The Vizianagaram Municipal Corporation is planning to develop a ‘Food Street’ in the area adjacent to Nehru Park.
VMC officials, who visited similar streets in cities like Chennai, Bengaluru, Hyderabad and Visakhapatnam, are planning to replicate the model in the city.
As of now, the street food stalls in the city are located near drains and busy marketplaces, which diminishes the experience of eating out for families. Further, in the absence of seating areas and parking spots , denizens are forced to park their vehicles haphazardly on the roadside, resulting in inconvenience to other motorists.
The city has also witnessed a spurt in the number of roadside eateries and street food stalls at places like Ring Road, Kanyakaparameswari temple and other places.
In this backdrop, Vizianagaram MLA Kolagatla Veerabhadra Swamy and VMC Commissioner R. Sriramulu Naidu recently visited Nehru Park and discussed the requirements for the proposed Food Street. They proposed to demolish the old radio station which was in a dilapidated condition to create space for parking and seating areas. Mr. Veerabhadra Swamy said that they have sought feedback from the public over the proposal to demolish the radio station building although it was not a heritage structure.
Mr. Sriramulu Naidu told The Hindu that having all eateries at one place would help reduce traffic congestion at various areas in the city. “With this proposal, we can have a permanent Food Street at par with tourism spots located in major cities. It will be a fun zone for people of the city where they can come in the evenings and spend time with their families,” he said.
Municipal Health Officer K. Satyanarayana said that VMC would ensure supply of hygienic food at the proposed street. Vizianagaram Mayor Vempadapu Vijayalakshmi, Deputy Mayors Isarapu Revathi Devi and Kolagatla Sravani welcomed the civic body’s proposal.
