Kolkata Port to Repurpose Three Pilot Launches for Tourism

21 May 2025 CW Team

Syama Prasad Mookerjee Port, Kolkata, is inviting proposals to convert three of its historic pilot launches — PL Rupsa, PL Hooghly, and PL Gopal — into floating venues for tourism, culture, and leisure along the Hooghly River.

Originally built in the 1990s to guide ships, these vessels are now positioned to serve as floating cafés, mobile museums, heritage cruises, wedding venues, or performance spaces. The initiative seeks to preserve maritime legacy while promoting economic and community development.

PL Rupsa and PL Hooghly, constructed in 1997 with steel hulls, offer one thousand to two thousand square feet of space, accommodating fifty to one hundred guests. PL Gopal, built in 1994 with a fibreglass hull, offers up to one thousand square feet for thirty to fifty people.

Kolkata Port will provide free berthing for repairs and retrofitting, as well as complimentary jetty access for operations. The plan draws inspiration from the earlier restoration of paddle steamer P.S. Bhopal into Bengal Paddle, now used for cruises and cultural events.

Source:Millennium Post

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