1. LOCATION AND COMPOSITION:
Vizianagaram District was formed on 1st June, 1979 with Headquarters at Vizianagaram as per G.O.Ms.No.700/Revenue(U) Department, dated 15th May, 1979 with portions carved from Srikakulam and Visakhapatnam Districts.

Vizianagaram District is with in the Geographical Co-ordinates of 17-15’ and 19-15’ of the Northern Latitude and 83-00’ and 83-45’ of the Eastern Longitude.

The District is bounded on the East by Srikakulam District on the West and South by Visakhapatnam District, on the South-east by the Bay of Bengal and North West by Orissa State.

2. PHYSIOGRAPHY:
The Areas transferred from Visakhapatnam District are mostly picturesque especially in the North. The agency track mostly consists of the hilly regions covered by the Eastern Ghats which run parallel to the Coast from the North-East to South-West. The average height of these hills is over 914 meters, although there are several peaks of even 1,219 meters high. In Parvathipuram Division the hills are lower than elsewhere and consist of steep and rugged lines, devoid of Plateau, heading in the two broad almost parallel.

3. SOILS:
The main soils in the District are Red soils, Sandy Loams and Sandy Clay and they constitute 96% of the total area. The soils in the District are predominantly loamy with medium fertility. There are mostly red loamy soils, as far as dry lands are concerned and clay loamy in case of wet lands. The soils at same places are as thick as 4 meters. It is likely that the thick soil cover might represent alluvium along the valleys. Different types of rocks are in abundance in the District.

4. CLIMATE:
The climate of Vizianagaram District is Characterised by high humidities nearly all the year round with oppressive summer and good seasonal rainfall. The summer season is from March to May. This is followed by the South-West monsoon season, which continues upto September, October and November constitute the post monsoon or retreating monsoon season. December to February is the season of generally fine weather. The Climate of the hill parts of the district (West and North-West) is different from that of the plain. Since hilly regions receive heavier rainfall they are cooler than the plains. The maximum Temperature recorded in the month of May is 39.0C and the minimum Temperature recorded in the month of December is 15.9C during the year 2000.

5. RAINFALL:
The normal rainfall of the District for the year is 1,131.0MM as against the actual rainfall of 899.3 MM. The District gets the benefit of both the Sluth-West and North-East monsoons. The rainfall received during the South-West monsoon period (June to September) is 669.2 MM. Rainfall received during the North-East monsoon period (October to December) is 60.1 MM.

6. FLORA:
The floristic composition of the forests of the district is of much interest. The forest types found in the districts are (1) Southern tropical moist mixed deciduous forests, (2) Northern tropical dry deciduous forests, (3) Southern tropical dry mixed deciduous forests, (4) Dry deciduous Green forests, (5) Dry evergreen forests. Forestry plays an important role in the Economy of the District.

7. FAUNA:
Fauna in the district is fairly high in the interior hill regions, but it is heavily threatened with extinction. The reasons for the depletion are mainly shrinkage of habitant and uncontrolled poaching. The Principal animals and birds found from the seacoast to the high plateau are Yellow bat, Sloth bear, Wild buffaloes, Fox, hare, Hyena, Jackal, Mongoose and Birds of the Blue rock pigeon, House crow, House sparrow, Common myna pitta, etc. Consequent on the enactment of the wild life protection act of 1972, it is hoped that wild life would improve and attain the past glory.

8. DEMOGRAPHIC PARTICULARS :
Vizianagaram District extends over an area of 6,539 Sq. KMs. With a density of 343 persons per Sq. KM. covering 1,548 villages, out of which 66 are uninhabited. The District can be devided into two distinct natural divisions i.e. plains and hilly regions. The agency area covers Pachipenta, Gummalakshmipuram mandals fully and Saluru, Makkuva, Ramabhadrapuram, Parvathipuram and Komarada mandals partly.

The total population of the district is 22,45,103 as per 2001 Census consisting of 11,20,124 Males and 11,24,979 Females. The increase in population during the decennium ending 2001 census over 1991 is 6.36 percent for the District as against 26.8 percent for the State. According to the 1991 census the population of 21,10,943 the Schedule Caste population is 2,20,352 and Scheduled Tribe population is 1,90,185 which come to 10.44 percent and 9.01 percent respectively to the total population of the district.

