Latest news with #INSGuldar
Indian Express
2 days ago
- Business
- Indian Express
Daily Briefing: Brief pause on US-India trade negotiations
Good morning, In a first in India, a decommissioned Indian Navy warship, INS Guldar, will soon be sunk, deliberately, where it will be transformed into an artificial reef, and would act as an underwater tourist attraction. Located in Maharashtra's coastal Sindhuburg district, the underwater museum-cum- artificial reef will witness at least 71,000 tourists visiting the site in its first year. If successful, this would become India's first operational submarine tourism experience. My colleague Sonal Gupta, in our latest Express Specials, dives deeper into the process of scuttling, and explains how an artificial reef is created. With that, let's move on the top 5 stories from today's edition: 🚨 Big Story Uncertainty: Negotiations between India and the US for a trade agreement have hit a pause, just two days after US President Donald Trump escalated tensions between the two countries by doubling tariffs on India to 50 per cent, the highest globally. Moreover, the arrival of the US trade team is uncertain, given absence of any communication from the US side. The halt comes after New Delhi decided to dig in its heels over market access in the agricultural sector, with Prime Minister Narendra Modi assuring that he 'personally will have to pay a very heavy price', but he was 'ready for it'. Modi-Putin talks: Amid strained ties with the US, PM Modi held a conversation with President Vladimir Putin over phone on Friday to discuss 'the latest developments on Ukraine' and 'reaffirm' their 'commitment to further deepen the India-Russia Special and Privileged Strategic Partnership'. This call comes three days after Russia criticised Trump's tariff action and backed India's right to choose its trading partners. Meanwhile, the Kremlin has issued a statement indicating a likely meeting between Putin and Trump next week over the war in Ukraine. HPCL clears the air: Amid US' criticism of India's import of Russian crude oil, Public sector refiner Hindustan Petroleum Corporation (HPCL) chairman Vikas Kaushal said that the company has cut down on processing Russian oil as it has lost much of its price advantage over competing crude grades. He, however, clarified that the move is not because of geopolitical considerations or any signal from the government. In the absence of a directive from the government, the refiner is free to look for alternatives if it were to completely stop buying Russian crude in the future due to any sanctions-related reason, Kaushal said. ⚡ Only in Express From meetings at the Yorkshire Cricket Club, a roller-coaster series for Rishabh Pant, Ben Duckett's knock that helped England win, a missing cat, Shubman Gill's 269, India's victory at the Test, ritual days at Lord's, the Gujarat Express restaurant shop, Curator vs Gambhir, to Mohammad Siraj winning hearts, India's tour of England has been all joy, and little emo. In his latest Sports column, Sandeep Dwivedi takes us through the days of Indian cricketers' time in England during an enthralling series, highlighting how they kept the 'thrill' going despite all odds. 💡 Express Explained Over the past few weeks, Mumbai civic authorities have cracked down on the feeding of pigeons in public places in the city, acting on directives issued by the state government and the Bombay High Court. Public opinion has remained divided between those who have welcomed the action, citing health concerns linked with the birds, and critics including animal rights activists and members of the Jain community, for whom the feeding of pigeons holds religious significance. Why is the feeding of pigeons significant? Where does the matter stand now? We explain. ✍️ Express Opinion In our Opinion section today, Pulapre Balakrishnan highlights the need for India to assert its sovereignty in times of escalating trade tensions with the United States. He writes: 'Despite the naivete he has displayed in his dealings with Trump, Prime Minister Modi is not responsible for his perfidy. In dealing with the national emergency that we now face, he needs to be supported politically. Every section of India depends on oil, almost all of which is imported. It is indisputably in India's interest to assure its supply even as we reduce our dependence on it.' 🍿 Movie Review Wondering what to watch this weekend? We've got you covered! Debutant Director Eva Victor's comedy-drama 'Sorry, Baby' has hit the screens, bringing you a story of assault, pain, loneliness and angst, told with a dash of humour and humanity. Calling it 'bitingly real,' Shubhra Gupta, in her review, writes: 'What is remarkable about Victor's Sundance breakout, a taut 104 minutes, is the way it refuses to position Agnes as a classic victim, even though there's enough reason for it… we see how Victor refuses to box in her character, showing Agnes's leaning into her assaulter's circle of charm – you can see a mutual attraction spark at an admiring glance or text– as something completely natural.' That's all for today. Have a lovely weekend! Until next time, Ariba
Indian Express
4 days ago
- General
- Indian Express
In Maharashtra port, ship waits to be sunk, start new life as artificial reef
