VISAKHAPATNAM: Here is good news for the water sports lovers from the city. After Mangamaripeta and Rushikonda, they can now enjoy the hovercraft facility at RK Beach near Hawamahal soon and later at Thotlakonda along with the facility of some exciting water sports.
Decks have been cleared for the `6-crore project for which the necessary permissions have been obtained and the works are in full swing. According to tourism officials, Vizag Hover Club of Aksara Enterprises has been entrusted with grounding of both the projects. At RK Beach, proposals were mooted to engage two hovercrafts.
“For the time being, we are planning to engage one hovercraft with the accommodating capacity of eight persons. Once it picks up, we will add another,” said RM Chaitanya Verma, managing director of the Vizag Hover Club said.
The land allotment has already been already done for the RK beach and the Vizag Hover Club has approached many manufacturers to procure the hovercraft.
“We are giving preference to the manufacturer having presence in India as we will get servicing facility easily. Manufacturers like Griffon Hoverwork from the UK, Airlift from Australia and Russian Hovercraft Corporation have also been shortlisted. Griffon already has its market in India and we are negotiating with it. If everything goes well, we may go for it,” Chaitanya Verma said, adding that a Griffon team from Mumbai may visit the project site in a week to check whether the land is suitable for hovercraft operations.
The necessary land have been allotted at RK Beach. However, the same for the proposed project at Thotlakonda is yet to be finalised, said district tourism officer K Gyanaveni.
“As the official formalities have been cleared, the works are in full swing now and the facility at RK Beach may be launched in three to six months, where the works at Thotlakonda will start after the allotment of land,” Chaitanya Verma added.