Geography
Kunnummal Grama Panchayat – Development Profile
Topography and Natural Resources
Kunnummal Grama Panchayat is situated on the Muttungal–Pakramthalam Road in Vadakara Taluk, approximately 15 kilometres east of Muttungal.
Boundaries
- North: Narippatta Grama Panchayat
- East: Kayakkodi Grama Panchayat
- South: Kuttiady and Purameri Grama Panchayats
- West: Nadapuram Grama Panchayat
Kunnummal Grama Panchayat consists of 17 hills, both small and large. It is said that the name Kunnummal originated from the presence of this group of hills.
The total area of the Panchayat is 10.58 sq. km. Of this, approximately 2.4 sq. km consists of hilly areas and 0.13 sq. km consists of paddy fields. The major crops cultivated in the remaining valley areas are coconut, arecanut, pepper, paddy, tapioca, and banana. Cashew is also cultivated in Mathukunnu and Mannankunnu.
The predominant soil type in the Panchayat is laterite soil. Clay soil and gravelly soil are also found. A rocky area covering approximately 20 acres is situated in the western part of the Panchayat. A sacred grove (Kavu) is also located adjacent to the Vattoli Siva Temple.
Almost the entire area of the Panchayat is suitable for agriculture. There are four large playgrounds/open grounds located in different parts of the Panchayat. Approximately 86% of the land is classified as homestead/garden land (purayidam), while only 13% is paddy/wetland (nilam). The remaining area consists of government/revenue land (puramboke).
Distribution of Agricultural Land
The agricultural land is distributed approximately as follows:
| Crop | Share |
|---|---|
| Coconut | 91% |
| Paddy – First crop | 0.5% |
| Paddy – Second crop | 2.9% |
| Banana | 0.5% |
| Arecanut | 0.1% |
| Pepper | 4.2% |
| Vegetables | 0.1% |
| Cashew | 0.6% |
Water availability is generally abundant in most parts of the Panchayat. However, the higher-lying areas, which constitute approximately one-fourth of the Panchayat's total area, have comparatively poor water availability. The valleys have a moderate level of water availability.
There are approximately 37 small and large ponds in the Panchayat. A canal belonging to the Kuttiady Irrigation Project passes through the Panchayat for approximately 6 kilometres.
Kunnummal is also a Panchayat that receives more rainfall than the state average.
