Tirunelveli's Environment

Tirunelvelli

Tirunelveli also known as Nellai and historically as Tinnevelly, is a city in Tamil Nadu. Its is believed to be an ancient settlement; it has been ruled at different times by the Early Pandyas, the Medieval and Later Cholas, the later Pandyas, the Ma'bar and Tirunelveli sultanates, the Vijayanagar Empire, the Madurai Nayaks, Chanda Sahib, the Carnatic kingdom and the British. Tirunelveli has a number of historical monuments, the Nellaiappar Temple being the most prominent.

Hill Range:

   

• Mahendragiri - It is the name of a hill in Tirunelveli District and is a part of the southern tip of the Western Ghats, with an elevation of 1,645.2 metres. ISRO Propulsion Complex, a test facility for Indian Space Research Organisation's launch vehicle and satellite propulsion systems, is situated on the lower slopes of this mountain.

• Courtallam - It is the panchayat town situated at a mean elevation of 160 m

on the Western Ghats in Tirunelveli District of Tamil Nadu. Many seasonal and few perennial rivers such as the Chittar River, the Manimuthar River, the Pachaiyar River and the Tambaraparani River originate in this region. The numerous waterfalls and cascades along with the ubiquitous health resorts in the area have earned it the title the Spa of South India. The falls carry a good amount of water only when there is a rain on the hills. Season begins from June of every year till September. The South West Monsoon brings in the cold breeze with mild temperature. From October to December North East Monsoon sets over in Tamil Nadu and the climate is cold and the rains are very heavy sometimes. Sometimes the falls get flooded and people are not allowed to take bath during floods.

Rivers:

     

Manimuthar Dam

• Manimuthar River - It originates on the eastern slopes of Western Ghats in Tirunelveli District of the state of Tamil Nadu. It is a major tributary of the Tambaraparani River.The river begins in the dense forest on a mountain peak 1300 meters above sea level in Ambasamudram taluk and flows 9 km though small cataracts until it reaches the Tambaraparani River near Kallidaikurichi.The tributaries of the Manimuthar are the Keezha River and the Varattar River. As a tributary, the Manimuther River adds a considerable amount of water to the Tamiraparani River as it seasonally is always in full.

• Nambiyar river - It runs across Nanguneri taluk in Tirunelveli district in Tamil Nadu state in India. It is a small river which runs for only 45 km. The river originates from near Thirukurungudi village in the Western Ghats, about 1.5 km above sea level, and ends at the Gulf of Mannar.

• Thamirabarani River - It originates from the famous Agastyarkoodam peak in the hills of the Western Ghats above Papanasam in the Ambasamudram taluk and flows through Tirunelveli & Tuticorin districts of the Tamil Nadu state of southern India. It was called the Tamraparni River in olden days, a name also associated with Sri Lanka. The old Tamil name of the river is Porunai. From the source to sea, the total length of the river is about 125 km.

     

• Chittar River - The river and its five tributaries and numerous other contributing streams originate in the Courtallam hills of Tirunelveli District in the state of Tamil Nadu. Together with its tributaries and streams, the Chittar River serves as an important source of irrigation for the region and is a major tributary of the Tambaraparani River along with the Manimuthar River. The Chitter River, though little, is a beautiful river, making many turns and twists and providing spectacular waterfalls and cascades.

Other Rivers - 

• Mundhal Odai
• Karunaiyar
• Mottaiyar
• Vedamaliyaru
• Rajasingiyaru
• Kothaiyaru
• Ramanathi
• Hanumannathi
• Gadananathi

Birds:

• Bar-headed Goose,
• Common Sandpiper,
• Common Teal,
• Coot Central,
• Green Sandpiper,
• Greater flamingo,
• Pintail,
• White stork