Maharashtra’s Sindhudurg district is set to emerge as a major marine tourism hub with India’s first underwater museum and submarine tourism project being developed off its coastline near the Nivati Rock formations, around 500 kilometres from Mumbai.
The initiative is expected to strengthen adventure and marine tourism in the Konkan region, officials said on Thursday.
The Maharashtra Tourism Development Corporation (MTDC) successfully installed the retired Indian Navy warship 'Ex-INS Guldar' on the seabed in the Nivati Rock area of Sindhudurg district on May 19.
This project, implemented in coordination with Mazgaon Dock Shipbuilders Limited, has become a significant step for the Indian tourism sector.
This project is set to emerge as a global marine tourism attraction, informed Tourism Minister Shambhuraj Desai.
This tourist destination will offer guided wreck diving and submarine experiences, discover scuba diving (up to 12 meters), certified diver expeditions (up to 18 meters), advanced diving experiences (up to 30 meters), underwater photography tourism, marine education and research.
Information about diving slots, submarine bookings and tourist facilities will be announced soon through MTDC's official channels, informed Minister Shambhuraj Desai.
This ambitious project has gained momentum under the guidance of Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde and Deputy Chief Minister Sunetra Pawar.
This project is being successfully implemented with the cooperation of Minister of State Indranil Naik, Additional Chief Secretary of the Tourism Department, Sanjay Khandare and Managing Director of MTDC Nilesh Gatne (Bhaprase).
This ambitious project is being developed through MTDC under the Special Assistance to States for Capital Investment (SASCI) scheme of the Ministry of Tourism, Government of India.
The Central Government has approved an amount of Rs 46.91 crore for this project and the Maharashtra Government has approved an amount of Rs 112.46 crore, Shambhuraj Desai also informed.
Ex-INS Guldaar is a 'Magar' class landing ship tank type warship of the Indian Navy.
She also retired from the Indian Navy on January 12, 2024, after serving the nation for 39 years. The ship was inaugurated on December 30, 1985, at the Gdynia Shipyard in Poland.
This 83.9-meter-long ship was used in amphibious warfare operations, troop and logistics transport, coastal security and various naval training missions.
This project will give a major boost to the tourism economy of the entire Konkan coast including Sindhudurg district.
The increasing arrival of tourists from home and abroad will help increase the economic turnover in local businesses, accommodation, transport, food and tourism services.
In the long term, this project will become an important center for local economic development and local employment, as well as complementary businesses.
With the X-INS Guldar project, a world-class submarine tourism experience is being developed in Maharashtra for the first time.
Adventure tourism, scuba diving, underwater exploration and marine tourism will gain a new dimension. It will help in establishing Maharashtra as a leading adventure tourism destination in the country.
The warship installed on the seabed will eventually develop into an artificial reef.
It will also create a conducive environment for marine biodiversity. It will be a protected habitat for various types of fish, marine plants and microorganisms.
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