Environment, Climate Change and Forest Department - Tamil Nadu State Wetland Authority Toll Free 18005997634-4
Tamil Nadu Wetlands Mission

Wetlands of Tamil Nadu

Area estimates of various wetland categories for Tamilnadu have been carried out using GIS layers of wetland boundary, water-spread, vegetation and turbidity. 24684 wetlands have been mapped at 1:50,000 scale in Tamil Nadu. Total wetland area estimated is 902534 ha which is 6.92 % of the geographic area. As per National Wetland Atlas published by Space Application Centre, Ahmedabad.

Sr.

No

Wettcode

Wetland Category

Number of Wetlands

Total Wetland Area

% of Wetland area

Open Water Area in ha

Post-

monsoon

Area

Pre-

monsoon

Area

 

1100

Inland Wetlands - Natural

1

1101

Lakes/Ponds

4369

316091

35.02

236456

45436

2

1104

Riverine wetlands

2

127

0.01

121

41

3

1105

Waterlogged

44

3928

0.44

3382

2168

4

1106

River/Stream

194

136878

15.17

131049

131479

 

1200

Inland Wetlands-Man-made

5

1201

Reservoirs/Barrages

99

56419

6.25

46443

31064

6

1202

Tanks/Ponds

19343

237613

26.33

164346

23078

7

1203

Waterlogged

38

10811

1.20

9353

5816

 

 

Total – Inland

24089

761867

84.41

591150

239082

 

2100

Coastal Wetlands - Natural

8

2101

Lagoons

74

25057

2.78

25041

22034

9

2102

Creeks

17

3404

0.38

3339

3403

10

2103

Sand/Beach

73

9798

1.09

-

-

11

2104

Intertidal mud flats

84

33164

3.67

-

-

12

2105

Salt Marsh

42

6108

0.68

5369

2596

13

2106

Mangroves

78

7315

0.81

-

-

14

2107

Coral Reefs

36

3899

0.43

-

-

 

2200

Coastal Wetlands –Man-made

15

2201

Salt pans

47

22889

2.54

22505

19733

16

2202

Aquaculture ponds

144

10739

1.19

10457

9420

 

 

Total – Coastal

595

122373

13.56

66711

57186

 

 

Sub-Total

24684

884240

97.97

657861

296268

 

 

Wetlands (<2.25 ha), mainly Tanks

18294

18294

2.03

-

-

 

 

Total

42978

902534

100.00

657861

296268

 

Area under Aquatic Vegetation

167273

531600

Area under turbidity levels

 

 

Low

314273

70189

Moderate

247677

159206

High

95911

66873


Type wise wetland distribution in Tamil Nadu

DISTRICT-WISE WETLAND MAPS AND STATISTICS

There are 30 districts. The geographic area of the districts varies from 178 sq.km (Chennai) to 8162 sq.km (Erode). The wetlands occupy as high as 18.05% of geographic area (Ramanathapuram District), and as low as 1.08% (Coimbatore). In terms of total wetland area (% wetland area), Kancheepuram is the leading district (80445 ha, 8.91%) and Chennai is the least (917 ha, 0.10%).

Lakes/Ponds and Tanks/Ponds are the dominant wetland types in almost all districts. In coastal areas, Lagoons, inter tidal mudflats and Saltpans are dominant wetland types.

District-wise wetland area

District

Geographic Area*

Wetland Area

% of total wetland area

% of district geographic area

(sq.km)

(ha)

Thiruvallur

3422

53863

5.97

15.74

Chennai

178

917

0.10

5.15

Kancheepuram

7857

80445

8.91

10.24

Vellore

6077

32640

3.62

5.37

Dharmapuri

4498

18215

2.02

4.05

Thiruvannamalai

6191

48130

5.33

7.77

Villupuram

7222

64105

7.10

8.88

Salem

5205

15270

1.69

2.93

Namakkal

3363

7687

0.85

2.29

Erode

8162

13570

1.50

1.66

The Nilgiris

2453

3127

0.35

1.27

Coimbatore

7469

8070

0.89

1.08

Dindigul

6267

13815

1.53

2.20

Karur

2896

16383

1.82

5.66

Thiruchirappalli

4404

18626

2.06

4.23

Permabalur

3690

8070

0.89

2.19

Ariyalur**

1942

11042

1.22

5.69

Cuddalore

3678

28135

3.12

7.65

Nagapattinam

2716

47833

5.30

17.61

Thiruvarur

2097

22591

2.50

10.77

Thanjavur

3348

34184

3.79

10.21

Pudukottai

4663

72402

8.02

15.53

Sivaganga

4189

67172

7.44

16.04

Madurai

3742

24614

2.73

6.58

Theni

3242

5293

0.59

1.63

Virudhunagar

4232

29071

3.22

6.87

Ramanathapuram

4090

73808

8.18

18.05

Thoothukudi

4621

37810

4.19

8.18

Tirunelveli

6823

37709

4.18

5.53

Kanniyakumari

1672

7937

0.88

4.75

Total

130409

902534

100.00

6.92

*Census 2001 data is used ** GIS data is used.

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