With cases of death due to drowning continuing unabated the search for a safe beach has gained immediacy. But Vizagites will have to wait for at least for two years for a full-fledged safe beach at Lawson’s Bay Colony to be in place.
After the recent tragic death of six GITAM University students, Ramakrishna Beach and Rushikonda beach being considered unsafe led to a string of measures being initiated by the authorities. The best option, however, is offering people a safe beach since policing fun-loving visits to the beach is difficult.
The proposal for developing a beach at Lawson’s Bay colony, near Pedajalaripet, has been on the drawing board for nearly two years now. Successive commissioners since V.N. Vishnu have announced that the beach will be developed.
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Development of the new beach costing Rs.13.3 crore will be funded by the Visakhapatnam Port Trust. It will be taken up by the Greater Visakhapatnam Municipal Corporation with the 51 per cent cash component that is paid by the port towards taxes. The remaining is spent on works directly.
In a major step ahead, finally the design, in consultation with an architect, has been approved. VPT Chairman Ajeya Kallam who mooted the development of the beach nearly two years ago had also seen it and suggested some changes and finally the plan was approved, Municipal Commissioner M.V. Satyanarayana told The Hindu on Wednesday.
On the delay in taking up the project, he said a cremation ground nearby had to be modernised at a cost of Rs.60 lakh and a drain from MVP Colony that flows directly into the sea diverted to the 25 mld sewage treatment plant at Appughar.
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The State Government had to approve the work that was estimated at Rs.6 crore.
“Since it will take two years for completion of the work, in the short-term we intend to plan a pathway for people to go to the beach, create some greenery and facilities to sit etc in three to four months,” Mr. Satyanarayana said.