Maharashtra govt wants to sink a warship, create artificial reef to draw tourists

MUMBAI: The Maharashtra government wants to sink an old warship off the Sindhudurg coast and convert it into an artificial reef.The plan is part of an ambitious project to draw tourists to the Konkan coast.

The government plans to sink INS Ganga, which was decommissioned earlier this year by the Navy. Twitter.

Shiv Kumar
Tribune News Service
Mumbai, June 15

The Maharashtra government wants to sink an old warship off the Sindhudurg coast and convert it into an artificial reef.

The plan is part of an ambitious project to draw tourists to the Konkan coast.

The government plans to sink INS Ganga, which was decommissioned earlier this year by the Navy.

The idea has been broached by the secretary in the Maharashtra government's tourism department in a letter to naval chief Admiral Karambir Singh.

The sunken ship could become an underwater habitat or an artificial reef, Vinita Vaid Singal, the secretary said in the letter.

The sunken warship would have the potential to become an attractive underwater tourism destination said Singhal.

The area could also become the go-to destination for scuba drivers. The Indian Institute of Scuba Diving and Aquatic Sports is also situated in Sindhudurg.

According to the Maharashtra Tourism Development Corporation (MTDC), it is one of the largest scuba diving schools in the Asia- Pacific region.

Airport, road connectivity to boost tourism in Sindhudurg

As part of the plan to convert Sindhudurg into a major tourist destination, an airport has been developed here.

The improve connectivity, a road connecting Mumbai and Goa which passes through the region is also under construction.

MTDC officials say they are in the process of linking the road to tourist attractions like temples, beaches and places of historical interest.

In her letter, Singal stated that the proposed artificial reef would help create thousands of jobs in the region.

The Maharashtra government had earlier identified a spot off the coast of Sindhudurg for the construction of a 35 metre-deep artificial reef. However, the project was on hold due to financial constraints.

The sinking of the ship is being perceived as a cheaper option, say sources.

A sunken vessel would be covered in corals, sponges, fish and other marine life in a few years according to sources.