steatite	Vellore, Cuddalore, Coimbatore, Salem and Thiruchirapalli
Salt	Chennai, Thuthukudi, Cuddalore, Nagapattinam and Thiruvarur

 

Mineral fuels of Tamil Nadu

Minerals	District
Petroleum	Thiruvarur (Panamgudi), Narimanam (Kaveri Delta Region)
Lignite	Neyveli

• With the help of an atlas marks the distribution of iron, copper, bauxite, gold and lignite on an outline map of Tamil Nadu

Energy resources

• Resources from which energy can be obtained for heating and lighting are called energy resources.

The energy resources can be divided into two types they are

• Conventional Power Resources
• Non – Conventional Power Resources

Conventional Power Resources

• Conventional source of energy is those which have been traditionally sued by mankind for a long time.
• It usually included fossil fuels like coal, natural gas, oil as well as a nuclear power.

Types

The three major conventional energy sources are

• Thermal Power Resources
• Hydel Power Resources
• Atomic Power Resources

Thermal Power Plants of Tamil Nadu

Name of the Plant	District	Types of Fuel	Capacity in MW
Neyveli Lignite Corporation	Cuddalore	Coal	2490
North Chennai Thermal Power  Unit – I	Thiruvallur	Coal	1200
Thuthukudi Thermal Power Plant	Thuthukudi	Coal	1000
Mettur Thermal Power Station	Salem	Coal	600

Hydropower Energy

• Hydropower has been with humanity for a long time. The energy in a rushing river is captured through a wheel as mechanical energy.
• Originally these water wheels powered grain mills, spinning a grindstone directly.
• On the whole Tamil Nadu

Hydropower plants of Tamil Nadu

Hydro Power Plant	Rivers	MW
Kundah I to V	Bhavani	500
Mettu tunnel	Kaveri	840
Aliyar	Aliyar	60
Kodayar I and II	Kodayar	100
Sholaiyar I and II	Sholayar	95
Kadamparai	Kadamparai	400
Lower Mettur	Kaveri	120
Papanasam Hydro    Electric power	Papanasam	32
Pykara	Pykara	150
Total		2297

 

Atomic Power Station

• Atomic energy is the energy produced from the fusion of atoms.
• It results from a nuclear reaction a process in which two nuclei or nuclear particles collide, to produce electrical energy by nuclear reactors.
• The first Atomic Power station of Tamil Nadu is located at Kalpakkam about 80 km south of Chennai.
• It has a comprehensive nuclear power production, fuel reprocessing and waste treatment facility that includes plutonium fuel fabrication for fast breeder reactors (FBRs).
• It is also India’s first fully indigenously constructed nuclear power station.
• It has two units which produce about 500 MW of energy.
• Another Nuclear Power station is currently under construction in Kudankulam of Thirunelveli district.
• This station has four reactors which are expected to produce about 1,000 MW from each reactor.

Non-conventional Power Resources

• Non-conventional Power Resources are known as renewable resources.
• Sun is the biggest source of non – conventional energy. Energy is in the form of photons.
• India receives abundant sunlight for about 250 – 300 days in a year.
• Conversion of solar energy to electric energy and thermal energy takes place mainly by photovoltaic cells and through solar thermal pathways.
• The non – conventional energy resources are:
• Solar Energy
• Wind Energy
• Tidal Wave Energy
• Geothermal Energy
• BioFuel Energy
• Energy and bagasse
• Excluding tidal were energy and geothermal energy, all other types have been harnessed in Tamil Nadu and their rate of utilization is discussed below.

Solar Energy

• Solar power is generated from sunlight.
• This can be used as direct power with photovoltaic (PV) cells or indirect with concentrating solar power (CSP), Sun’s energy is focused to boil water which is then used to generate power.
• Dindigul, Krishnagiri, Dharmapuri are the districts which extract energy from solar power units.

Wind Energy

• Wind power is the conversion of wind energy into a useful form of energy.
• It is generated using wind turbines to make electricity for windmills and wind pumps for pumping water or drainage and used to propel ships.

Advantages and Disadvantages of Wind Energy

Advantages	Disadvantages
Non – polluting source	Noise pollution
Low cost of production	Windmills are very costly to setup
Safe and clean	Disturbs radio and T.V. reception
Inexhaustible	Diffused source, so gets wasted

 

Location and capacity of Wind Farms in Tamil Nadu

Aralvaimozhi pass (Muppandal area) Kanyakumari,  Thirunelveli Districts	1,658
Sengottah Pass   (Kayathar area)   Thirunelveli, Thuthukudi Districts	1,105
Palghat Pass  (Kethanur area) Coimbatore	1,995
The coastal area near Chennai and Rameswaram in Ramanathapuram District and other areas  (Theni, Palani areas)	450
Total	5208

 

Tidal Wave Energy

• Energy generated from tides is called tidal energy.
• Tidal energy can be harnessed by building dams at narrow openings of the sea.
• During high tide, the energy of the tides is used to turn the turbines installed in the dam to produce electricity.
• The first tidal energy station as built in France.

Advantages of Tidal energy	Disadvantages of Tidal Energy
Clean, eco – friendly and always available	Located far away from cities and so costly to transport electricity.
Cheap compared to other energy sources	Can be generated only during windy days.

Geothermal Energy

• Geothermal power utilizes the heat in the interior of the earth for the generation of power.
• In areas where volcanoes exist the rocks in contact with molten magma are quite hot.
• When rainwater seeps into these rocks, it gets converted into steam and gushes out like a geyser.
• Hot springs may also occur in such areas. The steam generated can be used to generated power on a small scale

Biofuel Energy

District	No of Plants
Sivakasi	2
Pudukottai	2
Tiruvannamalai	1
Dindigul	1
Theni	1
Thanjavur	1
Madurai	1
Virudunagar	1
Thiruvallur	1
Kanchipuram	1
Krishnagiri	1

 

Mills	District	Capacity MW
MRK Co-operative Sugar Mills Ltd	Cuddalore	7.50
Cheyyar Co-operative Sugar Mills	Thiruvannamalai	7.50
Dharani Sugars & Chemicals Ltd	Thirunelveli	15.00
Rajashree Sugars & Chemicals Ltd	Theni	12
Kothari Sugars & Chemicals Ltd	Theni	12
Terry Energy Ltd	Cuddalore	28.42
S.V. Sugar Mills Ltd	Kancheepuram	45.00
Subramania Siva Co-operative Mills Ltd	Dharmapuri	5
Terry Energy Ltd	Thanjavur	18.68
EID Parry India Ltd	Cuddalore	30
Sakthi Sugar Mills	Sivaganga	5.500
Arunachalam Sugar Mills Ltd	Thiruvannamalai	19
Bannari Amman Sugars Ltd	Erode	20
Auro energy Ltd	Nagapattinam	16
Sri Ambika Sugar Mills	Cuddalore	40
Sakthi Sugar Mills Pvt	Erode	32
Rajashree Sugars Chemicals Ltd	Villupuram	22
EID Parry India Ltd	Pudukottai	18
Kothari Sugars and chemicals	Ariyalur	22