AT THE Vijaydurg port, a natural harbour in Maharashtra's coastal Sindhudurg district, an 81-metre-long piece of naval history lies still against the blue of the Arabian Sea, awaiting its second innings. INS Guldar, a decommissioned Navy warship, will soon be deliberately sunk — or 'scuttled' — to breathe new life into its metal bones, transforming it into an artificial reef and an underwater tourist attraction. Though scuttled ships have been used to create artificial reefs elsewhere in the world, this is the first such attempt in India. 'The idea behind this project is to develop tourism in Sindhudurg. When the ship is submerged, it will gradually form an underwater reef that attracts various kinds of fish. Once that happens, people from all over the world, especially avid scuba divers, will come to the district,' says an official of the Maharashtra Tourism Development Corporat-ion (MTDC) who is associated with the project. Home to MTDC's Indian Institute of Scuba Diving and Aquatic Sports (IISDA), Sindhudurg, 120 km from Goa, has been a training centre for scuba diving enthusiasts for over a decade. Had all gone according to plan, INS Guldar would have been scuttled in April. Officials said its scuttling was postponed in view of tensions between India and Pakistan after the April 22 terror attack in Pahalgam. An official at the Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders Limited, the government-run firm responsible for the scuttling, said the process was delayed further due to the early arrival of monsoon in Maharashtra. 'Too much wind or rough seas can topple the ship, which means it won't go down as planned. We are waiting for a lull in the monsoon (to carry out the scuttling),' the official adds. The ageing INS Guldar, a Kumbhir-class landing ship designed for amphibious warfare and capable of beach landings, was once part of India's peacekeeping mission in Sri Lanka, combating attacks from the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), the Tamil separatist group, across the beaches of Jaffna and Trincomalee in the island nation. The plan to acquire a ship for scuttling took off in December 2023, when the MTDC hosted Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, then Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde and then Deputy CM Devendra Fadnavis in Sindhudurg on the occasion of Navy Day. Chief of Naval Staff Admiral Dinesh Kumar Tripathi, who was then the Flag Officer Commanding-in-Chief, Western Naval Command, was also in attendance. The MTDC is learnt to have asked Admiral Tripathi for a decommissioned ship as a 'token of gift' to the state tourism department so that it could be turned into an 'underwater museum and artificial reef' at Sindhudurg. The Maharashtra Tourism Development Corporation hopes to transform INS Guldar into an underwater tourist attraction. Scuttling is usually a wartime tactic involving the deliberate sinking of a vessel — in case of an emergency or to prevent it from falling into enemy hands. On November 26, 2024, the Union Finance Ministry green-lit the project, followed by a nod from the Maharashtra government on December 19, 2024. On February 21, 2025, the Navy handed over INS Guldar to the MTDC on an 'as is where is' basis at Karwar in Karnataka. Built at Poland's Gdynia Shipyard, INS Guldar was commissioned into the Indian Navy nearly four decades ago, in 1985. It was first based in Visakhapatnam, where it was used for amphibious warfare, transferring troops and equipment and for disaster relief operations. In 1995, it joined the Andaman and Nicobar command, where it served until its decommissioning on January 12, 2024, according to a statement by the Navy. The underwater museum-cum-artificial reef project is estimated to cost Rs 78 crore. The Centre will bear nearly 60% of the total cost and the state government the rest, said an MTDC official. According to the Detailed Project Report (DPR) accessed by The Indian Express, the Sindhudurg site will have a carrying capacity of 2,773 divers daily, spread over six diving sessions in an eight-hour operational period. The MTDC expects at least 71,000 tourists to visit the site in the first year, with the figure projected to go up to 1.10 lakh within a decade. Talking about the underwater museum-cum-artificial reef project, an official said every ship has a scuttling plan that the captain follows to deliberately sink the ship – usually 'in case of an emergency or to prevent it from falling into enemy hands'. The process of scuttling, he said, follows the Archimedes principle, which states that the buoyant force keeping an object afloat is equal to the weight of the water the object displaces. Simply put, for a ship to sink, it must be filled with water to achieve negative buoyancy. 