The Hindu Business Line : Vizag beach road gets a facelift

A FACELIFT: The beach road near Kailasagiri has been spruced up as part of the beautification project taken up by VUDA in Visakhapatnam. - K.R. Deepak

Visakhapatnam , Feb. 23

WHAT were once secluded, inaccessible spots on the beach road from here to Bheemunipatnam (25 km) have now become accessible thanks to the recent reconstruction of the road.

They have now been turned into exquisite locales, with the completion of the project taken up by the Visakhapatnam Urban Development Authority to landscape and beautify a stretch of 2.5 km at a cost of Rs 6.10 crore. It is an exhilarating ride, especially for the younger crowd, along the beach from here to Bhimli, as it is popularly known.

"We have taken up work initially on the 2.5-km stretch towards Bheemunipatnam and it is our ambition to cover the entire 25 km. The project is in perfect harmony with the existing natural landscape of the area. Special care has been taken care in the selection of plants, materials and finishes. We experimented with different kinds of plants to select the right ones that best suit the climate of the spot," said the Executive Engineer in charge of the project, Mr G. Sarath Babu.

He said the project had been launched in August 2004. "Our idea is to preserve the serenity and the ambience of the spots and promote tourism without disturbing the ecology. Initially, there were objections from the fishermen communities, but we convinced them that the road-widening and landscaping would in no way affect their access to the sea. Tourism will have no adverse impact on their livelihood," he said.

The ornamental lampposts on the stretch arrest the attention of the visitors with designs of marine creatures and fisherfolk. The area in the vicinity of the Tenneti Park has been developed with a variety of flowers. Two viewpoints have been constructed for the tourists to get a panoramic glimpse of the Bay of Bengal and the city. Halogen lights lend enchantment to the view in the evenings.

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