Education, job draw people from Nilgiris to Coimbatore

Coimbatore: The number of people migrating from the Nilgiris and settling in the Coimbatore district has increased significantly over the past 15 years.The northern part of Coimbatore district is emerging as the most preferred destination for the people who are moving to the plains from Udhagamandalam and surrounding areas in the Nilgiris. Higher education opportunities and employment prospects are cited as the two primary reasons driving this migration.
While this migration has been taking place for over 15 years, registration department officials say the pace has increased significantly in recent years. Apart from the growth of Coimbatore district, certain challenges faced by Nilgiris district are also contributing to this trend, said R Saravanan, 47, a farmer from Thuneri in Nilgiris district. He pointed out that children can continue their education in Nilgiris only up to Class 10, and for higher secondary and higher education, families are forced to move to the plains. This, he said, has become a key reason for the rapid increase in migration. Saravanan added that tea growers have not received fair prices for tea for nearly two decades, and alternative employment opportunities apart from tea plantations are extremely limited in the hill district. As a result, many residents move towards industrial cities like Coimbatore for work and later choose to settle there permanently, also considering the health needs of elderly family members. L Manikandan, a resident of the Veerappandi Pirivu area on Mettupalayam Road in Coimbatore, said he moved from the Nilgiris to Coimbatore due to the lack of livelihood opportunities. He said he has been living in Coimbatore for the past 15 years after getting married, as there were no stable job options in Nilgiris. Manikandan said the low price of tea, along with frequent movement of wild animals, were major reasons for leaving Nilgiris. He believes that moving out of Nilgiris was the main reason for his current wealthy status in Coimbatore. He said nearly 60% of the youth are no longer in Nilgiris, as young people leave the district mainly for education and employment. A realtor, Manikandan said he has clearly felt an increase in this migration over the past few years. He said around 50% of the migrants are salaried employees working in big companies, while other 50% from Nilgiris have established themselves in Coimbatore by running bakeries, small-scale units and working in the real estate sector. B L Shivakumar, principal, Sri Ramakrishnan College of Arts and Science, Coimbatore, settled here 20 years back. He hailed from the Nilgiris and said the movement of wild animals makes it unsafe to move around after 7pm, which prevents students from attending part-time classes or learning additional skill-based courses. He said such conditions also make it difficult for students to prepare for national-level competitive examinations such as NEET and JEE. As a result, many youths are forced to move out of Nilgiris in search of better opportunities. He added that cities such as Coimbatore, Tirupur, Bengaluru, and Chennai offer not only better employment options but also comparatively stable wages, which has emerged as a key reason for the growing migration. Officials said proximity to the Nilgiris and better road connectivity have made Coimbatore's northern parts a preferred choice for people migrating from the hill district. Beyond agriculture, these areas also have a growing presence of industries and educational institutions, which further adds to their appeal.