The newly opened tourist project Floating Sea Bridge in Visakhapatnam, appearing to be de-linked. VMRDA officials say that the de-linking of the bridge is a part of the routine maintenance and mock-drill during rough sea conditions.
| Photo Credit: V. RAJU
The much-hyped tourism project Floating Sea Bridge (FSB) faced severe criticism from the public, especially regarding safety issues, since it was officially inaugurated by Rajya Sabha member Y.V. Subba Reddy at RK Beach here on February 25 (Sunday). Visakhapatnam Metropolitan Region Development Authority (VMRDA) is managing the project in association with private developer-cum-operator.
Sohan Hatangadi, founder and vice-president of the Greater Visakha Citizens’ Forum, said: “RK Beach is already overcrowded with visitors, hitting its peak during weekends, festive occasions and summer vacations. Under such circumstances, any new projects attracting huge crowds to the RK Beach area should be avoided. Secondly, the beach is known as a dangerous zone for swimming along the coast due to its unusual rip currents, high tidal waves”.
“We suggest the authorities set up the FSB or any similar projects in the northern part of the city coast where beaches need to be developed. Unfortunately, some useful projects like the planetarium are yet to begin,” opined Mr. Hatangadi.
On the other hand, Sarma V.V.S.S., Chief Scientist, National Institute of Oceanography, Visakhapatnam Regional Centre, which studies the oceanographic features of the sea, said that waves will be high in the area near the submarine museum. “It might not be the right place for the FSB project. However, according to our observations, there are some places like Lawsons Bay Beach or Jodugullapalem Beach which have shallow water and less wave effect,” he told The Hindu on Tuesday.
VMRDA’s response
On the other hand, VMRDA Metropolitan Commissioner A. Mallikarjuna, in an official statement, reiterated that the FSB was set up near the submarine museum based on expert advice from the Centre for Studies on Bay of Bengal of the Andhra University. They are taking all the safety measures to carry out the project and a team had also been to Kerala to study the bridge during all sea conditions, he said.
While talking about the safety aspects, Mr. Mallikarjuna said that a total of 38 anchors were used to keep the bridge afloat during rough seas. Anchors include four numbers of 150 kg, 14 numbers of 200 kg and 20 anchors of 500 kg. The services of Indian Navy retired officers concerned have also been utilised for training and security aspects of the operating team and swimmers; public address system and CCTV footage were also instituted for additional safety, he added.