Mettur

Last updated

Mettur
Town
Metturdamfull.jpg
Mettur Dam
India Tamil Nadu location map.svg
Red pog.svg
Mettur
Location in Tamil Nadu, India
Coordinates: 11°48′N77°48′E / 11.80°N 77.80°E / 11.80; 77.80
CountryFlag of India.svg  India
State Tamil Nadu
Region Tamil Nadu
District Salem
Elevation
238 m (781 ft)
Population
 (2011)
  Total52,813
Languages
  Official Tamil
  Other Tamil, English
Time zone UTC+5:30 (IST)
Vehicle registration TN-52,93

Mettur is an industrial and tourist town located in the Salem district in the state of Tamil Nadu, India. It is best known for the Mettur Dam which is the largest dam in south India.

Contents

Mettur is also known for its power generation, chemical manufacturing, and aluminium production. Most of the water requirements for irrigation in Tamil Nadu is provided by the Mettur Dam. Usually the dam opens in June every year for irrigation in the Kaveri Delta. Mettur is also one of the primary sources of electricity for Tamil Nadu. The Mettur Thermal Power Station acts as a base load power plant for the Tamil Nadu Electricity Board (TNEB). As of 2011, the town had a population of 52,813.

Geography

Ellis Park across Mettur Dam Park mettur.jpg
Ellis Park across Mettur Dam
Poolampatti boat view across Kaveri river Poolampatti 1.jpg
Poolampatti boat view across Kaveri river

There is a park located at the base of Mettur Dam, where there are a snake park, deer park, and views of the dam. A charge for sightseeing of the dam is fixed.

Nerinjipettai is about 4 kilometres (2.5 mi) from the heart of Mettur at the foot of Palamalai. The hills almost reach out to the river with just the State Highway from Mettur to Erode between the river and the hills. There is boat transportation to Poolampatti, a place known for shooting films.[ citation needed ]

Pannavadi Parisal Thurai near Kolathur is located 12 kilometres (7.5 mi) far from Mettur. There is a boat transportation in between the Kolathur and Nerupur of Dharmapuri district. The boat transportation also available from Koattaiyur it is 20 kilometres (12 mi) from Mettur. When the water level decreases in Mettur dam, it is possible to see an Old Nandhi statue, an old church, and a palace (Koattai) of Tippu Sultan which has sunk beneath the water.

Palar, located 30 kilometres (19 mi) from Mettur, is at the border for Karnataka and Tamil Nadu State.

Male Mahadeshwara Hills is a famous pilgrimage in Karnataka for lord shiva, located 40 kilometres (25 mi) from Mettur. From there it is also possible to reach Mysore .

One of the famous mariyamman festival celebration during the summer in Tamil term Vaikasi Masam thiruvizha is celebrated in the temple called "sri Anukundu mariyamman kovil" Thiruvizha that temple located in PERIYAR NAGAR near Ukkamparuthikkadu.

Colonel W.M Ellis Architect of Mettur Dam Colonel W.M.Ellis,C.I.E,R.E.jpg
Colonel W.M Ellis

Mettur can be divided into upper and lower Mettur based on whether the part of the town lies upstream or downstream of the river.

Mettur, meaning "town with crests and troughs", obtained its name from the undulating rocky nature of the land that makes the town an ideal place for the dam on Cauvery river.

Mettur is located at border of the Erode, Salem, and Dharmapuri districts, and is approximately one and half hours travel-distance by road from the district headquarters.

Palamalai ("malai" meaning "hill" in Tamil language) is an offshoot of the Eastern Ghats, geographically contiguous with the BR hills Biligiriranga Hills range as they reach out to merge with the Western Ghats at Nilgiris.

The town houses the Stanley Reservoir, which is a standing example of British stone masonry, and the 1,700 metres (5,600 ft) dam. The reservoir capacity touches 120 feet when full, and can rise a few feet beyond its full capacity during surplus seasons.

