Ashish Ranjan
YS Jagan Mohan Reddy, chief minister of Andhra Pradesh, stated on January 31 that Visakhapatnam will become the new state capital.
Earlier in 2015, the then-chief minister N Chandrababu Naidu declared Amaravati to be the new capital. However, the state planned to have three capital cities by the year 2020: Amaravati, Visakhapatnam, and Kurnool.
The Andhra Pradesh High Court ruled against three capitals and instructed the government to develop Amaravati, which has become the epicentre of a land scandal, in March of last year.
Here are seven distinctive features of the new capital:
1) Two ports: Visakhapatnam is the only city in India that can boast two of the country’s largest ports: the Vizag port and Gangavaram Port.
The port of Visakhapatnam was opened in 1993 and ranked among India’s top five ports in terms of cargo volume in 2022. In addition, Gangavaram is the deepest port in India, with a total depth of 21 metres. It was inaugurated in 2009,
2) First navy shooting range: In August 2022, Vice-Admiral Biswajit Dasgupta, Flag-Officer Commanding-in-Chief, Eastern Naval Command, opened a Composite Indoor Shooting Range (CISR) at INS Karna on the Eastern Seaboard. It is home to one of the three major bases of the Eastern Naval Command and serves as its headquarters.
3) ‘Jewel of East Coast’: Visakhapatnam is known as the “Jewel of the East Coast” since it is home to one of the largest port cities in south India. The city’s beaches, museums, and temples have also made it a popular tourist destination. Additionally, it is the most populous and populous city in Andhra Pradesh.
4) The first submarine museum in South Asia: In 2002, the decommissioned INS Kursura was transformed into a museum on Rama Krishna beach. It is also the second submarine museum in the world.
Also Read:- According to CM Jagan Reddy, Visakhapatnam would be the future capital of Andhra Pradesh.
5) Oldest shipyard in India: The Hindustan Shipyard Limited, which was formed in 1941, is the oldest shipyard in India. In July, Hindustan Shipyard Limited announced its highest-ever (provisional) turnover of 759 crores for the fiscal year 2021-22. Since its foundation, the ministry of defence enterprise has constructed 200 ships and completed 2,000 repairs, a remarkable feat.
6) ‘INS Arihant’ built-in Vizag: India’s first indigenous nuclear-powered submarine, INS Arihant, was launched for sea trials on Vijay Diwas, 2009, by then-Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh. Under the Advanced Technology Vessel (ATV) project, the 6,000-ton ship was constructed at the Ship Building Centre in Visakhapatnam.
7) RRR’s Alluri Seeta Rama Raju is a native of Vizag: SS Rajamouli’s blockbuster ‘RRR’ (Rise, Roar, Revolt) propelled Alluri Sitarama Raju to quick prominence. In the film, Ram Charan portrayed the independence fighter who spent his early years in his mother’s birthplace of Vizag.
