Neyveli facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Neyveli
Industrial Town and Township
Neyveli Thermal Power plant
Nickname(s):  Powercity
Neyveli Location in Tamil Nadu
Country	India
State	Tamil Nadu
District	Cuddalore
Government
• Type	Municipality
• Body	Neyveli Municipality
Elevation	87 m (285 ft)
Population  (2011)
• Total	105,687
Languages
• Official	Tamil
Time zone	UTC+5:30 (IST)
Vehicle registration	TN-31(Old),TN-91(New)
Website	https://www.nlcindia.com

Neyveli is an important industrial town in the Cuddalore district of Tamil Nadu, a state in India. It is located about 62 kilometers (38 miles) from the Bay of Bengal. The town is west of Pondicherry and 197 kilometers (122 miles) south of Chennai. Neyveli was built in 1956. This happened after the Neyveli Lignite Corporation was started. This company is a large government-owned business.

History of Neyveli: How it Grew

Discovering Lignite: A Key Resource

In 1935, a man named Jambulinga Mudaliar found black particles in the ground. Scientists later studied these particles. They discovered that there were large amounts of lignite under the area around Neyveli village. Lignite is a type of soft coal. It is used to create electricity.

Building a Power City

The Government of India created the Neyveli Lignite Corporation in 1956. This company was formed to mine the lignite. Mining of this important resource began in 1962. The first power plant in Neyveli started working in the same year. It was built with help from the U.S.S.R.. NLC India Limited has been recognized as a very fast-growing public sector company.

Geography and Climate: Neyveli's Environment

Where is Neyveli Located?

Neyveli is located at about 11.60° N latitude and 79.48° E longitude. It is about 87 meters (285 feet) above sea level. The town is situated along the national highway that connects Chennai and Thanjavur.

A Planned Township

Neyveli is a carefully planned town. It is divided into 32 sections called 'blocks'. Each block is about 1 kilometer (0.6 miles) long and 0.7 kilometers (0.4 miles) wide. Double-lane roads separate these blocks. Every block has streets with unique names. The township has around 15,000 houses and apartments.

Local Temples and Nature

The famous Natarajar temple is located here. It is known for having the world's biggest idol of Nataraja. Another important temple is Villudaiyanpattu. Here, Lord Muruga is shown holding a bow and arrow. This temple is special to many families in nearby villages. Neyveli has a warm tropical climate. Summers are hot, and winters are cool. The soil in the area is red and good for farming.

People of Neyveli: Demographics

According to the 2011 census, Neyveli had a population of 105,687 people. There were 53,442 males and 52,245 females. Most people in Neyveli can read and write. About 90,114 people are literate. This means 90.98% of the city's population can read and write. The literacy rate for males was 95.86%, and for females, it was 86.01%. For every 1000 males, there were 978 females. Among children (ages 0-6), there were 898 girls for every 1000 boys.

Economy: Powering the Region

Neyveli Power plant

Neyveli's economy mainly depends on its lignite mines. It also relies on the power stations that use this lignite to make electricity. Besides these large industries, there are smaller businesses. These include processing cashew nuts, making bricks, weaving, and farming.

Transport: Getting Around Neyveli

Local and Outstation Travel

NLC manages transport within the township. Neyveli has two bus stations. These stations connect the town to other places.

Rail and Air Connections

Neyveli has its own railway station. It is on the railway line that connects Cuddalore and Salem. Daily passenger trains use this line. The closest major railway stations are Cuddalore Port Junction (40 km or 25 miles away) and Virudhachalam (21 km or 13 miles away). The nearest airport is at Puducherry. The Airports Authority of India (AAI) plans to improve Neyveli Airport. This is part of a government plan called UDAN. UDAN helps connect smaller towns to bigger cities like Chennai by air.

Sports: Staying Active in Neyveli

Neyveli has a stadium called Bharathi Stadium. NLC manages this stadium. It hosts important events like Republic Day and Independence Day celebrations. The stadium also holds many sports events for the area. Neyveli offers many other sports facilities. These include swimming pools, and places for football, badminton, cricket, and hockey. There are also local clubs like the Town Club and Lignite City Clubs.

Notable People from Neyveli

• Sajan Prakash: An Olympic swimmer.
• Suchitra Ella: She helped start Bharat Biotech, a company that makes medicines.
• Natana Kasinathan: An Indian historian and archaeologist. He was the Director of the Tamil Nadu Archaeology Department.