Tuticorin
Tuticorin, also known as Thoothukudi or தூத்துக்குடி[4] in Tamil is a port city and a Municipal Corporation and an Industrial city in Thoothukudi district of the Indian state of Tamil Nadu.The city lies in the Southeast Coast of India.Thoothukudi is the headquarters of Thoothukudi District. It is located about 590 kilometres (367 mi) south of Chennai and 190 kilometres (118 mi) northeast of Thiruvananthapuram (Trivandrum).According to Confederation of Indian Industry ,Tuticorin has the second highest Human Development Index in Tamil Nadu next to Chennai. [5] .Tuticorin City serves as the headquarters of Tamilnad Mercantile Bank Limited.[6] Major Educational establishments in the city includes Thoothukudi Government Medical College,Fisheries College and Research Institute ,[7] Marine Training Academy,V.O.C. Arts & Science College and Anna University Tuticorin Campus.[8]Tuticorin Port is one of the Fastest growing Major Ports in India in terms of Total Volume of Twenty-foot equivalent unit handled.
Thoothukudi is known as "Pearl City" due to the pearl fishing carried out in the town. It is a commercial seaport which serves the inland cities of Southern India and is one of the sea gateways of Tamil Nadu. It is also one of the major seaports in India with a history dating back to the 6th century AD. The city is believed to be of significant antiquity and has been ruled, at different times, by the Early Pandyas, Medieval Cholas, Later Cholas, Later Pandyas, Ma'bar Sultanate, Tirunelveli Sultanate, Vijayanagar Empire, Madurai Nayaks, Chanda Sahib, Carnatic kingdom, Portuguese, Dutch and the British. Thoothukudi was settled by the Portuguese, Dutch and later by the British East India Company. The city is administered by a Thoothukudi Municipal Corporation covering an area of 90.663 km2 (35.005 sq mi). As of 2001, the city had a population of 320,466.Majority of the people of the city are employed in salt pans, sea-borne trading, fishing and tourism. A major attraction in the city is Our Lady of Snows Basilica, a 16th-century site.
The 21 islands between Thoothukudi and Rameswaram shores in the Gulf of Mannar are notified as the first Marine Biosphere Reserve of India having around 36,000 species of flora and fauna.It is a protected area and is called as Gulf of Mannar Marine National Park. Our Lady of Snows Basilica festival celebrated annually during August and the Shiva temple festivals – like Adi Amavasai, Sasti and Chittirai chariot festivals – are the major festivals of the area. Roadways are the major mode of transport to Thoothukudi, while the city also has rail, air and sea transport
Tuticorin (Thoothukudi) is also known by the name 'Thiru mandira Nagar'.It is also called as "Sea Gateway of Tamil Nadu"[9] Thoothukudi is part of the Pearl Fishery Coast, and is known for its pearl fishing and shipbuilding industries.[10] Thoothukudi was the seat of Portuguese during 16th century, and the Dutch occupied in 17th century. During 18th century the British overpowered and occupied the town. Being a port town, the town received attention from the rulers for improving their trade, and so it was brought to Municipal status in 1866.[11]
The major harbour of Thoothukudi is well known as a pearl diving and fishing centre. It is one of the oldest seaports in the world and was the seaport of the Pandyan kingdom after Korkai, near Palayakayal. It was later taken over by the Portuguese in 1548, captured by the Dutch in 1658, and ceded to the British in 1825. The lighthouse built in 1842 marked the beginning of the history of harbour development in the city. Thoothukudi was established as a Municipality in 1866 with Roche Victoria as its first chairman. It attained the status of Corporation on 5 August 2008 after 142 years of being a municipality.[12]
Geography And Climate[edit]
