In a first marine conservation initiative of its kind, the Indian Navy has handed over its de-commissioned ship Ex INS Guldar, a landing ship tank (medium), to Maharashtra Tourism Development Corporation Limited (MTDC) for conversion as an underwater museum and artificial reef.
The de-commissioned ship was on Friday handed over to the state-run MTDC at Karwar on 'as is where is' basis.
Having the ship under its charge to convert her into an underwater museum and artificial reef, the MTDC will undertake complete cleaning of the vessel to remove any potential pollutants or hazardous materials and seek environmental clearances as per guidelines for marine conservation, obtaining various NOCs, and scuttle the ship at Sindhudurg by ensuring all safety precautions.
The INS Guldar (A Polnocny Class Landing Ship) was built at Gdynia Shipyard, Poland and was commissioned into the Indian Navy on December 30 1985. The ship was part of the Eastern Naval Command from 1985 to 1995 before being repositioned at Andaman and Nicobar Command, where she served till her decommissioning on January 12, 2024.
The ship rendered 39 years of service to the nation, during which she sailed for over 3,900 days and successfully conducted over 490 beaching operations to land Army troops ashore. The ship participated in various operations beyond her primary landing ship role, including Op Aman, Op Azad, Op Pawan and Op Tasha.
The project — involving conversion of the ship into an underwater museum and artificial reef — holds significant potential for showcasing marine conservation and creating livelihood opportunities for coastal communities and elevating India's stature in underwater tourism.
Beyond the environmental benefits, the project will provide an opportunity to convert it into an artificial reef to preserve the history of the vessel for centuries to come. "Each ship carries the stories of its service and the brave sailors who served on them. By transforming a ship into an underwater museum and artificial reef, their historical legacy is immortalised, allowing future generations to learn about and appreciate its significance in India's naval heritage," the Indian Navy said in a news release,
"From an environmental perspective, the sunken wrecks can play a crucial role in enhancing the local ecosystem. These underwater structures provide a shelter for a diverse range of organisms, rapidly establishing thriving marine ecosystems that can be preserved for extended periods," the Navy stated.
"The first initiative of its kind will also provide an opportunity to the Indian Navy to create diving training at the scuttled ship site, further enhancing collaboration between it and the MTDC," the release added.