The town is hemmed to a narrow strip of less than a kilometre in width by the Cauvery let out by the Dam on the east, and Eli Karadu (Mouse hill) on the west. This forms an interesting pattern of three similar peaks with identical longer shoulders to their left, increasing in height from the Dam's crest level about a 1,000 feet (300 m) from sea level in the north to about 4,000 feet (1,200 m) peak in the Palamalai.

Stanley Reservoir

Mettur Dam, which forms Stanley Reservoir, is constructed across the Kaveri River in Tamil Nadu. It was constructed in 1934 and took 9 years to complete. Maximum height and width of the Dam are 214 and 171 feet respectively. Maximum storage height is 120 feet. Mettur Dam receives the water from both Kabini Dam and Krishna Raja Sagara Dam located in Karnataka. There are 2 hydroelectric power stations in Mettur Dam, the first constructed during British rule and the second during the Indian Republic. There is a park at the base of the dam called Ellis Park maintained by the Tamil Nadu Public Works Department.

Electrical power

Mettur is one of the sources of electricity for Tamil Nadu. It has thermal and hydroelectric power stations.

The 840-megawatt thermal power station acts as one of the base load power plants for Tamil Nadu each. A new power station has also been constructed with a capacity of 600 megawatts.[ citation needed ]

There are two hydroelectric power stations at Mettur, called Dam and Tunnel Power Houses, respectively. Dam Power House has a capacity of 40 MW, and Tunnel Power House has a capacity of 200 MW.

Mettur also has several barriage[ clarification needed ] power houses located in the bank of Kaveri River, namely Chekkanur, Nerinjipettai, Koneripatti, UratchiKottai, and Bhavani Kattalai Barriage.

It[ specify ] has one of the largest private sector power suppliers in Madras Aluminium Company (MALCO), which has a power generation capacity of 100 MW from four units of 25 MW each.

Climate

Climate data for Mettur (Mettur Dam) 1981–2010, extremes 1951–2006
MonthJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecYear
Record high °C (°F)37.6
(99.7)
39.0
(102.2)
40.9
(105.6)
41.6
(106.9)
42.4
(108.3)
42.0
(107.6)
39.4
(102.9)
38.0
(100.4)
38.9
(102.0)
38.0
(100.4)
37.6
(99.7)
34.4
(93.9)
42.4
(108.3)
Mean daily maximum °C (°F)31.9
(89.4)
34.5
(94.1)
37.0
(98.6)
37.9
(100.2)
37.9
(100.2)
35.5
(95.9)
34.6
(94.3)
34.1
(93.4)
34.2
(93.6)
32.9
(91.2)
31.6
(88.9)
30.7
(87.3)
34.4
(93.9)
Mean daily minimum °C (°F)20.4
(68.7)
21.8
(71.2)
24.2
(75.6)
26.2
(79.2)
25.8
(78.4)
25.0
(77.0)
24.5
(76.1)
24.1
(75.4)
23.8
(74.8)
23.4
(74.1)
22.3
(72.1)
20.7
(69.3)
23.5
(74.3)
Record low °C (°F)14.4
(57.9)
13.1
(55.6)
17.4
(63.3)
19.6
(67.3)
20.7
(69.3)
18.6
(65.5)
16.8
(62.2)
21.0
(69.8)
18.2
(64.8)
18.5
(65.3)
16.4
(61.5)
14.0
(57.2)
13.1
(55.6)
Average rainfall mm (inches)4.9
(0.19)
7.0
(0.28)
20.4
(0.80)
76.6
(3.02)
105.0
(4.13)
48.3
(1.90)
77.7
(3.06)
92.7
(3.65)
157.9
(6.22)
185.5
(7.30)
97.5
(3.84)
34.8
(1.37)
908.4
(35.76)
Average rainy days0.50.51.13.45.93.55.25.49.09.35.42.351.7
Average relative humidity (%) (at 17:30 IST)40302736434851525561595146
Source: India Meteorological Department [1] [2]

