From Global Spotlight To Grim Tragedies, Visakhapatnam’s Turbulent 2025
Jana Sena chief Pawan Kalyan visited the family of Pahalgam terror attack victim Chandra Mouli on April 24, a day after Chief Minister Nara Chandra Babu Naidu paid tributes at the airport
Visakhapatnam: From high-profile political visits and international sporting events to devastating accidents and extreme weather, Visakhapatnam in 2025 stood at the crossroads of power, progress and profound tragedy, emerging as one of Andhra Pradesh’s most eventful cities of the year.
The year opened with Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit and roadshow at the Andhra University Engineering College Grounds on January 8, followed by the Teachers’ MLC elections on February 27.
March brought international cricket to the city, with an IPL match between Delhi Capitals and Sunrisers Hyderabad held at the ACA-VDCA Stadium on March 30. Parallelly, efforts to modernise the stadium gathered pace under BCCI Secretary Jay Shah and IT Minister Nara Lokesh.
April saw heightened defence engagement with Exercise Tiger Triumph, a major Indo-US tri-service humanitarian exercise that commenced on April 1 at the Eastern Naval Command.
The same month was marked by human tragedy. Jana Sena chief Pawan Kalyan visited the family of Pahalgam terror attack victim Chandra Mouli on April 24, a day after Chief Minister Nara Chandra Babu Naidu paid tributes at the airport. On that day, the city also recorded soaring temperatures of 43°C. April ended on a grim note with a stampede at the Simhachalam temple on April 30, claiming seven lives.
May focused on emergency preparedness with Operation Sindoor on May 7, while two terrorists were arrested in Vizianagaram. Gale storms uprooted trees across the city on June 10.
June also saw tribal students participate in a Guinness World Record event on June 20, ahead of International Yoga Day celebrations held at Beach Road on June 21.
Defence infrastructure received a boost in July with the commissioning of INS Nistar by Union minister of state for defence Sanjay Seth on July 18.
August witnessed another tragedy when a cylinder blast near the Fishing Harbour killed three people on August 7, followed by heavy rainfall measuring 6 cm on August 17. Union defence minister Rajnath Singh commissioned two stealth frigates, INS Himagiri and INS Udayagiri, on August 26. The Jana Sena held its three-day convention from August 28 to 30.
In September, Telugus fleeing unrest in Nepal returned via Visakhapatnam Airport on September 9.
October blended culture and sport. Smriti Mandhana crossed 1,000 international runs in a calendar year during the India–Australia Women’s World Cup match on October 12, the same day Jay Shah inaugurated the Mithali Raj Stand and Kalpana Gate. Cyclone Montha struck the city on October 26.
November again turned tragic with a stampede at the Kasibugga temple on November 1 that claimed 11 lives. Security forces neutralised 13 Maoists in encounters in the Maredumilli forest area on November 20 and 21 under Operation Sambhav. The CII Partnership Summit, held from November 14 to 16, brought renewed economic focus to the city.
December began on a landmark note with the inauguration of India’s longest glass bridge at Kailasagiri on December 1. The city hosted several international cricket fixtures, including India versus South Africa on December 6 and India versus Sri Lanka women’s matches on December 21 and 23.
However, the month was marred by multiple tragedies. A bus accident on the Chintoor–Maredumilli ghat road on December 12 killed nine pilgrims and injured 22 others. On December 19, Visakhapatnam recorded an alarming AQI of 350, surpassing Delhi. The year ended on a sombre note with a fire in the AC coaches of the Tata–Ernakulam Express on December 29, killing one person.