According to 2001 Census Rural Population of the District is 18.33 Lakhs which comes to 82% of the total population and the urban population is 4.12 Lakhs which comes to 18% of the total population. Vizianagaram Town with a population of 1,95,462 is the only Class-I town in the district. Out of the Twelve towns in the district viz., Vizianagaram, Parvathipuram, Saluru, Bobbili, Gajularega, Kanapaka, Kothavalasa, Sreeramnagar, Nellimarla, Jarajapupeta, Chintalavalasa and Gajapathinagaram, the first four are Municipalities, Kanakapa is merged in Vizianagaram Municipality and the rest are notified Panchayats. All these towns are in plain areas of the district.

CLASSIFICATION OF THE TOWBNS ALONG WITH THEIR POPULATION (2001)

A) Class-I Town (Having one Lakh and above Population):
1. Vizianagaram - 1,95,462
a) Vizianagaram (M+OG) - 1,75,700
i) Vizianagaram (M) - 1,74,324
ii) Jammunarayanapuram partly (OG) - 1,376
b) Gajularega (C.T.) - 13,078
c) Kanapaka (C.T.) - 6,684

B) Class-II Town (50,000 to 99,999) :
1) Bobbili - 50,140

C) Class-III Town (20,000 to 49,999) :
1) Parvathipuram - 49,692
2) Saluru - 48,362

D) Class-IV Town (10,000 to 19,999) :
1) Kondalapalem alias Sreeramnagar - 19,950
2) Nellimarla - 19,352
3) Kothavalasa - 12,2198

E) Class-V Town ?(5,000 to 9,999) :
1) Chinthalavalasa - 6,421
2) Jarajapupeta - 5,534
3) Gajapathinagaram - 5,282

F) Class-VI Town (Below 5,000) : - --NIL--

As per 2001 Census there are 1,004 Females per 1,000 Males in the District.

9. LAND UTILISATION:

The total Geographical area of the district is 6,30,038 Hects. Following is the land utilization pattern for 2000-2001.

Sl. No. Area Classification Area in Hects. Percentage to Total
1 Forests 1,11,978 17.8
2 Barren and uncultivable Land 77,753 12.3
3 Land put to non-agricultural uses 75,936 12.0
4 Permanent Pastures and other Grazing lands 4,899 0.8
5 Miscellaneous tree crops and other groves
not included in net area sown 7,395 1.2
6 Cultivable Waste 3,942 0.6
7 Other Fallow lands 4,852 0.8
8 Current Fallow lands 14,970 2.4
9 Net area sown 3,28,245 52.1 Total : 6,30,038 100.0

10. NATURAL RESOURCES :

The Principal rivers flowing in the district are Nagavali, Vegavathi, Gomukhi, Suvarnamukhi, Champavathi and Gostani. Thatipudi Reservoir, Vegathi Project, Vattigedda Anicut and some of the Medium Irrigation Projects in the district. Irrigation about 39,298 Hect. in the distrct.

The Nagavali is the main river which flows in about 112 KM. in Vizianagaram District covering an ayacut of 2,832 Hects. The river Gostani has its origin in Ananthagiri forest area and flows through S.Kota and Jami Mandals. The Suvarnamuhi river takes its birth in the hills of Saluru Mandal and takes an eastern direction and finally join the Nagavali at Sangam Village in Palakonda Mandal of Srikakulam District and the Vegavathi originates in Pachipents Hills of Pachipenta Mandal and flows almost parallel to Suvarnamukhi covering an ayacut of 2,428 Hects.

11. DEVELOPMENTAL ACTIVITIES:

a) Agriculture:
Vizianagaram District is predominantly an Agricultural district as 72.6% of the workers are engaged in Agriculture and about 83% of the population of the district is living in rural areas and depend on Agriculture for their Livelihood. Rainfed farming is the characteristic of Agriculture in the district as about 80% of its area is cultivated purely under rainfed conditions. Even the rest of the area which is termed as Irrigated area is mostly dependent on the rainfall received in the district. In view of the unassured irrigation conditions in the district majority of crops grown are dry crops. Paddy crop is cultivated mainly during Kharif season with 80% of its area under Tankfed conditions which in turn depend on the local rainfall. The major crops grown in the district are Paddy, Mesta, Groundnut, Ragi, Bajra, Surgarcane and Pulses. The average yields obtained in the district are low due to the erractic rainfall generally received in the district.

b) Irrigation:
There are no major irrigation projects in the district. There are 12 medium irrigation projects with a contemplated ayacut of 42,941 Hects. Besides above there are 1171 P.W.D. Minor Irrigation sources with an ayacut 48,995 Hects. and 8,323 Minor irrigation tanks (P.R.) with an ayacut of 63,233 Hect. The proportion of net area irrigated by Canals to net area sown is 10.9%. In respect of irrigation through tanks the percentage is 26.6. as regards irrigation by wells the district has not made any headway, only 4.8% of the net area irrigated is under wells. The low level of irrigation facilities in the district are responsible in getting low yields in respect of Paddy and other irrigated crops.

c) Animal Huabandry:
The livestock maintained by the inhabitants are non descriptive type in Majority and mostly less productive. Cross breeding programme was taken up in the district. The sheep in the district are non-descriptive type while pigs belong to Zenu type.

