Andhra Pradesh is all set to gift itself a new capital. The new state capital, Amravathi, will be named after the ancient capital of the Satavahana dynasty dating back to 2nd century AD. The region between Vijaywada and Guntur will now be called Amravathi. The state cabinet, along with chief minister N Chandrababu Naidu, passed a resolution to this effect on Wednesday.
Speaking weather-wise, the new capital will experience mainly coastal weather conditions. Mild heat accompanied by humid conditions prevail over the region for most part of the year. In addition to this, the new capital region is prone to cyclonic storms in the pre as well as post-monsoon period. As compared to Hyderabad, Amravathi will remain more weather intensive. Cyclonic activities will be witnessed in April-May but the region will see a fair number of cyclones between the months of October and December. The region hardly experiences any winters. Comfort level for outdoor activities will remain on the lower side and the blowing sea breeze will provide only marginal relief from the humid conditions.
Experts from Singapore have already handed over a draft of the master plan for the city. The final draft, after minor tweaking, will be ready in two to three weeks’ time. The estimated amount for building Amravathi stands at Rs. 20,000 crores. The Centre has already shed out Rs. 1,500 crore for the capital with more funding stayed until the final master plan is presented.
The city of Amravathi is located on the banks of river Krishna and takes its name from Lord Amareswara. The city is also known as the Kashi of the south. Amravathi carries a strong Buddhist influence with the likes of Lord Buddha, King Ashoka, and well-known Chinese traveler Hsuan Tsang also believed to have visited the place. Dalai Lama had also conducted a major Buddhist event a few years back in Amravathi, which was recently recognized as a heritage city by the Centre.
Naidu’s elaborate plans about building a grand capital city for Andhra Pradesh face several hindrances. Finance is obviously a priority as bridging the fiscal deficit will be quite challenging. Moreover, although the state government states that farmers have voluntarily parted with 33,000 acres of land for the dream capital, several NGOs and political parties have planned agitations against the alleged ‘takeover’. In short, the financial limitations force us to question the viability of Naidu’s plans for a world-class capital.
