Hiramandalam

Hiramandalam is a census town and mandal headquarters in Srikakulam district, in the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh.^[3] It is located on the banks of the Vamsadhara River, and is the site of the B.R.R. Vamsadhara Project and the Gotta barrage, which together provide irrigation to large parts of Srikakulam and Vizianagaram districts.^[4][5]

Hiramandalam హీరమండలం
Census Town
Hiramandalam Road at Dannanapeta
Hiramandalam Location in Orissa, India
Coordinates: 18.6667°N 83.9500°E / 18.6667; 83.9500
Country	India
State	Andhra Pradesh
District	Srikakulam
Area [1]
• Total	2.55 km2 (0.98 sq mi)
Population  (2011)[1]
• Total	6,603
• Density	2,590/km2 (6,710/sq mi)
Languages
• Official	Telugu
Time zone	UTC+5:30 (IST)
PIN	532 459
Vehicle Registration	OD-18 [2]

Geography

Hiramandalam is located at 18.6667°N 83.9500°E / 18.6667; 83.9500.^[6] It has an average elevation of 27 meters (91 feet).

Demographics

According to Indian census, 2001, the demographic details of Hiramandalam mandal is as follows:

• Total Population: 46,204 in 11,055 Households
• Male Population: 22,954 and Female Population: 23,250

F > M

• Children Under 6 Yrs: 6,347 (Boys - 3,162 and Girls - 3,185)

F > M

• Total Literates: 22,780

Education

The primary and secondary school education is imparted by government, aided and private schools, under the School Education Department of the state.^[7][8] The medium of instruction followed by different schools are English, Telugu.

Irrigation and Projects

Hiramandalam is closely associated with the B.R.R. Vamsadhara Project, one of the major irrigation schemes in north coastal Andhra Pradesh. The project was initiated in the 1970s to utilize the waters of the Vamsadhara River.

Stage I involved the construction of the Gotta barrage near Hiramandalam and a Left Main Canal about 104 km long, designed to irrigate nearly 148,230 acres across 398 villages in Srikakulam and Vizianagaram districts.^[9]

Stage II Phase I extended irrigation to another 62,280 acres through the Right Main Canal, with Hiramandalam mandal among the beneficiaries.^[10]

Stage II Phase II envisages the construction of the Hiramandalam Reservoir, with a proposed storage capacity of about 19 TMC, and a side weir at Katragadda to divert floodwaters from the Vamsadhara into the reservoir. This phase aims to stabilize irrigation over 45,000 acres and supplement both Left and Right Main Canals.^[11]

In 2022, the Government of Andhra Pradesh approved a lift irrigation project to channel water from the Gotta barrage into the Hiramandalam reservoir through a 600-metre pipeline. The project, estimated at ₹135 crore, is expected to stabilize irrigation over 210,000 acres and provide drinking water to about 1,500 villages.^[12]

Ecology

The stretch of the Vamsadhara River around the Gotta barrage near Hiramandalam supports notable aquatic biodiversity. A survey conducted between February 2021 and January 2023 documented 49 species of fish, belonging to 12 orders, 19 families, and 33 genera, including five alien species. Most of the recorded species were assessed as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List, while a few were categorized as Near Threatened or Vulnerable.^[13]

Transport

Hiramandalam is connected by road to nearby towns such as Palakonda, Paralakhemundi (in Odisha), and the district headquarters Srikakulam. The nearest major railway station is Srikakulam Road (Amadalavalasa), located about 50 km away, which provides connectivity to the Howrah–Chennai main line of Indian Railways.^[14] Public and private bus services also link the town to regional centers.