Vizag adds two new tourism attractions

The Visakhapatnam Urban Development Authority (Vuda) is adding two more tourism attractions on Kailasa Hill, the most-favoured tourist locale in the city.

It envisages an investment of Rs 6 crore for two projects to be based on the build-operate-transfer (BOT) model. On an average 10 lakh tourists visit the Kailasa Hill every year.

Already, the first ropeway project in the state is coming up at Kailasa Hill. Nearly 400-metre long from the beach side to the top of the hill, the ropeway will have a carrying capacity of around 700 tourists per hour.

Kolkata-based Conveyor Ropeway Services Private Limited has taken up this project with a Rs 3-crore investment on the BOT basis.

The second project is the erection of a circular track for running a three-coach train on Kailasa Hill.

Hyderabad-based Sarada RoadWays is spending Rs 3 crore on laying the three-kilometre-long circular tract with a carrying capacity of 72 tourists.

"The ropeway project will be ready within two months, and the circular train project will take about six months time to be completed," D Srinivasulu, the vice-chairman of Vuda, told Business Standard.

"After the completion of these two projects, we expect more tourists to come to the city, particularly to Kailasa Hill," he added.