The atmosphere was electrifying as scores of Vizagites thronged the R.K Beach to witness the start of the two-day carnival, ‘Rejuvenating Vizag’, organised by AP Tourism Development Corporation (APTDC) to celebrate the resilience of people of the city in the aftermath of the Very Severe Cyclone Hudhud. From the ancient tribal dance of Dhimsa to modern Tollywood music with all its glitter and thumping beats, from a kaleidoscope of creative art works to a wide food court on the beach - it had entertainment of all sorts. The two-day tourism festival was inaugurated by Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu on Monday.
He went around the Art Camp and interacted with the artists. On the occasion, a short film produced by APTDC and the Government of AP was telecast on the big screens along the Beach Road. The film was narrated through the eyes of a little girl bringing back frightening images of the fateful day when the cyclone ripped through the city and the efforts of Chief Minister along with the State administration to bring the city back on its feet. The film received huge applause from the crowd.
Addressing the large gathering, he applauded the spirit of Vizag in bouncing back with added vigour after the cyclone. “40,000 current poles were damaged in the cyclone. It was the collective effort of the officials and district administration that restored normalcy in the city in record time. More than 14,000 workers worked round the clock to restore power,” he said. He promised to make Visakhapatnam a world class IT and education hub and develop the city with facilities better than Hyderabad. “We will make Vizag a top international tourism spot by developing the Vizag- Bhimli corridor with world-class infrastructure. Vizag is fortunate to have places like Araku and Lambasingi,” he added. Naidu said that he will conduct regular festivals in the city with India’s renowned artistes.
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Later, pop star Baba Sehgal entertained the crowd along with several other upcoming singers like Revanth. Wearing t-shirts printed with ‘I love Vizag’, youngsters cheered the artistes who presented colourful performances which concluded with a spirited dance performance on a patriotic song. Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu joined the artistes on stage and the young stars took selfies with him.
Speaking to The Hindu , Special Chief Secretary (Tourism) Chandana Khan said that APTDC has plans to create permanent food courts on the beach with shacks and huts.
“The plan will be finalised shortly. We are also focusing on creating more tourist activities in Araku. This apart, we have identified a land at Lambasingi for a tourism project,” she said.
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