Ponnur

{{As of|2011}} Census of India, the town had a population of {{formatnum:59913}} with 16,138 households. The total population constitute, {{formatnum:29486}} males and {{formatnum:30427}} — a sex ratio of 1032 females per 1000 males, higher than the national average of 940 per 1000.{{cite web|title=Sex Ratio|url=http://censusindia.gov.in/2011-prov-results/indiaatglance.html|publisher=The Registrar General & Census Commissioner, India|access-date=29 August 2014}} {{formatnum:5507}} children are in the age group of 0–6 years. The average literacy rate stands at 78.33% with {{formatnum:42617}} literates, higher than the national average of 73.00%.{{cite web|title=Chapter–3 (Literates and Literacy rate) |url=http://www.censusindia.gov.in/2011census/PCA/PCA_Highlights/pca_highlights_file/India/Chapter-3.pdf|publisher=Registrar General and Census Commissioner of India|access-date=24 August 2014}}

Ponnur Municipality oversees the civic needs of the town, like water supply, roads, sewage, garbage collection, etc. It is classified as a Grade–II municipality, which was established in 1964 as a III-Grade municipality.{{cite web|title=Basic Information of Municipality|url=http://cdma.ap.gov.in/PONNUR/Basic_information_Municipality.html|website=Municipal Administration & Urban Development Department|publisher=Government of Andhra Pradesh |access-date=17 June 2015}} It has an extent of {{convert|25.64|km2|mi2|abbr=on}} with 31 wards.{{cite web|title=Municipalities, Municipal Corporations & UDAs|url=http://dtcp.ap.gov.in:9090/webdtcp/Municipalities%20List-110.pdf|website=Directorate of Town and Country Planning|publisher=Government of Andhra Pradesh|access-date=29 February 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160128175528/http://dtcp.ap.gov.in:9090/webdtcp/Municipalities%20List-110.pdf|archive-date=28 January 2016|url-status=dead}} The town gets water from the Krishna river, which is supplied through taps, bores etc. The town has both government and private hospitals, which include clinics, nursing homes, and a government hospital for public healthcare. It also maintains parks and playgrounds for recreational purpose{{cite web|title=Public services/amenities |url=http://cdma.ap.gov.in/PONNUR/Public%20services_amenities.html|publisher=Commissioner & Director of Municipal Administration|access-date=31 March 2016}}

Ponnur, being a part of Ponnur mandal, falls under the Ponnur assembly constituency of the Andhra Pradesh Legislative Assembly.{{cite web|title=Delimitation of Parliamentary and Assembly Constituencies Order, 2008 |url=http://eci.nic.in/eci_main/CurrentElections/CONSOLIDATED_ORDER%20_ECI%20.pdf

|publisher=Election Commission of India|access-date=11 October 2014|page=22,31}} Dhulipalla Narendra Kumar is the present MLA of the constituency from the Telugu Desam Party.{{cite web|title=MLA|url=http://www.ap.gov.in/government/mla/|publisher=AP State Portal|access-date=12 October 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141008071101/http://www.ap.gov.in/government/mla/|archive-date=8 October 2014|url-status=dead}} The assembly segment is in turn a part of Guntur Lok Sabha constituency and the present Member of Parliament is Chandra Sekhar Pemmasani of the Telugu Desam Party.{{cite web|title=MP (Lok Sabha)|url=http://www.ap.gov.in/government/mp-lok-sabha/|publisher=Government of AP|access-date=4 May 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161121175516/http://www.ap.gov.in/government/mp-lok-sabha/|archive-date=21 November 2016|url-status=dead}}

Ponnur is an important town for the nearby villages. The rural areas surrounding the town are mostly dependent on agriculture. The farming is dominant with paddy cultivation, and other crops include ground nuts, cotton, betel, etc. There are several other economic industries and occupations in the town, such as brickworks, furniture making, handloom weaving, spinning khadi yarn, rice mills, timber, etc.{{citation needed|date=January 2017}} The town is also a part of the Tenali-Ponnur growth corridor.{{Cite news|url=https://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-national/tp-andhrapradesh/need-to-enforce-building-rules-vgtmuda-vicechief/article3638675.ece|title=Need to enforce building rules: VGTM-UDA vice-chief|date=2012-07-14|newspaper=The Hindu|location=Guntur|language=en-IN|issn=0971-751X|access-date=2016-04-05|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210406154149/https://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-national/tp-andhrapradesh/need-to-enforce-building-rules-vgtmuda-vicechief/article3638675.ece|archive-date=6 April 2021}}

File:Ponnur Anjaneya Swamy Temple 02.jpg

Legend about Ponnuru : Once there lived two brahmans namely Kasibhatlu, who was childless, and his sister's son, Nanduri Gunugovindu, with a deformed haunchback. They went on pilgrimage to Benares, where Kasibhatlu moved with compassion and promised Govindu that if ever a daughter should be born to him, she would be given to him in marriage. Instantly, Govindu called upon Bhava Narayana Swamy, a sacred river, and certain trees growing on the banks as witnesses. Brahmans returned to Ponnuru. A daughter was born to Kasibhatlu. When she grew up, Govindu claimed the fulfillment of the promise by Kasibhatlu. Kasibhatlu was reluctant to keep his word. Witnesses were called upon by Govindu. One night, when Kasibhatlu slept, Bhava Narayana Swamy appeared to remember his promise. In the morning, when he awoke, Kasibhatlu saw ganges and trees at the door, because of an overflowing river. Warned by witnesses, Kasibhatlu gave his daughter to Govindu in marriage.A manual of Kistna District in the Presidency of Madras by Gordan Mackenzie | 1883 | Page : 204 | There are a few notable people from the town with their contributions to various fields, such as N. G. Ranga, Pragada Kotaiah. The town has an auditorium and a function hall for cultural events in the town.