Thoothukudi is located at8°32′N 78°22′E / 8.53°N 78.36°E. Thoothukudi is located in South India, on the Gulf of Mannar, about 540 km (340 mi) south of Chennai and 125 km (78 mi) north of Kanyakumari. The hinterlands of the port of the city is connected to the districts of Madurai, Tirunelveli, Ramanathapuram and Tiruchirapalli. The city mostly has a flat terrain and roughly divided into two by the Buckle channel. Being in coastal region, the soil is mostly clay sandy and the water table varies between 1 m (3.3 ft) to 4 m (13 ft) below ground level. The city has loose soil with thorny shrubs in the north and salt pans in the south. The city experiences tropical climatic conditions characterised with immensely hot summer, gentle winter and frequent rain showers. Summer extends between March and June when the climate is very humid. Tuticorin registers the maximum temperature of 39 °C (102 °F) and the minimum temperature of 32 °C (90 °F).The city receives adequate rainfall during the months of October and November.[13] The city receives around 444 mm (17.5 in) rainfall from the Northeast monsoon, 117.7 mm (4.63 in) during summer, 74.6 mm (2.94 in) during winter and 63.1 mm (2.48 in) during the South-west monsoon season. The coolest month is January and the hottest months are from May to June. The city has a very high humidity being in the coastal sector.[14]
WikiMiniAtlasThe 21 islands between Thoothukudi and Rameswaram shores in the Gulf of Mannar are notified as the first Marine Biosphere Reserve of India. About 36,000 species of flora and fauna exist in the region covered with mangroves, sandy shores, sea grass beds that are conducive for turtle nesting.[15][16] The region around the Thoothukudi shores are home to rare marine flora and fauna. Coral reefs and pearl oysters are some of the exotic species while algae, reef fish, holothurians, shrimps, lobsters, crabs and Mollusca are very common.[16][17] Out of 600 recorded varieties of fish in the region, 72 are found to be commercially important.[18] The thermal discharge from the thermal plants and excessive brine run off from the salt pans impact the flora and fauna in the region to a large extent.[17][19]
As of the provisional population totals of 2011 census, Thoothukudi urban agglomeration had a population of 410,760, with 205,459 males and 205,301 females. The sex ratio of the town was 999 and the child sex ratio stood at 980. Thoothukudi had an average literacy rate of 92.10% with male literacy being 94.84%, and female literacy being 89.37%. A total of 42,756 of the population of the city was under 6 years of age.[21]
As of the census of India 2001, Thoothukudi had a population of 215,054; 107,758 males and 108,296 females. The sex ratio of the town stood at 1005, which was higher than the state average of 982 in 2001. There were a total of 50,018 households. A total of 13,900 people constituting 7.25% of the total population belonged to Scheduled Castes (SC) and 323 people constituting 0.17% of the population belong to Scheduled tribes (ST). Thoothukudi had an average literacy rate of 90.41%: male literacy is 83.46%, and female literacy is 77%. A total of 12.69% of the population of the city was under 6 years of age. There were a total of 72,608 workers, comprising 212 cultivators, 196 agricultural labourers, 1,721 in house hold industries, 67,997 other workers, 2,482 marginal workers, 2,482 marginal cultivators, 9 marginal agricultural labourers, 227 in marginal workers in household industries and 2,180 other marginal workers.[22]
Thoothukudi was a port town during the period of Portuguese, Dutch and British in the 16th-19th centuries. The city expanded after 1907 due to the presence of public establishments. Residential and industrial growth was maximum around Palayamkottai and Ettaiyapuram roads between 1907 and 1930.[23]
Economy[edit]
To cope with the increasing trade through Thoothukudi, the Government of India sanctioned the construction of an all-weather Port at Thoothukudi. On 11 July 1974, the newly constructed Thoothukudi port was declared the tenth major port in India Second only to JN Port (Mumbai) in size. Thoothukudi is an artificial port.During the union budget of 2013-2014,Central government sanctioned an 7500 crore Outer harbour development program for Tuticorin port which is expected to give a push to the export import sector in southern Tamil Nadu.The project would commence in 2015 and completed by 2020.[35] The port also has a dedicated Container terminal operated by PSA International.The port is also a significant port due to the fact that it is located very close to East-West International Sea Route.[5] The port has direct cargo and container vessel connectivity to all major ports in the world like Colombo,Singapore,JNPT(Mumbai),Mundra,Jebel Ali,Salalah,Rotterdam,Karachi,Hong Kong and much more.[36] This is the third international port in Tamil Nadu and its second all-weather port.[37] The port also helps to increase the tourism in the region. A new ferry has been commenced between Thoothukudi and Colombo.The Station Commander, Indian Coast Guard Station Tuticorin is located at Tuticorin, Tamil Nadu under the operational and administrative control of the Commander, Coast Guard Region (East), Chennai. The Coast Guard Station Tuticorin was commissioned on 25 Apr 91 by Vice Admiral SW Lakhar, NM, VSM the then Director General Coast Guard. The Station Commander is responsible for Coast Guard operations in this area of jurisdiction in Gulf of Mannar.[38]
