Gopalpur lighthouse to be converted into a tourist spot

BERHAMPUR: The historic lighthouse at Gopalpur-on-Sea near Berhampur city will be converted into a tourist spot with state-of-the-art facilities very soon in the first phase of a project initiated by the Centre. The department of lighthouses and lightships, under the ministry of shipping of the central government, has decided to convert at least 14 of the 182 lighthouses across the country into tourist spots in the first phase of the development of lighthouses for tourism' project. Three of these 14 lighthouses included in the project are from Orissa, said the deputy director general, directorate of lighthouses and lightships ( Mumbai), J S Chauhan, on Friday at Gopalpur. The ministry, which unveiled the project recently, is looking at completing it in the next four years, Chauhan said. Besides utilizing the tourism potential of the places where the lighthouses are situated, the department has also proposed to provide hospitality facilities to the tourists in public-private-partnership (PPP) mode. The detailed modalities in this regard were being worked out by the department, he stated. "Most of the lighthouses in Orissa are situated either at tourist spots or near such places. The lighthouses also bear the silent testimony of the British Rule in the country as some of these were constructed during that time. The project is aiming at utilizing the tourism potential of these spots," Chauhan said. Similarly, the DDG of lighthouses said the department would set up heritage museums in some of the selected lighthouses in the country and Goplapur is one of them. Under the National Maritime Heritage Museum (NMHM) project, the lighthouses will showcase the rich tradition of lighthouses in the country, he added. Orissa's coastline is all set to get at least three more lighthouses including one at Prayagi in Ganjam district. Deputy Director General, directorate of lighthouses and lightships, J S Chauhan, gave this information at Gopalpur-on-Sea in Ganjam district on Friday. The directorate is under the ministry of shipping, surface transport, of the Central government. Five lighthouses are presently operating in the state at Gopalpur, Chandrabhaga, Puri, Paradip and False Point. The construction of the watch tower at Prayagi is on in full swing and it is scheduled to be operational from December next. Around Rs 1.2 crore is being spent on the construction of the 30m-high tower at Prayagi, about 45 km from here.

Source: Times of India, Business Standard