Converting the Bangladeshi vessel MV Maa, which ran aground near Tenneti Park and was subsequently written off as a total loss, into a tourist spot will prove to be an uphill task for the State government.
The Government of Andhra Pradesh has already entered into a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Shore and Ship Resorts Private Limited to convert the ship into a tourist spot — with a restaurant on board — via the Public-Private-Partnership (PPP) route. However, the first challenge is to ensure that the ship remains in the same position in which it has run aground. Another challenge is to maintain the integrity of the ship’s structure and not compromise on Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ) norms.
MV Maa, the 3,000-tonne Bangladeshi vessel, which was earlier called Hai Phong-45 and sailed under a Vietnamese flag, ran aground near Tenneti Park on October 13, 2020 due to bad weather. After attempts to tow it out failed, a private company named Gill Marines took over the ship, and its subsidiary Shore and Ship Resorts signed an agreement with the Andhra Pradesh Tourism Development Corporation (APTDC) to convert it into a restaurant.
But the challenge begins now, say experts. The ship ran aground at a critical angle and it now sits on a bed of rocks. Even after emptying all of its ballast and oil, the ship sits with a tilt of 7 to 9 degrees on the starboard side.
“This was our initial challenge: level the tilt and set the angle right as far as possible, so that the ship is positioned parallel to the beach, as it would be difficult for the tourists to board the ship at a critical angle,” says K. Ratna Tej Reddy of Building Grammar, the architect for the project.
Taking advantage of the high tides under the impact of Cyclone Jawad, contractors used a couple of crawler-mounted heavy earthmovers to correct the tilt, as well as set the angle right, taking advantage of the buoyancy. “There is a slight tilt, but it would be corrected,” he said.
The ship is over 13 years old and a year of exposure to the humid climate in Visakhapatnam has led to the ship picking up a coat of rust.
“The most important thing is to keep the ship in its current position. Even though it sits on a bed of rocks, the buoyancy factor during high tides can dislodge the ship and change its angle and tilt. Keeping this in mind, we are tethering it with mooring ropes and chains to plates anchored and secured to the bedrocks. The plates are fixed with 30 mm bolts that are secured to a depth of about 1 m inside the rocks and can withstand the stress and tension. We are also trying to create an artificial breakwater on the starboard side to reduce the impact of the waves and current,” says Mr. Ratna Tej, adding that a sand bank would be created in the future to reduce the impact of waves lashing the hull.
Elaborate plans
The private firm has drawn up elaborate plans for the project, which can cost up to ₹10 crore.
“The plan is to convert both the cargo hatches into a restaurant. While the iron cover of one hatch will give way to a see-through glass ceiling, the other hatch will have seating arrangements on the deck too. We intend to have a seating capacity of 200, both on deck and below the deck combined. This apart, we intend to use the bow and the stern areas as restaurant space,” he says.
The architecture plan provides parking space for 30 cars on the beachfront, a pathway leading to the ship, a private area which would comprise of a beach cafe and coconut grove with umbrellas and a public place with shacks and adventure sports.
“We have plans to have a swimming pool with the beachfront cafe or restaurant and an artificial waterfall. All structures will be temporary and eco-friendly, as per the CRZ norms, including the pathway, Mr. Ratna Tej says. The project is expected to be ready in a year’s time if things go according to plan, says the firm.
