1Department of Civil Engineering, National College of Engineering, Tirunelveli, 627151, Tamil Nadu, India.
2Department of Civil Engineering, Government College of Engineering, Tirunelveli, 627007, TamilNadu, India.
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Soil types of the area are more important, since it is the main criteria in the agricultural production and in the recharge of groundwater. Different types of soils are derived from a wide range of geological formations. Knowledge about the type of soils, its extent and occurrence is of primary importance for agricultural planning to maximize production and for the groundwater recharge.
The soils of the district from kanyakumari to Colachel coastal belt can be classified into red loams, red lateritic soil and pale reddish in colour. They are derived from lateralization of gneisses. The soils derived from gneisses are mostly brownish. Thickness of soils in the mountain is almost negligible, whereas in the valleys it is around 2m.
The lateritic type of soil occurs in blocks of Rajakkamangalam. The mixed type of Red and alluvial soil occur in Agastheeswaram block. The coastal sand occurs in the western side of the district. The coastal alluvium sand is of high fertility.
Generally the soils are highly acidic in the coastal area. This is mainly due to heavy rainfall and heavy leaching of basic rock in hilly area.
