Opinion

3 questionable changes in Vizag in the recent past

Vizag is one of the fastest growing cities in India. The city boasts of the 9^th highest GDP in India and has one of the largest ports in terms of the cargo handled. However, a few developments have raised eyebrows with voices questioning their very need for the city. These developments, a few feel, might have hampered the city’s image. Here are three such questionable changes in Vizag in the recent past.

Overdevelopment of Beach and Beach Road

Gone are the days when Beach Road used to be a respite from the hustle and bustle of the city. It’s now infamous as one of the busiest roads in the city. Apart from tourists, the Beach Road has many eateries and shops which clog the roads with additional visitors causing traffic congestion on some days, especially weekends.

Exploitation of hillocks to make houses

Many areas in Vizag, such as Muralinagar, Madhavadhara, and Janatha Colony have houses which are built on hillocks. It’s high time that citizens and the authorities realize its imminent dangers and stop this practice. These have mushroomed in the last few years in the city due to the paucity of space. The tradition needs to be stopped immediately as they increase the chances of landslides during monsoons.

The craze for JEE and NEET

Another one of the questionable changes in Vizag is that many coaching centres and academies have come up in the city, especially in the Dwarkanagar area. Students of many coaching institutions and colleges are made to toil hard for 12 hours a day, which has caught the ire of many. Also, there have been complaints that sports and recreational activities of students are curbed so that they can focus only on competitive exams thereby restricting their all-round development.

The article was submitted to Yo! Vizag by Debabrata Malik.