Industries in Nilgiris

EUCALYPTUS INDUSTRY

Eucalyptus Oil extraction is yet another important old time industry here. One can smell the fragrance of the Oil wafting through the air during the course of extraction. Apart from leaves, the pulp wood is used as a major raw material for the manufacture of viscose for a factory situated at the foot hills of the Nilgiris District. Also the bark and the twigs are collected and distributed as a fuel supply (fire wood) under public distribution system

CORDITE FACTORY ARUVANKADU

  The Government of India, Ministry of Defense have set up a Cordite Factory at Aruvankadu, near Coonoor on the Coonoor-Ooty Road. The Factory was established in the year 1901. The Factory is engaged in the production of propellants for Gun Ammunition.

HINDUSTAN PHOTO FILIMS - OOTY

 HPF was setup with the objective of supplying raw cine films to Motion Picture Industry, X-Ray films for Hospitals and special photographic materials for professional and amateur photographers in the Country.

NEEDLE INDUSTRIES (INDIA) PRIVATE LIMITED., KETTI

    In 1949, this was a British brewer factory slowly switched over to manufacture of Gramophone Needles and later on to hand sewing needles and then started their export somewhere in the year 1964 and from then on standing as leading manufacturers of Needles in the world and with diversifications of manufacturing of suture needles, knitting pins, safety pins, snap fasteners and now standing as a leader in the manufacture of above in the whole world.     "Needle makers to the world".

RALLIES INDIA LTD.,SANDYNALLA

    An industry for manufacturing extracted products such as gelatine, ossein and allied Chemical products etc. was setup in the year 1971 in Sandynalla near Udhagamandalam under private sector.

NILIGIRIS DISTRICT CO-OPERATIVE MILK PRODUCERS UNION LTD

   The Govt. have setup a unit at Ooty under Co-operative sector which is engaged in the manufacture of milk products such as cream, butter, ghee, palkova, ice-cream and cheese.

HINDUSTAN UNILEVER LTD., KETTI

M/s Hindustan Lever Ltd., a private concern has setup a unit on Kekkatty Road, Ketti for the manufacture of mushroom and mushroom based products

SIDCO

                    The  Tamil   Nadu   Small   Industries   Development   Corporation   (TANSIDCO)  has  set  up  an  industrial   estate   at   Udhagamandalam   in   1982.   In   the  Nilgiris  district,  the  total  number  of  small   scale   industries  units  was  only  39  during  1980 - 81  and  this  has  risen  up  to  176  during  1986 - 87.  However,  during  1987 - 88,  there  was  a  slight  decrease in  the  number  of  small   scale   industries   units,   which   stood   at   171.  During  1988 - 89, 111  were  registered.

DISTRICT  INDUSTRIES  CENTRE (DIC):

                    The  Government  of  India  had  taken  a  new  industrial  policy  in  1978  for  rapid  growth  of  small   scale   units   and   tiny   industries   with  a  view  to  maximize  employment opportunities  and  raise  the   income  levels  in  rural  areas.  Accordingly,  District  Industries Center  were  set  up   in   every   district   from   1978,   so   as   to   provide   all   services  and  assistance  required  by  small  and  village  industries  through  a  single  agency.

INDUSTRIAL  ESTATE,  UDHAGAMANDALAM:

                    TANSIDCO  has  set  up  an  Industrial  Estate  at  Udhagamandalam  near  Hindusthan  Photo  Film  Limited,  in  1982  at  a  cost  of  Rs.15.69   lakhs.   The   land   was  retransferred  by M/s.  Hindustan  Photo  Film  Limited  to  SIDCO,  free  of  cost,  for  the  construction  of  shed for  small  scale  Industries  units   and   for   tiny   sector.   Government   sanctioned   a   sum  of  Rs. 5  lakhs  as  share  capital  assistance   during   1981 - 82  for   construction   of   sheds  in  the  industrial  estate.

