Alappuzha, Kerala: A warship installed at the beach here as part of the Port Museum initiative has become a spot for dumping waste.

The vessel, assigned by the Indian Navy to the Port Museum as part of the Alappuzha Heritage Project, has now become a dumping spot, with paper, plastic bottles, and wrappers being thrown onto the specially constructed platform surrounding the ship.

Many visitors to the jetty use the platform around the ship, eating food and leaving behind plastic and other trash. There are no dustbins or disposal points near the vessel. The beach development has been included in the ‘Swadesh Darshan 2.0’ project, which also allocates provisions for installing dustbins in the area.

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The vessel installed at the beach is the Indian Naval Fast Attack Craft (INFACT-81). The ship was brought to the district in 2020 after being decommissioned. Built at the Goa Shipyard with Israeli assistance, the vessel is 25 meters long and weighs 60 tons. Commissioned in 1999, it was used for commando operations, rescue missions, and defence activities. Maintenance responsibilities lie with the Musiris Project Limited company.

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When will visitors be allowed inside?

Authorities had announced that within four months of its arrival in October 2021, arrangements would be made for visitors to enter and see the vessel. However, four years have passed, and no such arrangements have been made.

At night, the ship and its surroundings remain in darkness. Around ₹20 lakh had been allocated for lighting, painting, and barricades. By December 2024, authorities stated that lighting arrangements for the ship had been completed and submitted to KSEB.

Officials have promised to set up a modern lighting system to showcase the ship’s historical significance without harming its integrity, and said surrounding lights would be turned on within a week.