Visakhapatnam project figures in the finals in Smart City Expo World Congress

VISAKHAPATNAM: Yet another feather in the cap of Visakhapatnam. In the Smart City Expo World Congress, a prestigious international competition held at Barcelona, the project of Vizag Smart City figured in the final list in living and inclusion award category. Vizag was the only city from India to be the finalist in any category. It was an All Abilities Park project that was selected for the expo. 

The Greater Visakhapatnam Municipal Corporation (GVMC) and the Greater Visakhapatnam Smart City Corporation Ltd (GVSCCL) participated in the World Smart City Awards 2020 competition and submitted the project ‘Social integration through creation of All Ability Public Spaces-Parks for All Abilities’ under the living and inclusion award category. GVMC Commissioner G Srijana said entries for this edition came from 46 countries worldwide. “It is very happy and motivating that Visakhapatnam Smart City Project is selected as a finalist,” she said.

The Living and Inclusion Category Award is presented to the most innovative and successful projects being implemented and developed in relation to inclusive and sharing cities. Three projects from different countries competed in the finals. Visakhapatnam competed with Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality, Turkey, and Government of the State of Alagoas, Brazil. The award was bagged by Alagoas for its ‘A New Life in Grotas: Evidence Based Slum Improvement and Urban Development’. Srijana said All Abilities Park project emerged as the finalist and it gave them more encouragement to take up such projects and win awards at the international level in the future. The all abilities park was developed with `3.5 crore on the Beach Road. It was inaugurated on August 23, 2018.