Demographics

Population

Religious census
ReligionPercent(%)
Hindu
88.43%
Muslim
3.58%
Christian
7.72%
Sikh
0.01%
Buddhist
0.01%
Jain
0.0%
Other
0.25%
No religion
0.01%

According to 2011 census, Mettur had a population of 52,813 with a sex-ratio of 1,016 females for every 1,000 males, much above the national average of 929. [3] A total of 4,286 were under the age of six, constituting 2,216 males and 2,070 females. Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes accounted for 19.43% and 0.42% of the population respectively. The average literacy of the town was 76.82%, compared to the national average of 72.99%. [3] The town had a total of 14,282 households. There were a total of 19,305 workers, comprising 78 cultivators, 304 main agricultural labourers, 316 in house hold industries, 16,194 other workers, 2,413 marginal workers, 13 marginal cultivators, 160 marginal agricultural labourers, 141 marginal workers in household industries and 2,099 other marginal workers. [4] As per the religious census of 2011, Mettur had 88.43% Hindus, 3.58% Muslims, 7.72% Christians, 0.01% Sikhs, 0.01% Buddhists, 0.0% Jains, 0.25% following other religions and 0.01% following no religion or did not indicate any religious preference. [5]

Government and politics

The Mettur assembly constituency is part of Dharmapuri (Lok Sabha constituency). [6]

Economy

Mettur has a number of industries. An important one is chemical manufacturing: Mettur Chemicals (now known as Chemplast), (not only that there are more) has four large plants manufacturing chemicals, soaps, and industrial gases. MALCO, one of the main aluminium producers, runs a famous matriculation and higher secondary school. SISCOL (Southern Iron and Steel Company Limited, now a part of Jindal groups (JSW Steel Ltd)) is a new addition to the region though it is located at Pottaneri, 15 kilometres (9.3 mi) from Mettur and 32 kilometres (20 mi) from Salem, the district headquarters. SAIL's Salem Steel plant is nearby. High-grade granite is quarried in the Eli Karadu Hills.

Mettur is also called the "Aluminium city of Tamil Nadu". Its aluminium plant, operated by MALCO, has its own bauxite mines at Yercaud (Salem district) and Kolli Hills (Namakkal district). The company is one of five integrated primary aluminium producers in India, with an alumina refinery capacity of 55,000 tonnes per annum (tpa) and an aluminium smelter capacity of 29,500 tpa.

Industrial pollution

Mettur's industrial development has taken a heavy toll on many parts of its farming and fishing communities. However, despite protest from both international groups such as Greenpeace and local groups such as West Gonur Farmers' Association or SpeakOut Salem!, the local authorities have failed to bring the problems under control. [7]

Recent tests undertaken by Dr. Ruth Stringer and Dr. Mark Chernaik of ELAW-US (an Oregon-based environmental laboratory) revealed high levels of contamination. From nine samples taken from around the plants run by Chemplast and MALCO, there were 17 chemicals were found to be at levels significantly above USEPA 'safe' levels. [8]

Culture/Cityscape

Villagers in Mettur celebrate the Mariamman festival during the summer vacation time (May) and lasts for an entire week.

The Aadi Perukku festival is celebrated every year on 18th day of Tamil month Adi.

Pannavadi Nandhi statue & Jalagandeswarar temple. Located deep inside the Mettur dam. Mettur. Pannavadi Nandhi statue & Jalagandeswarar temple............ deep inside the Mettur dam(2).jpg
Pannavadi Nandhi statue & Jalagandeswarar temple. Located deep inside the Mettur dam.

Transport

By Air

The nearest airport is Salem Airport, which has daily flights to Chennai.

By Rail

There is a railway station located near the upper part of Mettur Dam that connects to Salem. From the station there is also a daily express train to and from Salem

By Road

Mettur, being close to the transportation hubs of Erode and Salem, is well connected to both these cities as well as to Dharmapuri. Bus services operate from Erode and Salem at the high frequency, with bus services typically once every 5 minutes. There is a shortcut for Coimbatore from Dharmapuri via Thoppur, Mettur, Bhavani (which can save up to 20 kilometres (12 mi) travel) without reaching Salem by NH47 due to the high volume of traffic between Coimbatore and Salem, especially between Coimbatore and Avinashi on NH47. There is also a route to Mysuru-Karnataka through Madeswaran Malai (madeswaran Betta) and Kollegal from Mettur.

