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Updated February 10th, 2021 at 14:05 IST

Indian aircraft carrier Viraat's dismantling stayed by Supreme Court; 30% work done so far

The Supreme Court on Wednesday ordered status quo on the dismantling of India's decommissioned aircraft carrier 'Viraat' which was in service with the Navy.

Reported by: Jay Pandya
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The Supreme Court on Wednesday ordered status quo on the dismantling of India's decommissioned aircraft carrier 'Viraat' which was in service with the Indian Navy for nearly three decades.

A bench headed by Chief Justice S A Bobde issued notice to the Centre and the company that bought the ship from the government seeking their responses on a plea filed by Envitech Marine Consultants Private Limited which seeks preservation of the ship from being dismantled and for creating it as a museum. However, the ship has been dismantled by over 30% when the apex court's order came on Wednesday.

More than 30% of dismantling work over

Last month, a Gujarat-based ship breaker had said that around 30% dismantling work of India's decommissioned aircraft carrier 'Viraat' has been completed and the entire vessel would be dismantled in nine months. Mukesh Patel, Chairman of the Shree Ram Group at Alang in Bhavnagar district which bought Viraat at an auction in July last year for Rs 38.54 crore, said the firm began the dismantling process in December.

It is being dismantled with the help of around 300 trained workers at one of the plots owned by shipbreaking firm, Patel said. "We started the dismantling process in December last year and hope to finish the task in the next eight to nine months. We are following the global norms on eco-friendly ship breaking," he said. Viraat had reached the Alang ship breaking yard from Mumbai in September.

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There was a campaign on social media to save the warship and convert it into a maritime heritage museum but nothing came out of it. Envitech Marine Consultants had approached Patel to acquire the ship for converting it into a museum, for which Patel had sought Rs 100 crore and a NOC from the Central government for the resale.

"I was ready to sell the ship for converting it into a museum and even delayed the dismantling for about two months. But that company could not procure the NOC from the Centre, which is mandatory in such deals," said Patel.

The Centre in July 2019 informed the Parliament that the decision to scrap Viraat was taken after due consultation with the Indian Navy. The centaur-class aircraft carrier, INS Viraat, was in service with the Indian Navy for 29 years before being decommissioned in March 2017. Viraat is the second aircraft carrier to be dismantled in India. In 2014, Vikrant was dismantled in Mumbai.

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(With agency inputs)

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Published February 10th, 2021 at 14:04 IST

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