According to 1999 Livestock Census, the Livestock population is 12.03 Lakhs of wghich 4.52 Lakhs are Cattle, 2.74 Lakhs are buffaloes and 2.74 Lakhs are sheep. The poultry population of the district is 18.90 Lakhs.

147 veterinary institutions are functioning in the district as on 31.3.2000.

d) Forest:
The total Forest area in the district is 1,11,978 Hect. which constitute 18.0% of the total geographical area of the district. Cashew, Timber, Bamboo, Beedi leaves and fuel plantations are being raised in large extents to increase the forest wealth and to provide gainful employment to the tribals.

e) Fisheries:
There is a coast line of 28 KMs. In the district with 8 main villages and 16 hamlets consisting of 6,993 Fishermen population which are situated in Pusapatirega and Bhogapuram Mandals.

f) Minerals:
The important minerals that occur in the district are Managese of high quality at Cheepurupalli, Merakamudidam and Garividi mandals, Kankar, Limestone Manganese and Lime Kankar occurs at Garividi and Merakamudidam mandals Quartz at Cheepurupalli mandal and Granite (column) in Parvathipuram and Makkuva mandals.

g) Industries:
The Economy of Vizianagaram District is predominantly an Agricultural one. Industrial Development in the district has been generally Agrobased viz., the Establishment of Jute Mills at Nellimarla, Vantitadi Agraharam and Bobbili. Sugar Factories at Latchiyyapeta village of Seethanagaram, Bheemasingi-Kumaram village of Jami mandal. Besides the above major Agrobased industries there are Ferro Alloys Factories at Shreeramnagar of Garividi mandal and Kothavalasa are which a mineral based. Apart from these there are resources based industries such as brick and tiles making industries around Kothavalasa. There are Industrial Establishments such as General Engineering Motor Workshops, Groundnut oil mills, Rolling mills, R.C.C. spun pipes, Saw mills, Alluminium Utensils, Steel Manufacturure, Trunk box making and Body building of cycle rickshaw, etc.

Sagar cement factory is situated in “Karasavalasa” village in Saluru mandal. Besides this Goldstar Steel and Alloy Limited is situated in Sreerampuram village of L.Kota mandal, Ramkish Tyres factory is situated in the same place and Zindal Ferro Alloys Limited factory at Zindalnagar of Kothavalasa mandal.

h) Rural Electrification:
There are 1,482 inhabited villages in the district. Out of these 1,481 villages were electrified as on 31st March, 2000. The percentage of electrified villages is 100%. The total per capita power consumption in Vizianagaram district during the year 2000-2001 was 368.55 M.K.Wh.

i) Transport and Communication:
As on 31st March, 2001 total Road length in the district is 4041.371 Kilo meters maintained by National Highway, R&B and Zilla Parishad together. National Highway No.5 and No.43 passes through the district. Out of the above 27.02 KM. is Cement concrete, 1,385.830 KM. is Black topped, 1,365.917 KM. is metalled and 1,261.922 KM. is unmetalled.

j) Post and Telegraphs:
Out of 12 towns and 1,482 inhabited villages in the district 627 villages are having postal facilities apart from the Head Post Offices at Vizianagaram, Parvathipuram and Bobbili, 67 sub-post offices and 560 branches are located in different parts of the district.

k) Medical and Health:
There are 11 Hospitals including the Hospitals for special treatment, 6 Dispensaries, 51 Primary Health Centres and 4 M.M.Units in the district. The total number of Doctors working in the district is 104. The bed strength is 836. The beds per lakh population is 37 and the Doctors per lakh population is 5.

l) Education:
Vizianagaram district has been comparatively backward in the field of Education. The literacy rate is only 51.82% as against the State average of 61.11%. The following are the Educational Institutions in existence as on 31.3.2001.

1. Degree Colleges - 13
2. Junior Colleges - 58
3. High Schools - 236
4. Upper Primary Schools - 2363
5. Primary Schools - 2
6. Polytechnic College - 1
7. Sanskrit College - 3
8. B.Ed. College - 1
9. M.Ed. College - 1
10. Music & Dance College - 1
11. P.G. Centre - 1
12. Engineering College - 2
13. Law College - 1
14. I.T.I. - 14
15. M.I.M.S. (Medical College) - 1