VISAKHAPATNAM: The Visakhapatnam chapter of the AP Federation of Resident Welfare Associations (APFERWAS) on Saturday disputed the claims by P Basanth Kumar, the metropolitan commissioner of the Visakhapatnam Metropolitan Region Development Authority (VMRDA) about the protest made by citizens against the integrated museum and tourism project at the Beach Road.Responding to the claim made by Kumar in an interview with TOI on December 5, Uday Shirname, president of the APFERWAS Visakhapatnam chapter, said, "Firstly, he calls our protest against the proposed underground carriageway/ parking lot and the submarine museum as an 'orchestrated campaign' by a group of local people from Kirlampudi Layout, Pandurangapuram, Lawsons Bay Colony...of about 70 to 80 people along with their families and friends'."Nothing can be more flippant and further from the truth. This is a spontaneous reaction by residents of the beachfront colonies to the government's ridiculous proposal to dig up the Beach Road to an extent of nearly 1 km at its most vulnerable portion, where erosion of the beach and the adjoining beachfront by surging sea waters has been at its maximum over the past few years," Shirname said in a statement. The residents are justifiably alarmed at this reckless proposal, therefore have rightfully protested. One can imagine the chaos created for months together, if not years, the terrible inconvenience to all Beach Road users, and of course, the risk of constructing a huge underground parking lot so close to the sea," he said. "If not for our protest, this part of the project would not have been dropped," he claimed.He reminded Kumar that before the public hearing on the project at the Vuda Children's Arena on October 7, where the administration was criticized for taking up the project, a group of citizens had met him in his office.Shirname also took exception to Kumar's contention that "the same voices had made the same noises" with regard to the setting up of the TU142 Museum. "This is patently untrue, because we had not protested against this project," the APFERWAS official said. "We would also like to remind him and the government that the Beach Road belongs to the citizens of the city, and that there is so much more of it to be developed for tourists.

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