Yokohama to help make Andhra's Kakinada smart city

Japan's Yokohama City Council has come forward to collaborate with Andhra Pradesh in making Kakinada a smart city.

This was decided here on Wednesday when a delegation from Japan called on Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu.

A delegation led by Naidu had visited Japan and Yokohama's port in November last year.

Yokohama port president Masayuki Takashima and other delegates on Wednesday made a presentation on the development of Yokohama, which is Japan's second largest city.

Officials of the city council said they will visit the port city soon and identify areas of collaboration with the government, said a statement from the Chief Minister's Office.

Naidu told the Japanese delegates that Kakinada was a picturesque place with abundant water and energy availability.

"Currently, there's a four-lane road between Visakhapatnam and Kakinada. Soon, we're planning a beach road that will cover three states and one Union Territory," he said, adding that it also has two ports.

The chief minister sought their expertise in city revamping, waste management, tourism, enhancing infrastructure and civic amenities and reducing pollution.