Hyderabad may get underwater world

Hyderabad is likely to have an underwater world showcasing thousands of marine species including sharks, if the ongoing efforts of the Andhra Pradesh government's newly formed APInvest succeed.

The project, first-of-its-kind in the country, will be set up beside the Hussain Sagar lake and may cost anywhere between Rs 100 crore (Rs 1 billion) and Rs 125 crore (Rs 1.25 billion), according to initial estimates.

Singapore-based Centosa Leisure Group, which runs a similar project in that city state, has evinced interest to set up the underwater world project, during a meeting with C S Rao, chief executive officer of APInvest and IT advisor to the state government, in Singapore a couple of days ago.

According to Rao, a team of the Centosa group is visiting Hyderabad on May 6, 2005, to study the place and the prospects for the proposed project.

"We want this project to come up beneath the 90-acre Sanjeevaiah Park located on the banks of Hussain Sagar. This project will be a major tourist attraction," Rao, who returned from Singapore after a three-day official tour on April 17, told Business Standard.

The state tourism department and the Hyderabad Urban Development Authority, which owns the Sanjeevaiah Park, will be involved in the project, he said.

Apart from the underwater world, a 3D and 4D movie screening facility where the audience will travel through a simulated real-life experience, is also being planned by the Centosa group in Hyderabad, Rao said.

According to him, talks are also on with CPG Corporation of Singapore on water treatment and reusable water project, and with Techno 1 Corporation on the Science and Technology Park project at Hyderabad.

"Techno 1 wants a huge chunk of land at commercial prices and proposes to run the park on its own. The state government would provide the infrastructural support if the plan materialises," Rao said.

The business model for the underwater world and other projects is expected to be finalised after the teams from both the companies visit Hyderabad.

CPG group is scheduled to send its delegation on May 23, 2005.

"While we have grown big in medical and spiritual tourism, the state is still lagging behind in recreational tourism. This is all the more required in places like Hyderabad where people from the fast growing IT and bio-tech industry and other professions look forward to quality recreation," Rao said.