Works have commenced on the much-awaited project to give a facelift to Kailasagiri, a popular tourist destination in the city.
It is being taken up as part of the Andhra Pradesh Disaster Recovery Project (APDRP).
After finalising the tenders for the project before the spread of COVID-19, officials of the Visakhapatnam Metro Region Development Authority (VMRDA) concluded the agreement for the execution of the ₹56.55-crore project with the contracting agency on July 13.
Second ghat road
According to the VMRDA officials, the works include development of a second ghat road (BT road) for a length of 1.50 km and width of 15 metres up to the Telugu museum, besides improvement of the existing ghat road. The project also includes construction of the much-needed footpaths for a length of 4.20-km.
“The food courts and other shops that are scattered now will be housed in the shopping complexes / arenas to be constructed at three to four places. A children’s arena will also come up,” VMRDA Commissioner P. Koteswara Rao has said.
“It is also proposed to re-introduce battery-operated vehicles for the benefit of the elderly and differently-abled persons,” he says.
More space for parking
The project also includes construction of 14 more shelters and view points, besides improving the existing ones, and expansion of the parking facility to accommodate an estimated 180 cars, 25 buses and 200 two-wheelers.
“Plantation and landscaping will be taken up in an extent of 80,000 sq m. An amphitheatre will also be set up. Besides ensuring supply of drinking water, a Sewage Treatment Plant (STP) will also be set up. Modernisation of electrical and lighting network, and provision of CC cameras and public address systems are also on the cards,” Mr. Rao says.
Spread across nearly 400 acres, Kailasagiri is one of the most sought-after tourist destination in the city. The view points that offer a panoramic view of the city, the rope-way facility, and the Telugu museum are major attractions.
After suffering complete damage in the aftermath of the extremely severe cyclonic storm Hudhud in 2014, the World Bank had decided to fund the project.
In 2019, the VMRDA had called for tenders after obtaining approval for the Detailed Project Report (DPR).
July 2021 deadline
Mr. Koteswara Rao said he had visited the site recently along with Additional Metropolitan Commissioner Manazir Jeelani Samoon, Superintendent Engineer K. Ram Mohan Rao and representatives of the contracting agency, and discussed the project with them.
“There is a slight delay in the progress of works due to the pandemic. The contractors have commenced the works by collecting the soil samples. If everything goes well, the project will be completed by July 2021,” he says.
