Floating restaurant to come up in Surat soon

The city could well have its first floating restaurant, which has been cleared by the state tourism department.

The floating restaurant will have a seating capacity for 280 people in an area of around 6,800 square feet. The vessel housing the restaurant has been designed in a way that it can float in 0.5 metres on the water level, said Yogesh Swami, a marine engineer who has conceived the project and is working on it.

The restaurant will float in Tapi river, which cuts through Surat city and falls into the ocean at Dumas.

The project now awaits clearance from Gujarat Maritime Board, irrigation department, and Gujarat Pollution Control Board.

Swami said the vessel would shuttle between Parle point to Athwagate and will carry passengers too. He said there are already two such restaurants, one in Mangalore and the other in Patna, but added that this one would be bigger in size.

Swami said he was in talks with the officials of Surat Municipal Corporation for a possible public-private partnership for the project which he plans to launch on April 20.

After this project, Swami also plans to set up another floating hotel on Tapi river with 30 bedrooms and a restaurant. Swami has worked with oil major Shell in Surat and had had a stint with a firm in Netherlands, besides with Essar in Surat.

ALSO READ

Astronomy buffs geared up for meteor shower

Narendra Modi dials Lalu, enquires about health after car accident

From Ramdev stage in Haridwar, Modi swears by gurus of all hues

PIL puts Tata Motors, state govt in the dock over Nano deal