Konaseema district (officially known as Dr B. R. Ambedkar Konaseema district) is one of the 26 districts in the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh. It is situated between the tributaries of the Godavari river in the Konaseema region of Coastal Andhra. It was carved out of East Godavari district on 4 April 2022 by the Government of Andhra Pradesh. Amalapuram is the district headquarters and the largest city in this district. Other significant towns in the district are Mandapeta, Ramachandrapuram, and Mummidivaram.
Geography
Konaseema is located in the delta of the Godavari river. The economy is based mainly on agriculture, primarily rice production. There are some Mangrove forests in the northeast of the district. It lies in between the two branches of the Godavari river. The Godavari divides into two components (i.e. Gautami and Vasishtha) and forms an island previously called Nagaram during the Mughal era. The land here is considered very fertile and suitable for agriculture.
This district is surrounded to the north by East Godavari district, south by the Bay of Bengal, east by Kakinada district and west by West Godavari district.
Politics
There are one parliamentary and seven assembly constituencies in the Konaseema district. The parliamentary constituency is Amalapuram (Lok Sabha constituency). The assembly constituencies are listed below
Administrative divisions
The district is divided into 3 revenue divisions: Amalapuram, Kothapeta and Ramachandrapuram, which are further subdivided into a total of 22 mandals, each headed by a sub-collector.
Mandals
The list of 22 mandals in Dr B. R. Ambedkar Konaseema district, divided into 3 revenue divisions, is given below.
Amalapuram revenue division
Mummidivaram
I. Polavaram
Katrenikona
Amalapuram
Uppalaguptam
Allavaram
Razole
Malikipuram
Sakhinetipalli
Mamidikuduru
Kothapeta revenue division
Atreyapuram
Alumuru
Ravulapalem
Kothapeta
P. Gannavaram
Ambajipeta
Ainavilli
Ramachandrapuram revenue division
Ramachandrapuram
Gangavaram
Mandapeta
Rayavaram
Kapileswarapuram
Cities and towns
Demographics
At the time of the 2011 census, Konaseema district had a population of 1,719,093, of which 164,421 (9.56%) lived in urban areas. Konaseema district had a sex ratio of 994 females per 1000 males. Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes comprised 427,130 (24.85%) and 13,481 (0.78%).
Telugu is the predominant language, spoken by 99.41% of the population.
Culture
The region has a diverse folk culture. In the heart of the Godavari Delta, Konaseema is one of the only two regions in India, apart from Kerala, where a large community still practices traditional Shrauta rituals. These traditions have largely fallen out of use in the rest of India, making it a favoured destination for scholars seeking to understand ancient Vedic culture.
The villagers also have a varied folk culture with their regional gods. Most of the Dalits, like in most of Coastal Andhra, are Christians - both Catholic and Protestant.
Transportation
National Highway NH216 connects Konaseema District. Andhra Pradesh public state transport operates APSRTC bus services from the district headquarters Amalapuram to Rajahmundry, Razole, Kakinada, Annavaram, Visakhapatnam, Ravulapalem, Tanuku, Eluru, Palakollu, Tuni, Hyderabad, Vijayawada, Srikakulam, Tekkali, Ichapuram, Vizianagaram, Narsapuram, Bhimavaram, Machilipatnam, Srisailam, Guntur and Tirupati.
Nearest railway stations
Rajahmundry railway station, Palakollu railway station, Narsapuram railway station, Bhimavaram Junction railway station, and Bhimavaram Town Halt railway station are the nearest railway stations.
Proposed railway line
The Kakinada - Kotipalli - Narsapur railway line is under construction, and a bridge over the Godavari river is being constructed. Once operational, this railway will also make a stop at Amalapuram.