Tamil Nadu yet to decide on using old submarine as museum

The Tamil Nadu government is yet to decide on accepting as a gift the decommissioned naval submarine, INS Vela, for converting it into a museum based in Chennai, said an official of the National Maritime Foundation (NMF) on Thursday.

'A naval museum out of a submarine will be a good revenue earner as well as remind us about our great maritime tradition,' Regional Director of NMF S.Shekhar told reporters

According to Shekhar, the state government has to send its views to the defence ministry after which necessary action would be taken.

'The submarine-museum could be a shore based one - at Marina - or it could be somewhere inside Chennai. The latter option would entail cutting the submarine and bringing it here from Vishakapatnam and welding it back,' Shekhar said.

INS Vela had served the Indian navy for 37 years and was decommissioned last year.

Shekhar said another decommissioned naval submarine INS Kursura has been converted into a museum in 2002 and is attracting crowds in Vishakapatnam in Andhra Pradesh.