Eluru district is an administrative district in the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh. It was formed on 4 April 2022 as part of a comprehensive reorganisation of districts in Andhra Pradesh, in which the state government increased the number of districts from 13 to 26. The district takes its name from the city of Eluru, which serves as its administrative headquarters.
| Country | India |
|---|---|
| State | Andhra Pradesh |
| Headquarters | Eluru |
| Formed | 4 April 2022 |
| Region | Coastal Andhra |
| Parent districts | Carved out of the former West Godavari and Krishna districts |
Before the 2022 reorganisation, the territory now forming Eluru district was distributed across the older West Godavari and Krishna districts. The Government of Andhra Pradesh undertook the redrawing of district boundaries with the stated aim of bringing administration closer to citizens, broadly aligning new districts with parliamentary constituencies. Eluru district was constituted by combining revenue divisions and mandals from the parent districts, with Eluru chosen as the seat of administration owing to its long-standing role as a regional centre.
Eluru district lies in the Coastal Andhra region. It shares boundaries with the new districts created in the same reorganisation, including West Godavari to the east, Krishna and NTR districts to the south and west, and parts of the Eastern Ghats belt to the north. The district contains a mix of deltaic plains associated with the Godavari and Krishna river systems and upland tracts in its northern mandals. Kolleru Lake, one of the largest freshwater lakes in India, lies partly within the district.
The district is administered by a District Collector and Magistrate appointed by the Government of Andhra Pradesh. For revenue administration it is divided into revenue divisions, which are further subdivided into mandals and villages. Police administration is overseen by a Superintendent of Police. The district elects representatives to the Andhra Pradesh Legislative Assembly and to the Lok Sabha.
The economy of Eluru district is predominantly agrarian. Paddy is the principal crop, supported by canal irrigation from the Godavari and Krishna systems. The Kolleru region and adjoining mandals are noted for inland aquaculture, particularly freshwater fish and prawn farming, which forms an important commercial activity. Other crops include sugarcane, pulses, maize, and horticultural produce. Eluru town hosts traditional industries such as wool-pile carpet weaving, for which it has historically been known.
The creation of Eluru district reflects a broader policy in Andhra Pradesh of decentralising administration following the bifurcation of the erstwhile combined state in 2014. By aligning the district with a parliamentary constituency footprint, the state intended to make government services and welfare delivery more accessible. The district is also significant for its ecological assets, particularly Kolleru Lake, which is a designated wildlife sanctuary and a Ramsar site of international importance for migratory birds.