'To achieve that, the ship's sea chest (a compartment built into the hull below the waterline) will be opened to flood the engine room. The front section will also be flooded simultaneously in a controlled manner,' the official says, adding that the process will take up to 10 hours. According to the DPR, the ship, which has been stripped of all pollutants that may harm marine life, will be sunk to a depth of nearly 30 metres. Once submerged, INS Guldar, which has a flat bottom, will simply sit on the seabed, around 3 km from existing scuba diving sites near Malvan and Tarkali beaches or around 15 km off the coast of Sindhudurg, near the Vengurla Rocks in the Arabian Sea. The DPR states that non-certified divers who have completed pool training will be allowed to dive down to a depth of 12 metres; certified divers up to 18 metres, which will give them access to the middle parts of the ship; and advanced divers to the deepest part of the ship, including the hull and the seabed. For non-divers, the MTDC plans to acquire a 24-seater submarine, offering tourists a 20-minute panoramic underwater view of the shipwreck. To enhance employment prospects in Sindhudurg, the MTDC plans to train locals in scuba diving, boat handling and as tourist guides. If successful, this could become India's first operational submarine tourism experience. Gujarat had announced a similar project at the Bet Dwarka island in 2023. While the scuba diving plan is expected to take off as soon as the ship is scuttled, experts say it could take a year or more for a reef to 'fully establish and function as essential habitat'. Alex Fogg, Natural Resources Chief of Florida's Okaloosa County in the United States, says that while fish appear 'almost immediately', the formation of an artificial reef is dependent on a number of factors – from the size of the vessel to the depth at which it is sunk, and its proximity to another reef. 'Larger, more complex vessels in shallower waters tend to establish more quickly,' Fogg explains. 'That's not to say smaller or deeper reefs aren't beneficial, they are just a different community.' Okaloosa County deployed its first artificial reef off Destin-Fort Walton Beach in 1976. Today, it hosts over 500 artificial reefs created from concrete structures, old bridge materials, military equipment, and decommissioned vessels. Marine biologist Vardhan Patankar too says that while the sunken ship could still make for a good scuba diving site since 'it will attract fish and a variety of associated invertebrates', whether it will be a viable reef with diverse composition is debatable. He says, 'An artificial reef is created when free-flowing larvae from a parent reef find another hard substratum (a layer of something, like rock or soil, below another layer). When that happens, they settle and thrive.' Patankar explains, 'Larvae can stay alive for a day and usually settle where their parents are. So, they are not going to come all the way from Angria Bank (a natural reef over 100 km away from Sindhudurg) to this site. They will most likely come from Sindhudurg, where the species composition is low.' Sonal Gupta is a senior sub-editor on the news desk. She writes feature stories and explainers on a wide range of topics from art and culture to international affairs. She also curates the Morning Expresso, a daily briefing of top stories of the day, which won gold in the 'best newsletter' category at the WAN-IFRA South Asian Digital Media Awards 2023. She also edits our newly-launched pop culture section, Fresh Take. ... Read More
News18
10-06-2025
- Business
- News18
'In-depth Viewership': INS Guldar Set To Become India's First Underwater Museum
Last Updated: The 1,120-tonne vessel measuring 83.9 metres long and 9.7 metres wide, was retired on January 12, 2024, and gifted to Maharashtra Tourism Development Corporation by Indian Navy In a groundbreaking move, the decommissioned Indian Navy warship INS Guldar is set to become India's first underwater museum and artificial coral reef, nestled near Nivati Rock in Sindhudurg's Vengurla taluka, Maharashtra. This ambitious project, aimed at boosting marine conservation and tourism, was launched virtually by chief minister Devendra Fadnavis, with deputy chief ministers Eknath Shinde and Ajit Pawar, along with key ministers and officials, in attendance. Officials said it's a historic step, blending heritage, ecology, and adventure to create a unique destination. The INS Guldar, a 1,120-tonne vessel measuring 83.9 metres long and 9.7 metres wide, was retired on January 12, 2024. Gifted to the Maharashtra Tourism Development Corporation (MTDC) by the Indian Navy at no cost, with approvals from Prime Minister Narendra Modi and defence minister Rajnath Singh, the ship was transported from Port Blair to Karwar Naval Base at the Navy's expense, saving significant costs for the state. On February 22, 2024, MTDC took official possession, and by March 16, 2025, the ship was safely towed to Vijaydurg in Sindhudurg. The Maharashtra Maritime Board permitted the vessel to be docked at its Vijaydurg jetty for six to seven months, free of charge. The project, funded with Rs 46.91 crore by the union tourism ministry on December 27, 2024, under the Special Assistance to States for Capital Investment scheme, involves transforming the INS Guldar into an underwater attraction. Environmentally cleaned by April 15, 2025, the ship is now ready for scuttling near Nivati Rock, a task assigned to Mazagaon Dock Shipbuilders Limited on April 16, 2025. Once submerged, the vessel will foster coral growth, creating a vibrant marine ecosystem. This will pave the way for scuba diving and, in the future, submarine tours, offering tourists a thrilling glimpse of the underwater world. This initiative, a first for India, draws inspiration from similar projects worldwide. It promises to put Sindhudurg on the global tourism map while promoting marine biodiversity. The MTDC, led by managing director Manoj Kumar Suryavanshi and general manager Chandrashekhar Jaiswal, is working closely with local authorities, including Sindhudurg's district collector Anil Patil, to ensure its success. By blending history with eco-tourism, officials say the INS Guldar underwater museum will offer an unforgettable experience, inviting adventurers to explore a sunken warship surrounded by thriving coral reefs. First Published:
