Headquarters: Rampachodavaram. The new district lies inland along the Godavari-side hill and agency belt, west of the delta districts. Locate this district first in relation to the coast, the Godavari or Krishna corridors, the Eastern Ghats or the Rayalaseema plateau. These physical belts often reveal why a crop, port, reservoir or pilgrimage place appears in a district question. Read the number on the accompanying current-boundary map before memorising a headquarters. A town name on a pre-2022 map can remain correct geographically but lead to the wrong present-district option.
Exam anchor: Rampachodavaram is the district headquarters; the separate Polavaram irrigation project is a project-site association, not the headquarters. This is a place-to-theme association, not a claim that every landmark in the surrounding region belongs inside the district. Keep a separate column for a river or landscape, a site or activity, and the administrative headquarters. In a map question, begin at the state outline, narrow to the regional belt, and only then select the district polygon. The order is more dependable than recognising a familiar town name in isolation.
Boundary and date caution: Created in the 31 December 2025 reorganisation from the former Alluri district. Do not infer its exact current mandal total from a 2022 Alluri profile. District-level population, area, output and mandal totals are especially sensitive to reorganisation. An exact figure should carry its reference year and boundary vintage; this book does not silently attach an old census total to a new polygon. If the stem quotes an older notification, answer for that date. If it asks for the current district, use the 2026 map and official district portal.
Worked example: Polavaram became a current district after the 2025 changes. The district name and the Godavari national-project name are related geographically but refer to different objects. A question asking for the district count requires the 2026 administrative list; a question on dam completion requires a dated project report. Do not let the familiar project word answer both questions automatically.
Active recall: Name the headquarters of Polavaram; place it on the map; give one physical-geography anchor and explain the dated boundary trap above.
Northern hills and coast
The two new hill-side districts and older coastal names require date-aware answers.
Read this visual
The northern map separates hill-side districts from coastal districts. Older parent labels must retain their own date.
Current district geometry: APSDMA. Current district names and headquarters: credited official directories and portals.