Visakhapatnam, July 24th: North Andhra is becoming a hub for nuclear activity. On July 26, the Prime Minister will launch the trail run of India’s first nuclear submarine from Visakhapatnam. A centre of the Bhabha Atomic Research Centre has been sanctioned. The BARC facility at Achyutapuram near here will be the new regional centre of the country’s premier atomic research institute. It will also house the Homi Bhabha National Institute, a deemed university offering graduate programmes in nuclear sciences.

The Nuclear Corporation of India and APGenco will be setting up a 2,000-mega watt nuclear power plant at Kovvada in Srikakulam district. This is the first time that NPCL has joined hands with a state utility. Visakhapatnam is also home to the Eastern Naval Command (ENC) which plays a crucial role in safeguarding the country’s eastern front and providing security to Indian ports, harbors, oil platforms and other maritime assets and resources in India’s Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ). A new naval base is being set up at Rambilli, 50 km south of Vizag which is designed to help protect the country’s trade with south-east Asia and monitor China’s naval presence in the Bay of Bengal. This new base will further bolster the Andaman and Nicobar Command, which is vital for India’s economic and strategic relations with South-east Asian neighbors.