Hindustan Times
12-05-2025
- Politics
- Hindustan Times
Indo-Pak tensions, early onset of monsoon delay marine museum project in Sindhudurg
India's first marine (underwater) museum and artificial reef project slated to come up in Sindhudurg district under the supervision of the Maharashtra Tourism Development Corporation (MTDC) will be delayed due to the ongoing geopolitical situation between India and Pakistan and the early onset of the southwest monsoon as forecast by the India Meteorological Department (IMD). Globally, sinking decommissioned vessels to create artificial reefs has emerged as a widely accepted practice, offering dual benefits. This approach is not only ecologically sustainable but also economically viable, providing a responsible solution for repurposing retired ships while promoting marine biodiversity. This practice also helps in preserving the historical legacy of the ship/vessel. Borrowing a leaf from this and in a bid to encourage marine tourism in Maharashtra, the MTDC came up with the ambitious project of a marine (underwater) museum – the first such museum in the country. In February this year, the MTDC acquired INS Guldar – a naval warship retired in January 2024 after serving the Indian Navy for 40 years. Thereafter, chief minister Devendra Fadnavis announced that the marine museum project would be completed in 100 days and an action plan for the same was prepared by the MTDC. The project was planned in a phased manner, and the fourth phase of the project was to take place on Sunday, May 11 wherein the retired warship was to be submerged in seawaters off the Sindhudurg coast at a depth of 20 to 22 metres. Furthermore, various sections were to be developed for fish and other aquatic animals, and a separate section was planned for coral walls. Moreover, a formal ceremony was planned by the MTDC on this occasion to be attended by the chief minister. Due to the ongoing geopolitical situation between India and Pakistan however, the state and even more so its coastal areas have been placed on high alert. As such, sinking of the retired warship in the sea off the Sindhudurg coast could not be carried out and the ceremony had to be called off. Furthermore, with the IMD forecast of the southwest monsoon arriving in Kerala early on May 27, fishermen in coastal areas have been warned against setting sail after May 20. Due to all this, the fourth phase of the marine museum project has been delayed. A senior official from MTDC said that commencement of the fourth phase of the marine museum project is likely to be delayed and that the MTDC is now considering whether to dock the ship in a nearby dockyard or anchor and safeguard it at its existing place. Deepak Harne, regional manager, MTDC, said, 'As part of the fourth phase, the warship will be submerged in seawater where the museum is planned. As the ceremony was cancelled on May 11, the warship is currently anchored in Vijaydurg. The ceremony is unlikely to take place anytime soon. Moreover, the fishing community and the marine tourism institutions are instructed to avoid entering the sea after May 20 as the weather conditions are likely to become unpredictable.' 'The warship has to be tugged from the area where it is anchored to the area where it will be submerged for which we need to cross two estuaries which is risky given the weather forecast. Hence, MTDC is now considering other options for the warship. MTDC is considering docking the ship safely in a nearby dockyard or safeguarding it at its current location. The decision on the same is yet to be taken,' Harne said. The marine museum project is now most likely to commence after the monsoon season. The project In January 2024, INS Guldar, a naval warship was retired after serving in the Indian Navy for 40 years. The warship was handed over to MTDC in February 2025 for the marine museum project, which was the first phase of the entire project. In the second phase, the engineless warship was tugged to the shore of Vijaydurg area in Sindhudurg district. In the third phase, the warship was cleaned thoroughly to prepare it for the museum setup. In the fourth phase, the warship was to be submerged in sea water at a depth of 20 to 22 metres. Also, various sections were to be developed for fish and other aquatic animals. A separate section was planned for coral walls. Following this, a fifth phase was to be launched which included training for scuba diving guides, commissioning of special tourist boats etc. The museum was expected to be opened for tourists six to seven months after the warship was submerged. With this project, the MTDC intends to create a record in the Lincoln Book of Records. Moreover, the project also aims to create awareness about marine ecosystems by providing a first-hand experience of marine ecosystems at this museum.