Culture[edit]
Tuticorin has All India Radio Station which Carries AIR External Services for South Asia in English, Sinhala and Tamil (1053 kHz).[39] FM Radio Stations in Tuticorin City include Suryan FM (93.5 MHz), Hello FM (106.4 MHz). Tuticorin City is the landing point for the first undersea cable of BSNL, Ltd. Connecting Tuticorin with Colombo.[40] The optical fibre cable runs between Mt. Lavinia (Sri Lanka) and Tuticorin (325 km).Tharuvai stadium hosts most of the local matches [41] and is maintained by Sports Development Authority of Tamil Nadu[41] Tuticorin Gymkhana Club has two Synthetic Turf Tennis courts, Tuticorin is the only other place after Chennai in Tamil Nadu to have this modern facility.Roche park situated in the South East corner of the city offers scenic view of coastline and has good facilities for Jogging and Yoga.It is one of the Well Known spot of Relaxation and Entertainment in the city.[42] Tuticorin is known for its bakery items especially Macaroon.[43] It is a light,baked confection including recipes like Almond,Coconut and Nut (fruit).Tuticorin macaroon is slightly different from European macaroon,Since it contains Cashew as a main ingredient.[44]
Transport[edit]
The Tamil Nadu State Transport Corporation operates daily services connecting various cities to Thoothukudi.A new regional headquarters of TNSTC is being established in Tuticorin which enables better transportation by government buses.The corporation operates a computerised reservation centre in the bus stand of the city.[48] The State Express Transport Corporation operates long distance buses connecting the city to important cities like Bangalore, Chennai and Kanyakumari. Thoothukudi being a harbour city has lot of container truck transport. As of 2008, the number of container trucks entering the city is 1000.[47] The expansion of ECR from Tuticorin to Kanyakumari via Tiruchendur and Koodankulam at a cost of
2.57 billion sanctioned and is in progress.[49]Thoothukudi railway station is one of the oldest and popular railway stations in India.It is one of few stations in Southern Tamil Nadu to have Pitline facility for Cleaning and Maintenance of Rail Coaches facilitating the operation of Long distance Trains from Tuticorin.[50] The line between Madurai and Thoothukudi was opened in 1874.The lines connecting to Tuticorin is being electrified recently.Tuticorin has direct daily rail connectivity to Chennai,Bangalore,Mysore,Coimbatore,Madurai,Tirunelveli etc.Pearl City Express which connects Tuticorin with Chennai is one of the Prestigious Trains of Southern Railway.An 8 Coach Link Train to Guruvayur Express has been introduced recently which connects Tuticorin with Chennai during daytime.[51] Tuticorin City railway station is one of the oldest[52] stations in India and South Indian Railway began a Madras – Tuticorin service connecting with the boat to Ceylon in 1899.[53] The station was declared a Model Station in 2007 and several infrastructure developments are in process.[54][clarification needed] There is also another station, known as Tuticorin Melur.[55]
Tuticorin Airport is at Vagaikulam, 14 km (9 mi) from the heart of the city.It has flights to Chennai Twice a day Operated by Spicejet.The State Government and Airport Authority of India plans to extend the runway and modernise the airport to handle to more traffic and bigger aircraft.The land acquisation process is completed and AAI is ready to start the expansion works.A new Terminal has been planned and the runway is to expanded to facilitate the movement of Airbus A320 and Boeing 737s[56] There was also a proposal in 2009 for a greenfield airport.[57] Madurai Airport is the nearest international airport.Madurai Airport has daily International Connectivity to Colombo and Dubai.By mid 2014,it is expected to have flights to more International Destinations like Singapore and Malaysia and other Gulf Countries.
