Marina, the first-of-its-kind floating restaurant in Uttarakhand, partly submerges in Tehri Lake

A floating restaurant which had come to symbolise the BJP government's efforts to boost tourism in Uttarakhand sank partially in Tehri Lake on Tuesday.

Half of the floating restaurant, named Marina, submerged in the lake, said SDM Ajay Vir Singh, also the additional chief executive officer of Tehri Lake Special Area Tourism Development Authority.

Efforts were under way to pull out Marina with ropes, wires and power boats, he said.

Read: 34 Indian Fishermen Arrested For Straying Into Pakistan Waters

The factors leading to the boat's submergence are being looked into, he said, indicating that the fall in water level could be one reason.

Marina, the first-of-its-kind boat to have been launched in the Tehri Lake to attract tourists had grabbed headlines last year when the state government held a cabinet meeting there as part of a move to publicise it as a new feature of tourism in Uttarakhand.

However, the boat was not in use for months since its grand opening last year as no one came forward to take the facility on lease and operate it for tourists as planned by the state government.

Read: 8 Feared Dead, Over 20 Missing After A Boat Capsizes In Karnataka's Karwar

Earlier on January 21, 2019, eight people were reportedly killed after a boat capsized near Arabian sea in Karwar region in Karnataka, while people were on their way to a local festival. Over 20 people were known to be missing.