Visakhapatnam: Abandoned vessel mv maa to turn into floating restaurant

Visakhapatnam: The 'MV Maa' vessel of Bangladesh will be transformed into a floating restaurant which would be a wonderful tourist destination in the coming days, said Tourism Minister Muttamsetti Srinivasa Rao.

Speaking to the media here on Thursday, the minister said the Bangladeshi vessel, which drifted from the anchorage point and ran aground near Tenneti Park last year, would be open for public viewing.

He said the vessel would be converted into a tourist spot wherein a restaurant will be developed to accommodate about 500 people. He mentioned the restaurant and an open rooftop would stand out as a special attraction. The project will be developed on a PPP basis and completed within the timeframe of four months.

Srinivasa Rao mentioned that the floating restaurant would be the first of its kind in the East Coast.

Further, the minister said a jetty has been sanctioned as a part of the cruise tourism and it will be available to tourists by next year. The minister mentioned that the State government is keen on turning Visakhapatnam into a major tourist hub. He said the Central and the State governments would develop the tourism sector in a PPP mode.

The 80-metre Bangladeshi vessel was ran aground due to strong winds in October last year.