River Krishna to turn into a tourist hotspot

* The CM all set to launch Riverfront Development Company and will make an announcement on Oct 12
* Krishna District Collector Babu A directs officials to acquire land on the banks and also clear encroachments
* Food courts, parks, water sports are set to come up along the 32-km long riverfront

Vijayawada: The State government is all set to float yet another company for the development of the riverfront park on the banks of River Krishna from Prakasam Barrage to Ibrahimpatnam.

The 32-km long river front would be developed as tourist place to attract international tourists. Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu had already decided to make the river front project on international standards and had directed the Krishna district administration and the State tourism department to prepare initial plans. The government is working on creating Riverfront Development Corporation to execute and maintain the project in the public private partnership.

Accordingly, District Collector Babu A held a meeting with the officials to prepare the initial plan. The State government had already developed the river bank area from Prakasam Barrage to Ibrahimpatnam clearing all encroachments during Krishna Pushkaralu. Bathing ghats were constructed for Pushkaralu, which have come in handy for the government to make the river festival a successful event.

Having completed the river festival, the government is now focusing on using the area as tourist place providing parks, food courts and water sports all along the river. This would be the biggest riverfront project in the State set to provide better entertainment for the tourists. The government plans to promote international tourism here once the project is completed.

The district Collector had directed the officials to prepare a plan to acquire land along the river wherever required and include it in the project. He wanted the officials to acquire the land along the river from Gollapudi to Ibrahimpatnam, which was left untouched during Krishna Pushkaralu. He asked the officials of the revenue, police and water resources departments to work in coordination in acquiring the land and clearing encroachments.

The Chief Minister is set to hold a review meeting on the river front project on October 12, after Dasara. The district administration and the tourism departments are geared up to clear all encroachments and submit a detailed report to the Chief Minister at the review meeting.

Interestingly, the erstwhile Vijayawada-Guntur-Tenali Urban Development Authority had made a similar proposal from Gollapudi to Durga Ghat at Prakasam Barrage in the past and had hired a couple of companies to prepare proposals. However, the creation of Capital Region Development Authority (CRDA) had closed all the projects of the UDA while retaining the riverfront project.