Tuticorin Port Trust recently renamed as V.O.Chidambaram Port is an artificial deep-sea harbour.A luxury ferry liner, the Scotia Prince, was operating a ferry service to Colombo, Sri Lanka. Ferry services between the two countries have been revived after more than 20 years
The Thoothukudi municipality was established in 1866 during British times. It was promoted to a municipal corporation in 2008, bringing an area of 90.663 km2 (35.005 sq mi) within the city limits. The municipal corporation has four zones namely East, West, North and South. The corporation has 60 wards and there is an elected councillor for each of those wards.[64] The functions of the corporation are devolved into six departments: general administration/personnel, Engineering, Revenue, Public Health, city planning and Information Technology (IT). All these departments are under the control of a Municipal Commissioner who is the executive head.[65] The legislative powers are vested in a body of 60 members, one each from the 60 wards.[66] The legislative body is headed by an elected Chairperson assisted by a Deputy Chairperson.[67] Thoothukudi city is the district head quarters for the Thoothukudi district.
Thoothukudi comes under the Thoothukudi assembly constituency and it elects a member to the Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly once every five years.[68] From the 1977 elections, the assembly seat was won by Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) for three times during 1989, 1996 and 2006 elections and All India Anna Dravid Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) for six times during 1977, 1980, 1984, 1991, 2001 and 2011 elections.[69] The current MLA of the constituency is S.T. Chellapandian from AIADMK.[62]
The Thoothukudi Lok Sabha constituency was originally part of the Tirunelveli constituency and was delimited to Tirunelveli and Thoothukudi constituencies during 2009 Lok Sabha election. The constituency was formed after the 2008 delimitation with the following assembly constituencies;Tiruchendur, Srivaikuntam, Tuticorin, Ottapidaram, Kovilpatti and Vilathikulam[70] The current Member of parliament (MP) from the constituency is S. R. Jeyadurai (2009–present) from the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK
There are 31 schools in Thoothukudi city, of which 10 are operated by the municipal corporation. There are 31 high schools and higher secondary schools, one of which is a government school.Tuticorin has high litracy rates and lower literacy rate gap between males and females.Tuticorin schools usually scores high honours during board examinations.[72] There are five arts and science colleges,three polytechnics in the city.It also has a Fisheries college in the outskirts.There is an Government Engineering college affiliated to Anna University on the highway to Tirunelveli, and many private engineering colleges on Tiruchedur road,Palayamkottai road.There is also a Government Medical college and Hospital. The colleges are affiliated to the Manonmaniam Sundaranar University in Tirunelveli. There are three Industrial Training Institutes (ITI) and about 50 computer training centres also.[73]
Electricity supply to the city is regulated and distributed by the Tamil Nadu Electricity Board (TNEB).Usage of Plastic polythene bags is banned inside corporation limits. Thoothukudi is the headquarters of the Thoothukudi region of TNEB that has four divisions. The city along with its suburbs forms the Thoothukudi Electricity Distribution Circle. A Chief Distribution engineer is stationed at the regional headquarters.[74] Water supply is provided by the Thoothukudi City Corporation from the Tamirabarani with 8 overhead tanks. In the period 2010–2011, a total of 21 million litres of water was supplied everyday for households in the city.[75]
About 96 metric tonnes of solid waste are collected from the city every day by door-to-door collection and subsequently the source segregation and dumping is carried out by the sanitary department of the Thoothukudi Municipal corporation. The coverage of solid waste management had efficiency of 94% as of 2011.[76] The underground drainage system was constituted in 1984 and covers only certain zones of the corporation area. The remaining sewerage system for disposal of sullage is through septic tanks and public conveniences.[77] The corporation maintains a total of 69.47 kilometres (43.17 mi) of storm water drains.[78] The corporation operates five health posts throughout the city. Apart from these, there are various private hospitals and clinics that take care of the health care needs of the citizens.[79]
Thoothukudi comes under the Thoothukudi Telecom District of the Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL), India's state-owned telecom and internet services provider. Both Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM) and Code division multiple access (CDMA) mobile services are available. Apart from telecom, BSNL also provides broadband internet service.[80] Thoothukudi is one of the few cities in India where BSNL's Caller Line Identification (CLI) based internet service Netone is available.
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