Guntur Zonal Development Plan

2
CITY ZONE PROFILE
2.1 City Zone in its regional setting
Guntur, one of the largest urban centers of Andhra Pradesh is located 272km southeast of Hyderabad, the state capital. Geographically, Guntur lies on 800, 28 latitude and 160, 28 longitude. It is well connected by road and rail to all major cities of southern India. The city is reputed to be a renowned education center. In addition, Guntur boasts one of the largest centers of chilly and tobacco trade in this region. With a population of about 5.12 lakh, it is one of the fastest growing towns of Andhra Pradesh. Since its up-gradation as Corporation in 1994, Guntur Municipal Corporation (GMC) is focused on making Guntur a modern city. The city comprises Guntur city, and two rural settlements Koritipadu and Pedakakani and part of a surrounding villages as delineated by VGTM Urban Development Authority for proposes of planned development on a area approach. The city covers 45.71 sqkm area and the zone 53.72 sqkm area.

2.2 History
Historically, Guntur was part of Satavahana Kingdom from 225 BC to 225 AD. Subsequently, the region came under the rule of various such as the Pallavas, Ikshawakus, Cholas, and Eastern Chalukyas. The town whose name literally means Tank Village became prominent during French occupation in the 17th century. The French held Kondaveedu from 1732 and built a fort east of old Guntur, but it was given up to the English in 1788.

2.2.1 British Period

Till 1794, the chief and council at Machilipatnam administered the Guntur region, which now comprises Krishna and Guntur districts. The construction of ayacuts across Godavari and Krishna rivers led to increase in irrigation facilities, which resulted in the increase of work opportunities. With growing prosperity, administration and control of these two wealthy areas by a single collector became difficult and, the districts were readjusted in 1904. The British government not only provided opportunities for developing the economic base of this region but also attempted an orderly growth of Vijayawada, Guntur and Tenali. 2.2.2 Post Independence Period In the two post-independence decades, government focused on schemes aimed at economic well being of the people more than the systematic growth of the towns. One project that helped improve regional connectivity was the Krishna Barrage Project. The barrage cum Road Bridge built across river Krishna facilitated connectivity between Krishna and Guntur districts.

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Guntur Zonal Development Plan

2.3 Citys Morphology

Guntur is Andhra Pradeshs second largest commercial center next to Vijayawada. It is the marketing and distribution center of agricultural produce like chilly, onion, coriander, turmeric, and cereals grown in the western and southern region of Guntur District and eastern half of Kurnool district. These products are not only locally consumed but also exported to several parts of the country. Tobacco is another important commodity traded at Guntur. In addition, one of the important timber markets of the state is housed here. Guntur is also the health and educational center of Guntur district. There are numerous professional colleges and higher educational institutions that serve the surrounding settlements. The General Hospital and Medical College of Guntur provides specialized medical treatment for an extensive area comprising the West Godavari, Krishna, Prakasam, and Nellore districts apart from Guntur.

2.4 Land lay and Topography

The city is located on gently sloping grounds with a fall from north to south and, north to southeast. The ground level ranges from 44.20m at Gujjanagundla in the northwest to 17.00 m in the southeast above mean sea level.

2.5 Soil Condition

A ridge of red soil with lacteritic gravel runs towards east from the last layer of Kondaveedu Hill Range and ends in a patch of gritty sand stone. Guntur is situated at this point and from hereon wards the soil changes to black cotton soil with gravel. Black cotton soil found in old and northern Guntur makes the areas unfit for building without proper treatment. The substratum consists of limestone mixed with gravel from depths varying from 2m to 3 metres. Limestone quarries in the suburbs yield lime for building and industry. Clay suited to brick making is available along the eastern boundaries of Guntur. Water table is of varying depths in Guntur. In the western parts of the city, the water table is as low as 18 m, while in other areas, water is found at depths of 3m to 6m.

2.6 Climate and Rain Fall

The city experiences continually hot climate. The entire hot humid region covered by the Coromandal coast has only two seasons, namely,

1. Warm season between October and March. 2. Hot season between April and September.
It has no cold season. Summers are extremely hot with maximum temperatures reaching 49.50o C, while the minimum temperature during winter is 28.0oC. The average annual rainfall is 950mm in Guntur district and 1050mm in Guntur Municipal Corporation.

2.7 Humidity and Wind Directions

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Guntur Zonal Development Plan The relative humidity in the region ranges from 40% to 80%. Maximum humidity is observed during the month of September as rains in the preceding month fill tanks and rivers and the streams are in full flow. These vast water sheets lead to humidity levels as high as 80%. In dry hot months of April and May when almost all the tanks and watercourses are dry, the maximum humidity is about 40%. The atmosphere is generally humid all through the year. necessary. During the hottest months of April and May, the wind blows from south to southwest in the early hours of the day and, southeast to northwest in the evening hours. In the warm months of October to March, the wind flows from northeast in the early hours of the day, and mostly from southeast and east in the evening hours. Therefore, the orientation of the buildings for wind becomes

2.8 Vegetation and Landscape

The landscape surrounding Guntur is predominantly of agricultural crops. Mango, Tamarind, Banyan, Neem and Peepul trees comprise native vegetation. Several hectares of land around Guntur are under gardens cultivating citrus fruits, mangoes and plantains. Betel leaf is grown along the canals from where they get copious supply of water. Guntur without any watercourse or canal running along the city is not endowed with natural greenery when compared to Vijayawada and Tenali, which are green with their numerous tree-lined canals.

2.9 Administrative Status and Governance

Guntur was made a municipality in 1866 and the first elected body was constituted in 1881. It was upgraded as a Corporation in 1994 under the Andhra Pradesh Municipal Corporation Act 1984 with the existing municipal limits. Table: 2.1 Municipal Time Line Guntur 1866 Constituted into Municipality with a Population of about 25,000. The present Population as per 2001 census in 5,11,993 1891 Upgraded from III Grade to II Grade 1917 Upgraded from II Grade to I Grade 1952 Upgraded from I Grade to Special Grade 1960 Upgraded from Special Grade to Selection Grade 1994 Upgraded to Municipal Corporation from Selection Grade Municipality 1995 First Election of Municipal Corporation was held Source: Guntur Municipal Corporation

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