Sky-high chimneys and contrasting ground realities

With its eight cement plants, Ariyalur should have become a major industrial township by now

Ariyalur is one of the very few places where agriculture and industry contribute almost equally to the economy. While the town and its peripheries are dotted with medium to large cement plants, agriculture and allied activities fuel the rural economy. Ariyalur and its surrounding areas are rich in mineral deposits, limestone, sandstone and fire clay. Though it looks like an industrial town, thanks to the presence of eight cement plants, locals say only a few hundreds of them could get direct employment in them.