Naval delegates to visit Vizag attractions during fleet review

Visakhapatnam: About 200 international naval delegates will visit the tourist attractions of the Visakhapatnam Metropolitan Region Development Authority each day from Feb 16 to 20 during the upcoming International Fleet Review. To facilitate this, the tourist attractions will remain closed to the general public for half a day during these five days. VMRDA has spent nearly Rs 2 crore on the facelift of these sites in recent weeks.Speaking to TOI, VMRDA chairman Pranav Gopal and metropolitan commissioner Tej Bharath said that the international delegates will visit the Sea Harrier museum, the TU-142 aircraft museum, the Kursura submarine museum and the UH-3H helicopter museum. "They will also visit Kailasagiri hilltop park and Thotlakonda, a nearly 2,000-year-old Buddhist heritage site. VMRDA has refurbished all these places in terms of painting, sanitation, greenery development and other related works. We have specifically focused on these tourist attractions for the International Fleet Review. As the event is closely linked to the global brand image of the city, we have taken special care with the works and given a facelift to several tourist attractions. We have conducted a series of field inspections to ensure that the works meet the required objectives and quality standards," said Pranav Gopal and Tej Bharath. The Sea Harrier, TU-142 and Kursura museums showcase decommissioned naval aircraft and a submarine, offering visitors a glimpse into maritime defence history. Kailasagiri provides panoramic views of the coastline.