Naidu Unveils Grand Tourism Vision for Polavaram, Godavari Riverfront

Vijayawada: Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu on Tuesday unveiled an ambitious vision to transform the Polavaram project region into a major tourism destination, directing officials to prepare a master plan for developing the Godavari riverfront there.

Chairing a high-level review meeting with officials of the irrigation and tourism departments and representatives of expert agencies, the chief minister said the Polavaram project should emerge not only as AP’s lifeline but also as a world-class tourism hub capable of generating employment and boosting the state's economy.

Naidu reviewed proposals for tourism development both upstream and downstream of the Polavaram dam, including riverfront attractions, spillway beautification and the design of a cable bridge. Representatives of Japanese consultancy Nippon Koei, which has extensive experience in tourism infrastructure projects, made a detailed presentation on the proposed master plan.

The Chief Minister observed that the AP stretch of the Godavari up to Bhadrachalam offers immense tourism potential owing to its abundant water resources, lush green hills and forest landscape. He suggested developing the region for eco-tourism, riverfront tourism, engineering tourism, adventure tourism, rock climbing, wellness centres, destination weddings and water sports.

The consultancy also proposed developing a 500-acre island located downstream of the spillway with multiple tourism attractions. It presented designs for utilising water bodies, surrounding hills and nearly 1,500 acres in and around the island for integrated tourism projects.

Naidu said that while the Polavaram project would irrigate lakhs of acres, the tourism development would create substantial revenue for the state and generate large-scale employment opportunities for local people. He directed officials to prepare detailed plans under the proposed Akhanda Godavari Project to establish large-scale tourism infrastructure in the region.

Tourism minister Kandula Durgesh and senior officials attended the review meeting.