GUNTUR: The population in urban areas of erstwhile Guntur district has increased by 23 per cent. According to the 2001 Census, the population in Guntur city was 5.14 lakh, which increased to 6.70 lakh in 2011. The city witnessed 30 per cent increase in population in the past one decade.According to official reports, the population of the city is 8-9 lakh. The condition is the same in major urban areas in the erstwhile Guntur district.
From 2001 to 2011, the population increased by 69% in Mangalagiri, 55% in Tadepalli, 23% in Narasaraopet and 20% in Repalle.The increasing living standards of the middle-class people in rural areas is the major reason for the population shift, point out experts.Guntur has become a major educational, business and medical hub over the past two decades. People from rural areas want to relocate to cities in order to get better medical facilities, improve standard of living, employment opportunities.
Gorantla was a low-populated village near Guntur with a lack of basic amenities. But as the city was spreading due to increasing population, GMC merged 11 such nearby villages to the corporation. This changed the face of these villages with construction of several high-rise buildings and improvement in living standards.
As the population has been increasing, the GMC officials are taking up various development works. Due to the absence of the GMC council for 11 long years, the development of the city was neglected in the past decade. Now, the officials are making all necessary actions to construct new roads and parks on a priority basis.