VISAKHAPATNAMA three-member delegation from the World Bank on Thursday held a high-level review meeting with senior officials of the Greater Visakhapatnam Municipal Corporation (GVMC) to study the city’s urban framework and identify critical infrastructure gaps.The visit is part of an ongoing exercise to formulate a comprehensive development strategy for the proposed City Economic Region (CER), which falls under the broader Visakhapatnam Economic Region (VER) blueprint.During the session held at the municipal corporation’s headquarters, GVMC Commissioner Ketan Garg made a detailed presentation to the delegation, led by World Bank representative Abhijit Ray. The presentation highlighted the city’s current growth trajectory, priority development zones, and potential areas for international capital investment.Key sectors identifiedMr. Garg briefed the team on several ongoing municipal initiatives, including projects financed under the Urban Challenge Fund, alongside a pipeline of proposed public works. The World Bank’s assessment will focus heavily on long-term infrastructure requirements across several core urban sectors.“The team is conducting a structured evaluation of Visakhapatnam’s civic landscape. The primary focus areas include municipal water supply expansion, underground sewerage and sanitation networks, major roads, and connectivity corridors,” Mr. Garg said, adding that the study would also evaluate urban housing and slum redevelopment modules to ensure inclusive regional growth.Field visits scheduledThe initial round of discussions allowed the delegation to cross-verify GVMC’s existing infrastructure data with future expansion projects required to sustain industrial and economic growth hubs.According to civic officials, the multilateral funding agency’s representatives will begin extensive field inspections across various locations in the city on Friday to gain firsthand insight into the ground realities and project feasibility. Published - June 04, 2026 08:48 pm IST