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kaveri</span> River in southern India

The Kaveri is one of the major Indian rivers flowing through the states of Karnataka and Tamil Nadu. The Kaveri River rises at Talakaveri in the Brahmagiri range in the Western Ghats, Kodagu district of the state of Karnataka, at an elevation of 1,341 m above mean sea level and flows for about 800 km before its outfall into the Bay of Bengal. It reaches the sea in Poompuhar, in Mayiladuthurai district. It is the third largest river – after Godavari and Krishna – in southern India, and the largest in the state of Tamil Nadu, which, on its course, bisects the state into north and south. In ancient Tamil literature, the river was also called Ponni.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Namakkal</span> City in Tamil Nadu, India

Namakkal is a city and the headquarters of Namakkal district, Tamil Nadu. It is the first ISO 14001-2004 certified municipality in Asia for environmental management, specifically the provision and maintenance of water supply, solid waste and sewage management, town planning, lighting and other social services. Namakkal is known as the Egg City due to its large egg production and Transport city.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bhavani River</span> River in India

The Bhavani is an interstate Indian river which flows through Indian states of Kerala and Tamil Nadu, India. It originates from the Western Ghats and is one among the three rivers of Kerala which flows in eastward direction.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bhavani, Tamil Nadu</span> Town in Tamil Nadu, India

Bhavani is a Municipality in Erode District, Tamil Nadu, India. It is located at the northern periphery of Erode City Municipal Corporation and is around 105 km (65 mi) from Coimbatore and 60 km (37 mi) from Tiruppur and Salem. Bhavani is also known as "Carpet City" as it is known for its carpet industry; blankets and carpets manufactured in the town are known as Bhavani Jamakkalam. As of 2011, the town covers an area of 2.17 square kilometres (0.84 sq mi) and has a population of 39,225. It is a grade II municipality.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dharmapuri</span> City in Tamil Nadu, India

Dharmapuri is a city in the north western part of Tamil Nadu, India. It serves as the administrative headquarters of Dharmapuri district which is the first district created in Tamil Nadu after the independence of India by splitting it from then Salem district on 2 October 1965. The city is located 50 km from Krishnagiri, 69 km from Salem, 60 km from Tirupattur, 90 km from Hosur, 117 km from Thiruvannamalai, 126 km from Bangalore and Erode, 181 km from Tiruppur, 200 km from Coimbatore and Tiruchirappalli, 300 km from Madurai and the state capital Chennai. It is located between latitudes N 11 47’ and 12 33’ and longitudes E 77 02’ and 78 40’. It is one of the major leading cultivators and producers of mangoes in the state along with Krishnagiri, and is often referred as Mango Capital of India.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Stanley Reservoir</span> Reservoir in South India

Stanley Reservoir located in Salem District of Tamil Nadu is one of largest fishing reservoirs in South India. It was completed in 1934 and was named after Lieutenant Colonel Sir George Frederick Stanley GCSI GCIE CMG, who served as the Governor of Madras from 1929 to 1934. Its main source of water is the River Kaveri (Cauvery). Three minor tributaries – Palar, Chennar and Thoppar – enter the Kaveri on its course above Stanley Reservoir. The water is retained by the Mettur Dam, Tamil Nadu.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mettur Dam</span> Dam in Tamil Nadu, India

The Mettur Dam is one of the largest dams in India and also the largest in Tamil Nadu, located across the river Kaveri where it enters the plains. Built in 1934, it took 9 years to complete. Maximum height and width of the dam are 214 and 171 feet, respectively. The dam receives inflows from its own catchment area, Kabini Dam and Krishna Raja Sagara Dams located in Karnataka. There is a park at the base of the dam called Ellis Park maintained by the Tamil Nadu Public Works Department. It provides irrigation and drinking water facilities for more than 12 districts of Tamil Nadu and hence is revered as the life and livelihood-giving asset of Tamil Nadu.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hogenakkal Falls</span> Waterfall on Karnataka-Tamil Nadu border