TANSI  WATCH  ASSEMBLING  UNIT:

                    The   unit   was   incorporated  in  the  year   1978.   It   commenced   production   with effect  from  1st   August   1978   and  it  is  engaged  in  assembling  watches  only.  The  required  raw  materials  are  supplied   by   the   Hindustan   Machine   Tools   (H.M.T).   The   investment  on  land  and  building  is  about  Rs.4.23  lakhs  and  on  machinery  and  equipment  is  Rs.6.46 lakhs.  The  unit  has  provided  employment  to  103  persons.

HYDRO ELECTRIC SYSTEMS

KATERI HYDRO - ELECTRIC SYSTEM:

                    This  is  the  earliest  hydro - electric  system  installed  in  the  district.  The  Kateri stream  rises  in  the  Kateri  and  Ketti  valleys  in  the  district.  The  Kateri  falls  is  situated  in  the   Ketti   valley   and  flows  from  a  height  of  54.86  meters.  Just  above  the  falls,  a dam  to  a   height of 11.58m.   was   built  across  the  outlet  of  a  natural  basin  and  a reservoir   with   a   storage  capacity  of  12 1/4  million  cubic  feet  formed  in  1902.  Above this,  another   dam   enclosing   a   supplementary  reservoir  with  a  storage  capacity  of  10  million   cubic   feet   was   built   later,  in  the  year  1916.  The  length  of  the  power  house  was  30.48  m;  breadth  9.14 m.  and  height  10.36m.  and  it  was  designed  to  contain  the whole  of  the  generating  plant,  which  consisted  of  four  125 KW.   sets  and  one  500 KW.  set,  giving  current  at  5000  volts.

PYKARA  HYDRO - ELECTRIC  SYSTEM:

                    The  pykara  hydro  electric  system   stands  as   a   monumental  example  of  the  natural  potentialities  of  the  district   for   the   generation   of  power.  The  pykara  power  plant  is the  highest   head   plant   so   far   installed   in  the  whole of  Asia.  It  is  situated  at  the  height  of  938.78  meters.  The   Pykara  scheme  which  is   the  first  hydro - electric project  under  taken  by  the  composite  Madras  State  was  sanctioned  in  the  year  1929.

MOYAR  HYDRO - ELECTRIC  SCHEME:

                    The  Moyar  hydro - electric  scheme   in   the   district   is   the   first   hydro - electric project  executed  in  the  First  Five  Year   Plan   period.   The   project  utilizes  the  tail  water of  the  Pykara  station  over  a  drop  of  396.24  meters   and   makes   it   available  for  16  km. below  the  Pykara  power  house.  Work  on  the  scheme  was  begun  in  1946  and  completed  in  1952.

KUNDAH  HYDRO - ELECTRIC  SCHEME:

                    The  Kundah   hydro - electric   scheme   is   the   biggest   among   the   schemes   so  far  executed  to  generate  electricity  in   the   State.  Two  streams,  the  Avalanche  and  the  Emerald,  rising    amidst    the     group    of    high    peaks,   Devarbatta,   Karaikada,   Koulingabetta   and    Porthimund,   all    over   2438.40   m.   The   scheme   was   sanctioned   by   the   Government   in  September  1955  at  an  estimated  cost  of  Rs.3544  lakhs  including  transmission  line.  Executed during  Second  Five  Year  Plan  period.  A   combined   storage  by  two  dams  across  Avalanche  and  Emerald  Streams  with  a  capacity  of  5500  cubic  feet.

EMARALD  AND  AVALANCHE  DAMS:

                    The  Emerald  and  Avalanche  dams  have  been   built   across  the   Emerald  and  Avalanche  streams  which  are  two  arms  of  the  kundah   river.  They   are   situated  at  a distance   of   about   29   km.   from   Udhagamandalam.   It  has   a  total  storage   of   5500  million  cubic  feet.  The   Avalanche   dam   is   372   m.   in   length   and    57.66  m.  height,  while  the  Emerald  dam  is  328.6  m.  lon  and  65.72  m.  height.  The   two  reserviors  thus  formed  are  interconnected  by  a   tunnel   733.77  m.   long   of  horse  shoe  shape  with  a discharge  of  capacity  of  900  cusecs.