There are many religious worship centers in the town, like temples, mosques, and churches. The most notable religious structures are the temples of Sakshi Bhavanarayana and Sahastra Lingeswara, single stone carved statues of {{Convert|24|ft|abbr=on}} Anjaneya and {{Convert|29|ft|abbr=on}} Garuthmantha.{{cite web|title=Sri Veera Anjaneya Swamy|url=http://guntur.nic.in/ponnur_temple.html|website=Guntur district website|publisher=National Informatics Centre|access-date=1 March 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160220104839/http://guntur.nic.in/ponnur_temple.html|archive-date=20 February 2016|url-status=dead}}

{{See also|Nidubrolu railway station}}

The town has a total road length of {{Convert|140.05|km|mi|abbr=on}}.{{cite web|title=Details of Roads in each ULB of Andhra Pradesh|url=http://centralapp.cdma.ap.gov.in:8080/CDMAAPTaxesInfo/RoadDetails.jsp|website=Commissioner and Directorate of Municipal Administration|publisher=Municipal Administration and Urban Development Department - Government of Andhra Pradesh|access-date=28 March 2017|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160801101300/http://centralapp.cdma.ap.gov.in:8080/CDMAAPTaxesInfo/RoadDetails.jsp|archive-date=1 August 2016}} State Highway 48, also known as Guntur-Bapatla-Chirala Road, passes through Ponnur, which connects it with the district headquarter, Guntur. The Ponnur-Repalle Road connects National Highway 216 at Chandole.{{cite news|last1=Samuel Jonathan|first1=P|title=Nizampatnam backwaters beckon adventure geeks|url=https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/andhra-pradesh/nizampatnam-backwaters-beckon-adventure-geeks/article7736196.ece|access-date=29 February 2016|work=The Hindu|date=8 October 2015|location=Guntur|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200627190043/https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/andhra-pradesh/nizampatnam-backwaters-beckon-adventure-geeks/article7736196.ece|archive-date=27 June 2020}}{{cite news|title=Narrow roads prove to be a bane at Ponnur|url=https://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/Vijayawada/narrow-roads-prove-to-be-a-bane-at-ponnur/article3504433.ece|access-date=29 February 2016|work=The Hindu|date=8 June 2012|location=Ponnur (Guntur district)|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180701172116/https://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/Vijayawada/narrow-roads-prove-to-be-a-bane-at-ponnur/article3504433.ece|archive-date=1 July 2018}} The state government operates APSRTC bus services to the nearby towns and villages. The nearest railway station is {{Stnlnk|Nidubrolu||Nidubrolu}},{{cite web|url=http://indiarailinfo.com/station/map/419?/station/map/|title=NDO/Nidubrolu (3 PFs) Railway Station Map/Atlas – India Rail Info|work=India Rail Info|url-status=dead|access-date=17 January 2015|archive-date=5 March 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160305090608/http://indiarailinfo.com/station/map/419?/station/map/}} a D-category station in the Vijayawada railway division of the South Central Railway zone.{{cite web|title=Vijayawada division – A Profile|url=http://www.scr.indianrailways.gov.in/cris/uploads/files/1448370249434-Division%20Profile.pdf|website=South Central Railway|access-date=29 February 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160128163230/http://www.scr.indianrailways.gov.in/cris/uploads/files/1448370249434-Division%20Profile.pdf|archive-date=28 January 2016}}

Zilla Parishad High School is the prominent one, run by the Panchayat Raj Department under the government of Andhra Pradesh. PBN is famous college for intermediate and degree courses. Primary and secondary school education is imparted by government, aided, and private schools, under the School Education Department of the state.{{cite web|title=School Education Department |url=http://rmsaap.nic.in/Notification_TSG_2015.pdf |publisher=School Education Department, Government of Andhra Pradesh |access-date=7 November 2016 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151227185018/http://rmsaap.nic.in/Notification_TSG_2015.pdf |archive-date=27 December 2015 }}{{cite web|title=The Department of School Education - Official AP State Government Portal {{!}} AP State Portal |url=http://www.ap.gov.in/department/organizations/school-education/ |website=www.ap.gov.in |access-date=7 November 2016 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161107155331/http://www.ap.gov.in/department/organizations/school-education/ |archive-date= 7 November 2016 }} The medium of instruction followed by different schools are English and Telugu.

The town has both government and private educational institutions, with a total of 34 primary, 3 upper primary, and 12 high schools. There are also two government-run junior colleges.

• Ramesh Ponnur

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{{Guntur district}}

Category:Towns in Guntur district

Category:Mandal headquarters in Guntur district

Category:Towns in Andhra Pradesh Capital Region