Social, Environmental & Economic Sustainability
Our analysis of the rank of the district
Backwardness : 394
Sex Ratio Rank : 471
(Rank one is least sex ratio - Cenus 2001)
HIV Category District : A
(HIV Sentinel Surveillance 2004 -2006)
Disability : 41 (Census 2001)
Literacy Ratio : 330 (Census 2001)
Minority : Does not figure in MCD
Water : Flouride in Groundwater above permissible limits

Challenges of the district : Our research with local communities
Following are the social and developmental challenges of the district:
Lack of recent technologies in improving the agriculture.
Scarcity of drinking water in the district.
Unemployment.
Drainage system in the district is not proper.
Rural development is one of the main issues of the district that needs serious attention. Many rural areas in the district lack proper toilet facilities, sanitation methods etc

Brief About Guntur District
Guntur district was formed on the 1st October, 1904 with Head Quarters at Guntur after bifurcating Krishna and Nellore districts. Prior to 1859 there was 'Guntur District' with Head Quarters at Guntur but with a different jurisdiction. In 1859 , the district was abolished and was divided up between Masulipatnam and Rajahmundry districts which were renamed as Krishna and Godavari. In 1904, Guntur district was constituted into a separate independent district with the areas of the Taluka of Tenali, Bapatla, Guntur, Sattenapalli, Narasaraopet , Vinukonda and Palnadu of old Krishna district and Ongole taluk from Nellore district.

Tenali taluk was split on 1-7-1909 into two taluks namely Tenali and Repalle. This district thus formed in 1904 was retained intact till February, 1970. In February 1970, while forming a new district with Ongole as its head quarters parts of Bapatla and Narasaraopet taluks and the whole of Ongole taluk were taken to Prakasam District leaving Guntur district with only eight taluks namely 1.Guntur 2.Sattenapalli 3.Tenali 4.Repalle 5.Bapatla 6.Narasaraopet 7.Vinukonda and 8.Palnadu.

With effect from 1st November 1977 again , these eight taluks were reorganised into eleven taluks by upgrading the sub-taluks of 1. Mangalagiri 2. Ponnuru 3. Macherla as taluks bifurcating the old taluks of Guntur, Bapatla and Palnadu respectively. Later, 1980, Chilakaluripet taluk was formed as 12th taluk taking parts from Narasaraopet and Guntur taluks.

During 1981-`82, Repalle taluk was sub divided into Pallapatla and Repalle , Tenali into Tenali and Emani, Guntur taluk into Guntur and Prathipadu, Sattenapalli taluk into Sattenapalli, Tyalluru and Rajupalem. Vinukonda Taluk into Vinukonda, Ipuru and Gurazala into Gurazala and Piduguralla thus bringing 19 taluks into existence by the end of 1981-82. Though it was contemplated in 1981-82 to constitute Amrathaluru and Tadikonda also as taluks to coincide with the 21 Panchayat Samithis yet they did not come into existence. 57 Mandals have come into existence with effect from 25-5-1985 in the place of erstwhile taluks and Firkhas. The main objective of the Government in keeping Mandals is to take administration closer to the people and to create more manageable unit of administration.

BOUNDARIES
The district is bounded on the North by Krishna and Nalgonda districts, on the West by Prakasam and Mahaboobnagar districts, on the South by Prakasam district, on the East by Krishna district and Bay of Bengal . It is situated between 15 - 18 and 16 - 50 of the Northern Latitude and 70-10 and 80 - 55 of the Eastern Longitude.

DEMOGRAPHIC PARTICULARS
The population of the district is 41,06,999 with a density of 361 per Sq.Km. The percentage of literacy is 46.35 and the percentage of Urban population to total population is 28.89.

LAND UTILISATION
The total geographical area of the district is 1132823 Hectares. During the year 1999-2k the area covered by forest is hectares which forms to the total geographical area. The net area sown is hectares forming to the total geographical area . The total cropped area in the district is hectares. The area sown more than once during the year is hectares.

MINERAL RESOURCES
The district is rich in mineral resources. The principal minerals available are limestone, lime kankar, Napa slabs ,Copper and Lead. Lime stone is being utilised by the cement factories of Macherla and Tadepalli. There are copper mines at Agnigundala of Ipur Mandal.

CILMATE
The normal rainfall of the district is 889.1 M.M. The climate is generally warm in Summer and the heat is very severe in Rentachintala , where the maximum temparature in the State is recorded.

RIVERS
The important Rivers and reverlets in the district are the Krishna, the Naguleru, the Chandravanka and Gundlakamma. The river Krishna travels about 250 Kms, through the district along the northern boundary of the district.

IRRIGATION
The two Major irrigation projects in the district are 1) Old Krishna Ayacut, now renamed as Prakasam Barrage with an ayacut of 202032 hectares and 2) Nagarjuna Sagar Project with an ayacutt of 254583 hectares. Both the projects are constructed on the river Krishna. A medium Irrigation channel by name Guntur Branch Canal (GBC) having an ayacutt of 10823 hectares and the Minor Irrigation sources like tanks, Bore Wells, tube wells etc., are providing irrigation.

SOILS
The soils in general are very fertile and they are broadly classified as Black cotton, Red loamy and sandy loamy. Black cotton area is in 70%, Red loamy in 24% and sandy loamy in about 6% of the area in the district.

CROPS
The predominant crops grown in the district are paddy, jowar and bajra among cereals, blackgram , greengram and redgram among pulses, cotton , chillies, turmeric and tobacco among non-food and commercial crops.

Nagarjuna Sagar
The Nagarjuna Sagar Dam is the World`s highest Masonary gravity dam having World`s largest discharging capacity of 20,000 Cu. Secs.(409 Feet maximum height) across the river Krishna situated at about 130 K.M.s upto the Prakasam Barrage with a lake capacity of 31.05 million acre. The State Government is taking steps to develop Nagarjuna Sagar as a place of tourist attraction on the lines of Brindavan and Botanical gardens. This place has acquired special historic importance, by virtue of the association of Sri Nagarjuna , the great Acharya and learned scholar of the historic days, and the museum exhibiting the historic relics depicting the greatness of these days.