VISAKHAPATNAM: Stepping up efforts to convert the Bangladeshi cargo vessel MV Maa, which ran aground during the recent cyclone, into a floating restaurant to attract tourists, the Tourism Department has started negotiations with its owners to acquire the ship.
As per the initial proposal, once it is converted, the ship will have two restaurants on the deck and of which one will be a family restaurant. A convention hall will be set up in the bottom portion of the ship.
“A hanging bridge with wood or rope will be constructed from the beach to the ship as part of the project,’’ sources in the Tourism Department said on Saturday. The Tourism Department has approached the Maritime University and Marine Engineering Department of Andhra University to get a DPR for the proposed restaurant.
Tourism officials begin negotiations with MV Maa owners to acquire it
“We have already conducted a preliminary survey on the safety of the ship, which ran aground at Tenneti Park in the city. The studies were conducted during low tide and high tide,’’ the sources said, adding that the Marine University and the Marine Engineering Department will conduct further studies on the condition of the hull of the ship.
Similar study was conducted when INS Kurusura, a submarine of the Indian Navy, was brought to the shore and later converted into a museum.
“It has been proposed to construct a concrete platform around the ship, which will be tied to brackets fixed to the platform so that the ship will be in a fixed position and can withstand even if there are high tides,’’ a tourism official said. The place where the ship is now lying is hard rock and it did not tilt even one inch since it washed ashore on October 12.
“The local agent of the ship, Bhupesh, told us that since there were no anchors of the ship it had to be taken to drydock. But port authorities insisted on the fitness certificate of the ship since they anticipate trouble if the ship gets stuck in harbour channel while towing to the dockyard. In view of the difficulty in getting the certification, the owner of the ship abandoned it,’’ the official said.
A committee with revenue, police and port authorities is currently pursuing the proposal to convert the 80-meterlong ship into a restaurant.
Minister for Tourism Muttamsetti Srinivasa Rao on Saturday said when they mooted the proposal to convert the ship into a restaurant, Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy responded to it positively and asked them to go ahead.
Meanwhile, caretaker of the ship CEO of Marine Gills Surendra Singh Gill told The New Indian Express that tourism officials approached him to buy the ship. “They have already held preliminary discussions and further discussions will be held next week,’’ he said and added that it is a good move to convert the ship into a restaurant.