Hogenakkal Falls is a waterfall in South India on the Kaveri river on the border between Dharmapuri district of Tamil Nadu and Chamrajnagar district of Karnataka. It is located 46 km (29 mi) from Dharmapuri and 199 km (124 mi) from Chamrajnagar. Carbonatite rocks in this site are considered to be the oldest of its kind in South Asia and one of the oldest in the world. The Government of Tamil Nadu made a proposal to convert the falls into providing drinking water for the state.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tiruchirappalli district</span> District of Tamil Nadu in India

Tiruchirappalli District is one of the 38 districts, located along the Kaveri River, in Tamil Nadu, India. The headquarters of the district is the city of Tiruchirappalli.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dharmapuri district</span> Place in India

Dharmapuri is one of the 38 districts in the state of Tamil-Nadu, India. It is the first district created in Tamil Nadu after the independence of India by splitting it from then-Salem district on 2 October 1965. Dharmapuri District is one of the major producers of mango in the state, fine quality granite is found in the district. It is also one of the main sericulture belts in the state. Around 30 percent of the district's area is under forest cover. Kaveri enters Tamil Nadu through this district. Dharmapuri district had the lowest literacy rate of 74.23% in Tamilnadu during the 2011 census.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Namakkal district</span> District in Tamil Nadu, India

Namakkal District is one of the 38 districts in the state of Tamil Nadu, India. The district was bifurcated from Salem District with Namakkal town as headquarters on 25 July 1996 and started to function independently from 1 January 1997. The district has eight taluks (subdivisions): Tiruchengode, Namakkal, Rasipuram, Paramathi Velur, Sendamangalam, Kumarapalayam, Kolli Hills and Mohanur. It has two revenue divisions: Tiruchengode and Namakkal. As of 2011 census, Namakkal district had a population of 1,726,601 with a sex-ratio of 986 females for every 1,000 males and Tiruchengode is the largest city in terms of population. Namakkal district is geographically affiliated to Kongu Nadu region. The district is famous for its large poultry industry, egg production and lorry bodybuilding industry, for which it is often referred to as "Egg City" and "Transport Hub of South India".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Salem district</span> District of Tamil Nadu in India

Salem District is one of the 38 districts of Tamil Nadu state in southern India. The district is now divided into Dharmapuri, Krishnagiri, Namakkal as individual districts. Salem is the district headquarters and other major towns in the district include Mettur, Tharamangalam, Thammampatti, Attur, Omalur, Sangagiri and Edappadi. That Salem dates to at least two thousand years ago is evident from the discovery of silver coins from the Roman Emperor Nero Claudius Caesar Augustus Germanicus found by Koneripatti of Salem in 1987. It was ruled by Mazhavar King Kolli Mazhavan and kings Adhiyaman and Valvil Ori of Sangam age. It is part of Mazhanadu, a vast region that dates to the second century BCE. Salem was the largest district of Tamil Nadu. It was bifurcated into Salem and Dharmapuri districts in 1965 and Namakkal district in 1997. Now Salem has been developed a lot by building many bridges and is considered to be the smart city. Salem is famous for cultivating mangoes.

Rasipuram is a Municipality in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. It is the headquarters for the Rasipuram taluk. As of 2015, the town had a population of 88,584 and an area of 24 km2 (9.3 sq mi). It has 27 wards and steps have been taken to increase the wards to 33. Rasipuram is known for ghee and tapioca sago.

