10 beaches to be developed along the Visakhapatnam coast

In a huge step towards making Vizag a major tourism hub of the country, ten beaches will be developed by the Andhra Pradesh Tourism Development Corporation (APTDC) along the coastal corridor on the Rushikonda-Bhogapuram stretch in Visakhapatnam. It was in the month of May that Special Chief Secretary (Tourism and Culture), State Government of Andhra Pradesh, Mr. Rajat Bhargava IAS, said that the vision of the government is to develop Vizag into a premier world-class tourist destination. This would be done by developing luxury resorts, MICE (Meetings, Incentives, Conferences and Exhibitions) centres, adventure parks and other tourism infrastructure. Among a slew of projects, the government has given the nod to develop ten beaches in the city, with development work expected to begin soon.

These ten beaches will be developed at Sagar Nagar, Thimmapuram, Mangamaripeta, Chepala Uppada, INS Kalinga, Erramatti Dibbalu, Bheemunipatnam, Nagarampalem, Annavaram and Kancherupalem. Each beach will be developed by APTDC at a cost of Rs. 2.50 crore. In the first phase, five beaches will be developed with funding from Visakhapatnam Port under their Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) initiative. The rest of the beaches will be developed in the second phase. 

As a part of the development, these ten beaches will have facilities including washrooms and changing rooms, drinking water, food courts, first aid, CCTV control room, a safe swimming zone and a water treatment plant.

Currently, the city has beaches including RK Beach, Rushikonda Beach and Yarada Beach which attract a good number of tourists, especially during the holiday season. With the development of the six-lane road, from Visakhapatnam to Bhogapuram via Bheemunipatnam, these new beaches are said to attract more tourists in the future. As part of this project, temporary development facilities will be provided on the beaches in accordance with the regulations of the Coastal Control Zone. 

According to APTDC officials, work for the development of the beaches will begin soon. Also, it is learned that proposals would be sent for Blue Flag tags for other beaches just like Rushikonda Beach.