Naluvedapathy
Encyclopedia
Naluvedapathy is a coastal village in the India
n state of Tamil Nadu
. It is located in the Vedaranyam
taluk of the Nagapattinam district. It sits on the mouth of the Addapar River
. Based on the 2001 census in India and numerous village and tsunami censuses after the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami, it has a population of approximately 4500 people, most of whom are poor and are "low caste." The village's primary businesses, like other villages on the coast of Tamil Nadu, are farming and fishing. The entire Nagapattinam district was severely affected by the Indian ocean tsunamis, however, Naluvedapathy emerged virtually unscathed. This was due to the presence of a very large windbreak
planted by inhabitants of the region in 2002.
s batterred the coast of Tamil Nadu after an earthquake
in Sumatra
. However, out of 8,000 fatalities in the state, only one was from Naluvedapathy and most of the village remained unscathed. The trees, which were known to be strong wind barriers, served as barriers against the tsunamis and stopped a large amount of water from reaching the village. It was also noted that there was no loss of life within the fishing community and no psychological trauma amongst the people of the village following the tsunami. Sudeep Jain later mobilised his school alumni and founded a Tsunami Rehabilation Trust named BITSunami to rehabilitate and develop this village along with neighbouring Pushpavanam village. BITSunami and District Administration led by then District Collector J Radhakrishnan once again went on a massive tree plantation spree planting 254,464 saplings on 2 Oct 2005 creating a new Guinness World Record.
and the majority of inhabitants in the Nagapattinam district are Hindu
in religion.
.
The village possesses school buildings and sanitation facilities and is well-connected to roads and electricity. Education is provided for students in the village up to middle school, however students have to travel numerous kilometres for secondary education.
. Its connection to other parts of Tamil Nadu is mainly used for the educational purposes of students, who need to travel 7–10 km to go to a location which has secondary education.
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
n state of Tamil Nadu
Tamil Nadu
Tamil Nadu is one of the 28 states of India. Its capital and largest city is Chennai. Tamil Nadu lies in the southernmost part of the Indian Peninsula and is bordered by the union territory of Pondicherry, and the states of Kerala, Karnataka, and Andhra Pradesh...
. It is located in the Vedaranyam
Vedaranyam
Vedaranyam is a municipality in Nagapattinam district in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu.-Geography:Vedaraniyam is located at . It has an average elevation of .-Demographics:...
taluk of the Nagapattinam district. It sits on the mouth of the Addapar River
Addapar river
Addapar is a river flowing in the Nagapattinam district of the Indian state of Tamil Nadu.- See also :List of rivers of Tamil Nadu...
. Based on the 2001 census in India and numerous village and tsunami censuses after the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami, it has a population of approximately 4500 people, most of whom are poor and are "low caste." The village's primary businesses, like other villages on the coast of Tamil Nadu, are farming and fishing. The entire Nagapattinam district was severely affected by the Indian ocean tsunamis, however, Naluvedapathy emerged virtually unscathed. This was due to the presence of a very large windbreak
Windbreak
A windbreak or shelterbelt is a plantation usually made up of one or more rows of trees or shrubs planted in such a manner as to provide shelter from the wind and to protect soil from erosion. They are commonly planted around the edges of fields on farms. If designed properly, windbreaks around a...
planted by inhabitants of the region in 2002.
History
On December 4, 2002, 300 farmers planted 80,244 Casuarina saplings in 24 hours, achieving a new Guinness World Record in the process forming what has been called "The Guinness Garden". This Guinness Record plantation was organised by Nagapattinam District Administration led by District Collector Sudeep Jain and Sub Collector S J Chiru. According to Sudeep Jain, "We planted trees for invoking rain gods as this area had faced drought for several years". The saplings were spread over 20 hectacres next to the coast. On the 26th of December, 2004, tsunamiTsunami
A tsunami is a series of water waves caused by the displacement of a large volume of a body of water, typically an ocean or a large lake...
s batterred the coast of Tamil Nadu after an earthquake
Earthquake
An earthquake is the result of a sudden release of energy in the Earth's crust that creates seismic waves. The seismicity, seismism or seismic activity of an area refers to the frequency, type and size of earthquakes experienced over a period of time...
in Sumatra
Sumatra
Sumatra is an island in western Indonesia, westernmost of the Sunda Islands. It is the largest island entirely in Indonesia , and the sixth largest island in the world at 473,481 km2 with a population of 50,365,538...
. However, out of 8,000 fatalities in the state, only one was from Naluvedapathy and most of the village remained unscathed. The trees, which were known to be strong wind barriers, served as barriers against the tsunamis and stopped a large amount of water from reaching the village. It was also noted that there was no loss of life within the fishing community and no psychological trauma amongst the people of the village following the tsunami. Sudeep Jain later mobilised his school alumni and founded a Tsunami Rehabilation Trust named BITSunami to rehabilitate and develop this village along with neighbouring Pushpavanam village. BITSunami and District Administration led by then District Collector J Radhakrishnan once again went on a massive tree plantation spree planting 254,464 saplings on 2 Oct 2005 creating a new Guinness World Record.
Demographics
Based on the 2001 census, the total population of Naluvedapathy is 4354 with 2199 males and 2155 females. Out of 1515 households, only three were attributed to forward castes. Most inhabitants of the village inhabitants speak TamilTamil people
Tamil people , also called Tamils or Tamilians, are an ethnic group native to Tamil Nadu, India and the north-eastern region of Sri Lanka. Historic and post 15th century emigrant communities are also found across the world, notably Malaysia, Singapore, Mauritius, South Africa, Australia, Canada,...
and the majority of inhabitants in the Nagapattinam district are Hindu
Hindu
Hindu refers to an identity associated with the philosophical, religious and cultural systems that are indigenous to the Indian subcontinent. As used in the Constitution of India, the word "Hindu" is also attributed to all persons professing any Indian religion...
in religion.
Economy
The village's primary businesses are in fishing and the farming of tamarind, groundnut, mango, coconut and cashew. The region also has an immense number of Casuarina trees. The farming industry has suffered in past years due to a long drought. Thirty-six percent of households in the region are involved in the fishing industry. The primary area of fishing is in the Bay of BengalBay of Bengal
The Bay of Bengal , the largest bay in the world, forms the northeastern part of the Indian Ocean. It resembles a triangle in shape, and is bordered mostly by the Eastern Coast of India, southern coast of Bangladesh and Sri Lanka to the west and Burma and the Andaman and Nicobar Islands to the...
.
The village possesses school buildings and sanitation facilities and is well-connected to roads and electricity. Education is provided for students in the village up to middle school, however students have to travel numerous kilometres for secondary education.
Transportation
As in most Indian villages, the only method of transportation within the village is walking. An extensive bus system exists for travelling outside the village. The village is connected to other parts of Tamil Nadu via roadRoad
A road is a thoroughfare, route, or way on land between two places, which typically has been paved or otherwise improved to allow travel by some conveyance, including a horse, cart, or motor vehicle. Roads consist of one, or sometimes two, roadways each with one or more lanes and also any...
. Its connection to other parts of Tamil Nadu is mainly used for the educational purposes of students, who need to travel 7–10 km to go to a location which has secondary education.