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For residents of landlocked Hyderabad, visiting the beach meant travelling to the neighbouring state of Andhra Pradesh. But soon, the residents can spend their weekend at the beach within the city. Yes, you read that right. The Telangana government has approved a Rs 225-crore project to construct an artificial beach spread across 35 acres near Hyderabad.
The project would be completed under the public–private partnership model. The proposed vanity project is said to come up at Kotwalguda, in the Ranga Reddy district.
According to reports, the centrepiece of the project is a man-made lake. The lake would be equipped with wave-making technology to mimic the sea coast. It also includes sand zones, water adventure rides, floating villas, hotels, cycling tracks and landscaped parks. The facility is being designed as a full-fledged leisure destination featuring food courts, entertainment zones, decorative fountains and a theatre space.
The Telangana Tourism department is positive that investment in such a project would boost its revenue. “This will not be just water, sand and shacks. It is envisioned as a project that will place Hyderabad on the global tourism map,” a tourism department official was quoted as saying by Deccan Chronicle.
According to officials, Kotwalguda was chosen due to the land availability and easy access via the Outer Ring Road.
Patel Ramesh Reddy, Chairman of the Telangana State Tourism Development Corporation (TSTDC), has reportedly confirmed that the detailed project report has been finalised. According to reports, international firms have shown interest in the project beyond the principal amount of Rs 225 crore.
While this might be the first time an artificial beach is being created in India, worldwide such beaches exist in Monaco, China, the Maldives, France, and Japan.