Kakinada beach set to become star attraction

KAKINADA: With modern, world class amenities and facilities, Kakinada beach will be made an international tourism spot. During the Congress regime, cine actor Chiranjeevi, the then Union Tourism Minister, granted Rs 50 crore for development the beach in 50 acres of land. But, the project could not be completed due to some teething problems.

With the BJP led NDA government coming to power at the Centre, the project has been taken up under Swadeshi Darshan scheme. A Canada-based organisation designed the Kakinada Beach Front Development project and the work was awarded to well known contracting companies. The project includes providing laser-shows, water fountain, buildings for gathering of tourists, convention halls, meeting halls, food courts and others. A bridge is being constructed across the creek for going to the sea and shore for the convenience of the tourists.

Besides, the government is developing power sources, roads and other infrastructure facilities that will help launch several tourism projects for multi-national companies under private public partnership mode. Though the Kakinada beach development work had been moving at snail pace for the past four months, after assuming charge as district collector, Karthikeya Misra has expedited the project work to be completed in a time bound manner.

"Kakinada Beach can be inaugurated by the chief minister at the time of commencement of Kakinada Beach Festival. Majority of the projects at the beach would be completed soon," said the executive engineer of AP Tourism Development Corporation S. Srinivas who is making hectic efforts for the project. He said that an aquarium park, beautiful arches in welcoming gates and others are being also established in the beach. Nearly 500 members can be accommodated in Laser-show project.

According to sources, to create a landmark destination that is a tourism anchor point for the Kakinada Beach. In the master plan, there are water laser show, marina and pedestrian bridges over the backwater creek to give access to the picturesque for Kakinada Beach front.