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.

- SONAL GUPTA

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.