[citation needed] It provides opportunities for fishing and port facility at Gopalpur for international trade.

The rivers like Rushikulya, Dhanei, Bahuda, Ghoda Hada are the source of agriculture and power sectors of the town.

The Chilika Lake, which attracts tourists, is known for its scenery and a bird sanctuary is situated in the eastern part of district, near the City of Ganjam.

Taptapani, which consist of a hot sulphur spring that is 56 km from Berhampur, near Ganjam, is also a tourist destination.

The temple of the Goddess Mahuri Kalua is near a picnic spot by the same name located at the center of the town.

Livestock, forestry, fishing, mining, construction, trading and transport are few of the work-related categories being the source of income for another 25% of the workers.

The major crops grown in the district are paddy, groundnut, cotton, sugarcane and green vegetables.

The district has a prosperous live stock population and potentially is very rich in inland and brackish water fisheries.

The fort is in ruins and still it stands as the mute witness to many rulers, who have used it as their administrative Headquarters to rule over this region named in different periods as Kalinga, Dandapat, Ganjam, Chichacole Circar etc.

In 1641 a Faujdar named Mahammed Khan was appointed in Srikakulam for the first time by Abdul Kutab Shah, the ruler of Golconda.

Most probably it was Mahammed Khan who erected a fort at the present site of Potagarh for administration of Icchapuram division.

The fort of Potagarh is described by the W.W.Hunter having towers in the star angles except in the east front where there is a large gateway, the walls neither under 18 nor above 22 feet in height and a ditch running in three sides in many parts with deep water and in the fourth side defended by a thick wood which runs to 150 yards from the walls".

[citation needed] Potagarh tells many stories of horror relating to the wrath of the fort-goddess on the ancient village of Ganjam and the escape of the king through the secret passage into the Bay of Bengal by a boat at the time of attack.