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States » EastPosted at: May 14 2025 7:14PM


Kolkata Port offers three old vessels for tourism on the Hooghly

Kolkata, May 14 (UNI) The Shyama Prasad Mookerjee Port here has decided to offer three of its pilot vessels for conversion into dynamic floating venues for tourism, culture, and leisure, a top official said on Wednesday.
The port is inviting proposals to repurpose three of its historic pilot launches—P.L. Rupsa, P.L. Hooghly and P.L. Gopal.
These boats date back to the late 1990s and were originally used to help ships navigate the Hooghly River. Now, they present an exciting opportunity to become cultural landmarks.
This move aims at using boats as heritage tourism along the Hooghly River. Inspired by successful initiatives like P. S. Bhopal, a paddle steamer, which has been renamed as ‘Bengal Paddle’ and operated for events and heritage tours, the port authorities now seek to reuse the boats as floating cafés, for heritage cruises, mobile museums, wedding venues, and performance spaces.

Built in 1997, the P.L. Rupsa and P.L. Hooghly feature sturdy steel hulls and spacious dimensions, measuring 32.90 meters in length, 6.00 meters in breadth, and 3.80 meters in depth.
Each vessel has a gross registered tonnage (GRT) of 105 tons and provides between 1,000 and 2,000 square feet of usable space, making them ideal for hosting 50 to 100 guests.
The P.L. Gopal, on the other hand, was constructed in 1994 with a fiberglass-reinforced plastic (FRP) hull, measures 19.00 metres in length and can accommodate 30 to 50 people within an 800 to 1,000 square foot usable area. Each of these vessels hold significant potential to be transformed into attractive, revenue-generating assets, port spokesperson Sanjay Mukherjee said.
The port is now seeking participation from a diverse group of stakeholders for the new initiative.
The focus is on developing concepts for multi-cuisine restaurants, themed dining experiences, and cultural spaces that will celebrate the rich history and vibrant contemporary culture of Bengal.

To facilitate the transformation of these heritage vessels, the Kolkata Port also offered free berthing at the Kolkata Dock System (KDS) for necessary repairs and retrofitting, along with complimentary jetty space for embarking and disembarking passengers and operational staff during service.

This initiative is part of SMP, Kolkata’s larger vision to rejuvenate Kolkata’s historic riverfront by seamlessly blending tourism, culture, and commerce while paying homage to the city’s rich maritime legacy. UNI PC BD SSP
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