[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]Indian Navy’s former flagship, INS Viraat, will be retired after nearly six decades in service. Sinking Viraat and converting into a major tourist attraction for divers is one of the plans being considered for the ship, Navy Chief Sunil Lanba said.
“One proposal could be that we convert her into a marine museum by taking her to one of our major tourist harbors and sink her in the water and make her into a dive site… where some aircraft carriers have been put to rest also… and she would be there as a legacy,” Admiral Lanba said.
He also said if no buyer is found for the ship in four months, it will be broken up and sold for scrap. “It depends on who buds and gets the contract,” said the Navy Chief, asked whether the ship was headed to Alang in Gujarat to be broken down.
The Andhra Pradesh government had proposed the idea of converting the old ship into a museum, but the project will cost almost Rs. 1,000 crore.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]
