MV Maa to be converted into a floating restaurant in Vizag

Visakhapatnam: The 3,000-tonne Bangladeshi merchant vessel MV Maa that got drifted ashore at Tenneti Park in Visakhapatnam is going to be converted into a floating restaurant.

With Visakhapatnam Port Trust giving assurance on its safety aspects, the 80-metre-long vessel is soon going to be developed into a floating restaurant that also comprises other amenities.

Along with TU-142 AirCraft Museum and INS Kursura Museum that drew international tourists, the sea restaurant will add to the tourist attractions list next.

As part of converting the vessel into a sea restaurant, a jetty will be constructed along with other facilities that ensures safety standards. "Efforts are on to bring this facility to the tourists at the earliest," said Tourism Minister Muttamsetti Srinivasa Rao.

The Bangladeshi vessel was anchored at Visakhapatnam at the anchorage area on September 19 in ballast condition to load 2,800 MT of Quartzite for the Port of Mongla. Due to heavy swell owing to the deep depression the ship lost its anchor on October 13. Though steps were taken up to refloat the vessel, it did not work out even after the removal of fuel oil stocked onboard.

Now, the tourism department plans to purchase it as scrap only to redevelop it into another major tourist attraction in the City of Destiny. "Already, we have brought the proposal to the notice of Chief Minister Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy who readily welcomed it. Tourism Department MD is in talks with the Bangladeshi vessel management and discussions are in the final stage. Once the ship is handed over to the department, works related to the floating restaurant will be commence," says the Tourism Minister.

Since the ship got damaged and the exercise of refloating it turns out to be expensive affair, the Bangladeshi ship management decided to sell it as scrap. AP Tourism has come forward to seize the opportunity and add another tourist spot to Visakhapatnam.