1970s Vizag: 10 Iconic Moments That Defined the Decade

The 1970s were a turning point for Visakhapatnam. The city was already an important port and naval centre, but over the course, new infrastructure began reshaping its identity. Old neighbourhoods evolved, new commercial hubs emerged and Vizag increasingly found itself at the centre of Andhra Pradesh’s industrial and cultural story. Read on to discover the 10 iconic moments that defined Vizag in the 1970s and set the precedent for everything that followed. 

1970s Vizag: 10 Iconic Moments That Defined the Decade

1. The LIC Building changed Vizag’s skyline (1970)

In 1970, the 11-storey LIC Building in Dwaraka Nagar was completed and inaugurated, becoming one of the city’s earliest high-rise landmarks. At a time when Vizag’s skyline was still dominated by low-rise buildings, the structure stood out as a visible sign of a city beginning to modernise.

2. Inauguration of Jagadamba Theatre (1970)

For generations of Vizag residents, Jagadamba Theatre has been more than just a cinema hall. When it opened its doors on October 25, 1970, with a screening of Where Eagles Dare, it quickly became a landmark in the city’s entertainment landscape.

3. Waltair – Vizag’s Railway Backbone

Although the shift of railway infrastructure from the old town area had begun earlier, the 1970s saw Waltair firmly established as the centre of railway operations. The growth of the railway network also contributed to the expansion of surrounding areas such as Dwaraka Nagar and Asilmetta, which would eventually become major commercial hubs.

4. The Steel Dream (1971)

In 1971, Prime Minister Indira Gandhi announced the decision to establish the Visakhapatnam Steel Plant. The announcement signalled the city’s emergence as one of India’s major industrial centres and laid the foundation for decades of growth.

5. The Ghazi Conspiracy (1971)

During the 1971 Indo-Pak war, Pakistan’s submarine PNS Ghazi entered the waters off Visakhapatnam on a covert mission linked to India’s aircraft carrier INS Vikrant. The Indian Navy used INS Rajput as part of a deception operation, and on the night of December 3-4, the Ghazi sank off the Vizag coast following a massive underwater explosion. It remains one of the most dramatic and iconic moments in the history of Vizag.

What exactly caused the explosion remains a mystery, with accounts attributing it either to Indian naval action or an internal mine explosion. The circumstances surrounding the sinking remain debated decades later.

6. The Journey of Eenadu (1974)

In 1974, Ramoji Rao launched Eenadu, choosing Vizag as the starting point for what would eventually become one of the most influential Telugu newspapers. Its printing operations were established at Andhra Cinetone in Seethammadhara.

This served as a reminder that the city was not just an industrial hub; but was also finding its voice through media and public discourse.

7. Economy vs. Environment

The 1970s brought the expansion of petroleum, chemical and polymer industries, including the Caltex Petroleum Refinery, which was nationalised in 1976 and later merged into HPCL in 1978.

While these industries brought employment, investment and new economic opportunities to the city, they also marked the beginning of a growing conversation around the environmental cost of rapid industrialisation. As Vizag expanded, the focus slowly shifted from economic growth alone to the question of how the city’s natural environment could be preserved alongside it.

8. The VUDA Blueprint (1978)

The Town Planning Trust was upgraded to the Visakhapatnam Urban Development Authority (VUDA) on June 17, 1978. As housing colonies and commercial areas spread beyond the older parts of Vizag, VUDA became integral to shaping the city’s development.

VUDA would eventually be expanded and renamed the Visakhapatnam Metropolitan Region Development Authority (VMRDA) in 2018, but its roots lay in the rapidly changing Vizag of the 1970s.

9. The Malkapuram Confrontation (1978)

There was a noticeable change in the social fabric of Vizag around this time. New industries, residential colonies and naval establishments brought together different communities and workforces, sometimes resulting in friction.

In August 1978, clashes involving local residents, shipyard workers and naval personnel led to tensions in Malkapuram, with areas including the shipyard colony and Nausena Baugh coming under a curfew.

10. Farewell, Tenneti Viswanatham (1979)

The decade ended on a sombre note with the death of Tenneti Viswanatham, a celebrated freedom fighter and political leader, on November 10, 1979.

A participant in the Salt Satyagraha and the Quit India Movement, Viswanatham served as a member of the Madras Legislative Assembly, Leader of the Opposition, a Lok Sabha member representing Visakhapatnam from 1967 to 1971, and as the Minister for Finance and Law in the newly formed Andhra State. He was also widely respected for his contribution towards establishing the Visakhapatnam Steel Plant. 

And then came the 1980s

By the time the 1970s came to an end, Vizag had already begun laying the foundations of the city we know today. In 1980, M. V. V. S. Murthi established GITAM in Visakhapatnam, initially affiliated with Andhra University. The institution would go on to become one of the city’s best-known centres of higher education, eventually attaining deemed-to-be-university status in 2007.

The 1970s didn’t just change Vizag. From urban planning to education, the decade left its mark on almost every aspect of the city’s identity, proving that much of the Vizag we know today can be traced to the foundations laid during those years. 

Also read: 5 nostalgic things in Vizag that kids from the 90s will understand

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