Stressing on the need to develop the banks of the Godavari River, the Tourism Finance Corporation of India (TFCI) Ltd recently highlighted the need to develop the seven-km riverfront to attract tourists, with some places reserved for commercial activities and more than 70 per cent for leisure. The TFCI, in its survey report, has suggested the transformation of the riverfront to restrict waste dumping in the river, thus encouraging greenery and the well-being of visitors.
"The seven-km stretch on one bank and three-km on the other bank would open up nearly 13 hectares of land that can be developed to enable people to visit the vast spans of land to spend quality time with their families and relatives.
Such open spaces will also be places of tourist attractions," the report said. While there have been two attempts to beautify the banks - through projects like Goda Park and Ram Srishti - the Goda Park is ill-maintained, while the Ram Srishti is incomplete. The TFCI has proposed parcels defining the development of the banks in each of them.
Parcel 1 (21,543 square metres of space) and Parcel 3 (19,973 square metres) describe construction of promenades, restaurants near Gangapur and Old City areas, respectively, while Parcel 2 (46,791 square metres) proposes a mini-aquarium, an open air theatre, water activities, and a mini-golf course near Anandwalli. Parcel 4 (33,000 square metres) can be apportioned for a vegetable market near the constructed vegetable market currently lying idle, adventure sports like go-karting and a gaming zone, while Parcel 5 (15,239 square metres) includes a hotel and a club. The total estimated cost of the proposed parcels works out to Rs 678 crore. The study has recommended that some parts of the project be constructed on a public-private partnership basis to bring down costs.