Vijayawada Municipal Corporation, come to APTDC’s rescue! Else the ‘boat’ will sink
VIJAYAWADA: Andhra Pradesh Tourism Development Corporation (APTDC) ambitious plan to promote boating in the canals of Vijayawada to give a feeling of being in Venice seems to have fallen flat.
Leave alone people from other places, even Vijayawadites are not interested to have a joy ride in Krishna eastern main canal which reeks of sewage. Now, officials of tourism department are worried sick about the future of the tourism project proposed as part of the canal beautification work. They are now looking at Vijayawada Municipal Corporation (VMC) to bail them out of the sticky wicket.
VMC office on Tuesday | r v k rao
A few weeks ago, Amaravati Boating Club (ABC) launched the boating facility at the canal under public-private partnership (PPP) mode with the support of APTDC. In his recent city tour, CM Chandrababu Naidu directed VMC to prevent indiscriminate dumping of garbage in the canals and block the sewage channels releasing wastes.
However, the civic body officials have turned a blind eye and failed to block the sewage channel near Kaleswara Rao Market causing much inconvenience to the residents. When TNIE brought the issue to the notice of VMC officials, they said that the matter has been discussed with municipal commissioner J Nivas and measures will be evolved in closing the sewage channel near KR Market in the next few days.
“It is a thrilling experience to have speed boat joy ride in canals which earlier were clogged with garbage and plastic wastes. Thanks to the efforts of APTDC for promoting water sports in the city. However, VMC should focus on closing a sewage channel near Kaleswara Rao Market, where the sewage is still disposed into the canal,” Ch Naren Karthikeya, an adventure enthusiast said.
When contacted, APTDC divisional manager V V S Ganga Raju said that the tourism department has started offering this service keeping in mind the huge potential for attracting fun-loving urban enthusiasts.
The city has great scope for promoting canal tourism on the lines of backwater lagoons in Kerala. A six-minute joy ride will cost `50 and the boat can accommodate three persons. Tickets can be purchased from boating point at VMC office, he said.
The ride will start from the canal near VMC office on Canal Road and it will pass through Navy Park, Prakasam Barrage before ending at Tummalapalli Kalakshetram. Buoyed by the response for the speedboat joy ride in Bhavani Island in river Krishna, APTDC inaugurated two speed boat services in Krishna eastern main canal on trial basis and the service will be extended to 11 more locations in the city, he added.
Joy ride
Six-minute boat-ride to cost J50
Each boat can accommodate 3 persons
The ride will start from the canal near VMC office on Canal Road and will pass through Navy Park, Prakasam Barrage before ending at Tummalapalli Kalakshetram.
2 speed boat services already introduced in Krishna eastern main canal on trial basis
Service to be extended to 11 more locations in the city