On January 31, Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy declared Visakhapatnam as the new state capital.
Amaravati would become the new capital, according to the then-CM N Chandrababu Naidu’s earlier 2015 proclamation. The state did intend for there to be three capital cities in 2020: Amaravati, Visakhapatnam, and Kurnool.
The Andhra Pradesh High Court rejected three capitals in March of last year and ordered the government to build in Amaravati, which has become the epicentre of a land scandal.
Here are 7 unique factors of the new capital:
1) Two ports: Vizag Port and Gangavaram Port are two of the major ports in the nation, and Visakhapatnam is the only city in India that can claim both of them.
The Visakhapatnam port, which opened in 1993 and will rank among India’s top five ports in terms of cargo handled in 2022, was established. With a total depth of 21 feet, Gangavaram is also the deepest port in India.
2) The first navy shooting range was opened in August 2022 at INS Karna on the Eastern Seaboard by Vice-Admiral Biswajit Dasgupta, Flag-Officer Commanding-in-Chief, Eastern Naval Command. It serves as the administrative centre for Eastern Naval Command and is home to one of the three main bases.
3) “Jewel of the East Coast”: Visakhapatnam, one of the biggest port cities in south India, is dubbed the “Jewel of the East Coast.” The city features many beaches, museums, and temples, which have made it popular with tourists. Additionally, it is Andhra Pradesh’s biggest and most populous city.
4) INS Kursura, which was decommissioned in 2001 and transformed into a submarine museum on Rama Krishna Beach, was the first submarine museum in South Asia. It is also the second submarine museum in the world.
5) The Hindustan Shipyard Limited, which was founded in 1941, is India’s oldest shipyard. For the fiscal year 2021–2022, Hindustan Shipyard Limited reported its highest-ever turnover of 759 crore (provisional). 200 ships have been built and 2,000 repairs have been finished by the Ministry of Defence Enterprise since it was founded.
6) “INS Arihant,” built in Vizag: On Vijay Diwas in 2009, the then-Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh launched the nation’s first nuclear-powered submarine, “INS Arihant,” for sea testing. The 6,000-ton vessel was constructed at the Ship Building Center in Visakhapatnam as part of the Advanced Technology Vessel (ATV) programme.
7) Alluri Seeta Rama Raju is a Vizag native and is known for the film RRR (Rise, Roar, Revolt), which was directed by SS Rajamouli. Ram Charan portrayed a freedom fighter in the film who spent his formative years in Vizag, the town where his mother was born.
