About Municipality

1.                  LOCATION :                

Attur is a first grade Municipal town and also the head quarters of Attur Taluk in Salem District.  Formerly it was a town panchayat and was constituted as a Municipality with effect from 1.4.1965.  It is a class II town.  The extent of the Municipal area is 27.62 Sq.Kms.   The population as per 2001 census is 57519.

                         Attur is a very ancient  town. Attur is known as the river town.  The town is situated on the southern bank of the Vasista river.  It dates from 921 and was known as Milattu and Kutratthu Brahmadheyam  and Malaiyaman Attur.  It came to be known as Attur Ananthagiri   during the Mysore rule beginning in 1689,.  The name was shortened to Attur at end of the 18^th Century.  It was formed part of Hyder domines till 1768.  Then it surrendered to Mr.Wood of East India Company.  Again Hyder regained it from that company.  After that company won a decessive victory in the 3^rd Mysore was against Thippusultan.  The fort war garrisioned in 1792 by the 23^rd Madras batallion of the company under the command of captain compbell.   The fort remained so until 1854 when it ceased to be military station.  Attur fort is now ruined stone fort and situated on the northern bank of the Vasista River occuplying an area of 62 acres. 

                        It is constructed by a local palayakarar, C.Lakshmana Nayakan (17^th Century). Until recenty it was believed to have been built up the founder of the Catti Mudali Dynasty who did built the Siva and Vishnu temples in the fort.   

                        The fort walls (about 30 feet height and 15 feet wide at the top)  were reverted by wedge shaped cut-stones fitted without mortar.  The stones for the walls were reportedly quarried from the hiilock, Kalladithankundru (quarry hill).  The fort was guarded by the river and east and by moats on other side.  The large valuated chamber inside the fort is believed to have been audience hall during the Gatt regime.  The spacious and well ventilated pool-house, built the pleasure of the royal family,  obtained its water from the river through an ingeniously constructed and strongly defenced water gate. 

 2.  DEMOGRAPHIC CHARACTERISTICS 

Population Growth Trends 

Literacy Rates 

                        This Municipality Literacy rate is 87% 

3.  ECONIMIC BASE

The economy of the town also depends on agriculture and allied activities.  Attur is the main exporting center next to Trichengode for Betel leaves to North Indian cities besides Tamil Nadu Towns.  There are more than fifteen betel mandies located within the Attur Town in addition to twenty more finding place around the town.  About 12 hects. of agricultural land is under betel leaves cultivation within the town. 

Industries

            A number of ricemills, and sago factories are located in South side of railway line.  The Industrial use occupies 62.59 Hec.  i.e. 17.59% of the developed area and 2.20% of the total area of the town respectively. 

Industries in Attur 

STRATEGIES 

            From the above table it is observed that the employment in secondary sector in the areas of Agrobasis Industries, Trade and commerce and Transportation.  These activities will continue to dominate in future decades also. In addition to the above manufacturing industries and other services are the next important activities.    The primary activity mainly depend  upon the cultivation of wet lands. 

Land Use and Growth Management

Local Planning  Area

Rapid industrialisation of Attur has attracted extensive changes in the development process.  The migration of rural population to the town..

Land Use in the LPA-1991

            In order to ensure a planned growth of the town and its surroundings, the Government of Tamilnadu has declared Attur Local Planning Area comprising of 3 village Panchayats and 3 Town Panchayat of the limit, in the year 2001.  The area constituted 27.62 Sq.Km 

            The Attur town extents over an area of 27.62 Sq.Km. as per the approved Master Plan.  Of this the developed area is 355.78 Hects. and works out to 12.48% of the total area.  The remaining 87.52% constitutes undeveloped area, comprising lands such as land under water, agriculture and vacant lands. 

Proposed Land Use -2001 

I.(2)  Summary of Activities and features of Municipality: 

WATER SUPPLY

Existing Situation 

SEWERAGE AND SANITATION :

Existing Situation

There is no under ground drainage system in Attur. 

The main mode of individual disposal in the town is through septic tanks, low Cost Sanitation units and through public conveniences            

SOLID WASTE MANAGEMENT

Existing Situation

Attur town generates around 22.42 tones of waste every day at a rate of 373 grams per capita per day.

The waste is collected by 4 vehicles from pushcarts at the door step of the house and transported through lorries to the compost yard.   

Features of Attur SWM

Other than residential sources, commercial and institutional areas contribute to nearly 30% of the total waste generated by the town.  Hospital Waste not collected by the Municipality. Hospital waste separetely collected by IMA through seperate vehicle. 

ROADS, TRAFFIC MANAGEMENT & STREET LIGHTS 

Exisiting Situation 

Roads 

Of the total road length of 74.600 km in Attur, 20% of the roads are of concrete road  type, 1% are of earthen type and 79% are black topped   The length does not include the lengths of unauthorised layouts that have developed in the outer areas of the Town.  These roads include the major roads maintained by the  State highways Department. 

Traffic and Transportation

Five major roads, namely to Salem, Rasipuram, Perambalur, Chennai, Thammampatty,  pass through Attur.  All these roads carry heavy traffic, leading to congestion in the city.  Based on the recommendations of consultants the measures for the improvement of traffic conditions of the city have been identified

Street Lights

Attur is lit by around 1594 streetlights.  With 80% of the total lights, tube lights are predominant type of lights in the town.   

Place of Interest 

             The famous Vadachennimalai Murugan Temple 7 Kms. away from Attur Town.