Harur is a third grade municipality in the Dharmapuri district of Tamil Nadu, India. It is one of two revenue blocks in the district.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Valparai</span> Town in Tamil Nadu, India

Valparai is a Taluk and hill station in the Coimbatore district of Tamil Nadu, India. It consists of Anamalai Tiger Reserve. It is located 3,474 feet (1,059 m) above sea level on the Anaimalai Hills range of the Western Ghats. There are a total of 56 estates here. The game of football is very popular here. State level competitions are held every year. The foothill starts exactly from Monkey Falls which is at a distance of 38 kilometres (24 mi) to Valparai. The route to Valparai from the foothills consists of 40 hairpin bends. The Kerala state border town of Malakkappara is at a distance of 27 kilometres from Valparai. While major portions of the land are owned by private tea companies, large forest areas continue to be out of bounds.

Vanavasi is a Town Panchayat in Mettur Taluka, Salem District, in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu.

Bommidi is a panchayat town which is located in Pappireddipatti taluka of Dharmapuri district in Tamil Nadu, India. It is also known as B. Mallapuram. Bommidi's name is used for the railway station, the police station situated at Nadur, the post office, and bus transportation, while the name "B. Mallapuram" is used for schools, hospitals, and government officials.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Thoppur</span> Town in Tamil Nadu, India

'Thoppur or Thoppur Ghat is a hill town in Dharmapuri district of Tamil Nadu, India. It lies between the city of Salem and the city of Dharmapuri on National Highway 44, at its junction with Mettur Dam Road. It is 35 kilometres (22 mi) north of the city of Salem and 20 kilometres (12 mi) south of the city of Dharmapuri.

Lower Mettur Hydroelectric Project is a hydropower generation project in the South Indian state of Tamil Nadu. It is a 120MW power generation project constructed across the Kaveri River. The project area is in the downstream of Mettur Dam, hence it derives the name. This project consists of four power plants which are located between Mettur in Salem district and Bhavani, Erode. This power generation project is owned by Government of Tamil Nadu and operated by TANGEDCO.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tirupattur</span> Town in Tamil Nadu, India

Tirupathur or Tirupattur is the headquarters of Tirupathur district in the state of Tamil Nadu in India and is one of the oldest inhabited places in the state, with a history of over 1,600 years. The town is known for an abundance of sandalwood in the surrounding hills. It is located about 89 km (55 mi) from Vellore, 85 km (53 mi) from Hosur, 60 km (37 mi) from Dharmapuri, 50 km (31 mi) from Krishnagiri, 50 km (31 mi) from Thiruvannamalai, 279 km (173 mi) from coimbatore, 210 km (130 mi) from Chennai, and 125 km (78 mi) from Bangalore.

References

  1. "Station: Mettur Dam Climatological Table 1981–2010" (PDF). Climatological Normals 1981–2010. India Meteorological Department. January 2015. pp. 491–492. Archived from the original (PDF) on 5 February 2020. Retrieved 24 March 2020.
  2. "Extremes of Temperature & Rainfall for Indian Stations (Up to 2012)" (PDF). India Meteorological Department. December 2016. p. M199. Archived from the original (PDF) on 5 February 2020. Retrieved 24 March 2020.
  3. 1 2 "Census Info 2011 Final population totals". Office of The Registrar General and Census Commissioner, Ministry of Home Affairs, Government of India. 2013. Retrieved 26 January 2014.
  4. "Census Info 2011 Final population totals - Mettur". Office of The Registrar General and Census Commissioner, Ministry of Home Affairs, Government of India. 2013. Archived from the original on 24 September 2015. Retrieved 26 January 2014.
  5. "Population By Religious Community - Tamil Nadu" (XLS). Office of The Registrar General and Census Commissioner, Ministry of Home Affairs, Government of India. 2011. Retrieved 13 September 2015.
  6. "List of Parliamentary and Assembly Constituencies" (PDF). Tamil Nadu. Election Commission of India. Archived from the original (PDF) on 4 March 2009. Retrieved 9 October 2008.
  7. "The Stranger- the Chlorine Industry in India", Greenpeace International, 1996. Page 21 & 66
  8. "Unfolding Disaster. A Study of Chemplast Sanmar's Contamination in Mettur" (PDF). Community Environmental Monitoring. November 2007. Retrieved 10 November 2012.