VIZAG matters - Sohan Hatangadi's Blog

Everyone wants"beach tourism". Yet there is no way we can protect our beaches from trash. This year the UNWTO theme worldwide was "Sustainable Tourism - a tool for development". Yet despite so many reminders to our tourism department that this was an important time to work on sustainability, there was complete disinterest from officials and from the industry. We went about doing the usual masala song and dance events on our beaches. Any responsible tourism department interested in the long term sustainable development of the industry would have seized the opportunity to prepare a strong policy on cleaning up and maintaining our tourist spots including those inland and in our ghats. Now we are "developing" Yerada and other spots asking our beach. GOD HELP US!

It is disheartening to see such news. We have so much to do but get stuck in a quagmire of ego. As this structure will be generating so much harmful agents they should be taking APPCB's approval. I hope the IT department keeps an eye on their profits and charges them to the hilt.  In a bid to massage egos we are damaging our environment. The Ganesha Idol should aspire to be most beautiful and most eco friendly in India. Not the tallest one. The income should go into reviving old schools and public structures not line the pockets of the already wealthy. And the biggest laddoo! What does it tell about our society? Religion is made into a tamasha. At least local administration should not support and in fact dissuade this type of spectacle. End of my morning crib.

Further to my post about CII's magnanimous attempts to develop Vizag. Here is a typical "Development" story adapted from Oren Ginsburg's presentation courtesy "Survival International". Prequel : When I travel - and someone asks me where I am from - and I say "Vizag" - and they say "wow, heard its a great place" - I say "its a lousy place - don't bother visiting". This is a defense mechanism. I am doing my part in reducing influx into Vizag. For God's sake - why can't they leave us alone to enjoy our city? Do your bit - don't go around telling folk from elsewhere that Vizag is great. _________________________________________________________________________ O nce upon a time two management gurus decided to "develop" Vizag. They made their way into Vizag's heartland with their laptops and suits.  They wanted to do a survey. After a while they came to a beautiful habitation in Viz...

First please read the article in The Hindu with headline: " Anrak in talks with Glencore to source bauxite ore?"  at the following link. http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-national/tp-andhrapradesh/article2760124.ece If APMDC mines Jerrala and supply Bauxite to Anrak here is what we can expect. TRANSPORTATION NIGHTMARE The ANRAK website has this sentence at the end of it:  "A newly laid road is envisaged which will be traveling for 15 km in forest land starting from Jerrela village to the state highway near Pederu. From there it is connected to NH5 for onward movement to the proposed plant location." I could not figure out how they will reach Makavaripalem from Chintapalle via Paderu and NH5. This is like going to Delhi from Mumbai via Chennai. Instead, it is obvious that they will come down via Lambasinghi and take a left before  Narasipatnam. I understand that they have already started making a road diagonally from a few kms before ...