Sarbananda Sonowal dedicates key maritime projects at 2nd Indian Lighthouse Festival
Steps to Enable Coastal Communities around Lighthouses to Preserve, Protect
& Promote as Tourist Hubs: Shri Sonowal
The Union Minister announced Two New Lighthouses at Chaumuck and Dhamra on
Odisha’s Coastline
Shri Sarbananda Sonowal dedicates ‘New Kalwan Lighthouse’ in Jamnagar, Gujarat
along with Stacker-cum-Reclaimant & a Flyover at the Paradip Port
Authority, Odisha, to the nation
Under the Visionary leadership of PM Shri Narendra Modi ji, Lighthouse Tourism
soared by more than 400% since 2014: Sonowal
Sonowal inaugurates multifaceted celebration with beach activities like Sand
Art, Boat Art competition, Yoga session
Sarbananda Sonowal leads Swachhata Abhiyan at Niladri Beach, lauds efforts of
people’s Participation
2nd edition of Indian Lighthouse Festival witnessed electrifying performances
by noted singers like Papon, Sona Mohapatra among others
The Chief Minister of Odisha, Mohan Charan Majhi joined Union Minister Shri
Sarbananda Sonowal at the Valedictory Session of the Festival
Assam & Odisha share a close spiritual, historical, cultural, commercial
ties as Srimanta Sankardeva, Lakshminath Bezbarua & Bholanath Barooah
strengthened it over the years: Sonowal
The Union
Minister of Ports, Shipping & Waterways, Sarbananda Sonowal dedicated key
maritime projects to the nation during the 2nd Indian Lighthouse Festival here
today. At the valedictory session here, the Union Minister Sarbananda Sonowal
also announced that the Ministry of Ports, Shipping & Waterways (MoPSW),
Govt of India, would take necessary steps to enable coastal communities around
the Lighthouses in order to empower them to preserve & promote the
lighthouses - the rich heritage of India’s marine sector. The Union Minister
also announced two new lighthouses on Odisha’s coastline - one at Chaumuck at
Narayanpur in Balasore district and another at Dhamra in Bhadrak district of
the state. The Chief Minister of Odisha, Mohan Charan Majhi joined Sonowal as
the second edition of Indian Lighthouse Festival draws a closure here today.
The Union Minister Sarbananda Sonowal announced that the coastal communities of the country would be developed as societies in order to enable and empower the communities within the vicinity of lighthouses. The effort is aimed at community engagement to take pride in the lighthouses for their preservation, protection, and promotion. A central association of all these societies would be created to give a national momentum to celebrate the lighthouse as national icons as cultural heritage & legacy of India’s rich maritime sector.
The new Kalwan reef Lighthouse at Jamnagar in Gujarat as well as two projects
in Padadip Port, Odisha; i.e., Stacker-cum-Reclaimant & a Flyover bridge,
were inaugurated. The Union Minister Sarbananda Sonowal also inaugurated Sand
Art Competition, Boat Art Competition, Beach run, Beach Yoga and many other
activities at the second day of the 2nd edition of multifaceted Indian
Lighthouse Festival. Sonowal also led a Swachata Abhiyan at the Niladri beach
where the collective effort led to removal of garbage.
Speaking on the occasion, the Union Minister, Sarbananda Sonowal, said, “The Indian Lighthouse Festival or Bharatiya Prakash Sthamb Utsav has been receiving laurels from all quarters of the country as we continue our effort to further bolster facilities for the tourists - both domestic and foreign - for a memorable experience at these wonderful monuments. Under the visionary leadership of Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi ji, the government is taking all steps to realise the full potential of India’s rich cultural heritage as well as its historical legacy in propelling the economic growth of the country. Modiji’s call for an Atmanirbhar Bharat has resonated well with people and we, the Ministry, remain committed to usher in a new chapter of growth in India’s blue economy. Lighthouse Tourism is part of this vision of Modi ji. It gives me immense pleasure to inform you that a rise of more than 400% footfall of tourists in the lighthouses since 2014. From 4 lakhs in 2014, it reached 16 lakhs tourists in the last fiscal. We have already crossed 9 lakhs in the first half of the current fiscal, and it is evident, that the growing trend of lighthouses as tourists hotspots to continue. For years, the guardians of our shores have remained unnoticed, even while they guided vessels and seafarers through the most challenging nights. The 'Lighthouse Festival' is our effort to shift this perception. Our goal is to raise awareness, foster involvement, and enlighten people about the significant contribution these iconic structures have made to our country’s maritime legacy.”
Highlighting the importance of coastal communities in preservation of the
Lighthouses, the Union Minister Sarbananda Sonowal announced, “In order to rope
in the coastal community, the government is keen to enable and empower them to
preserve, conserve, and promote these iconic structures. A national framework
is being mooted to ensure that a well thought out system is in place for the
coastal communities to preserve, protect & promote the lighthouses as the
torchbearers of India’s rich maritime history and legacy.”
During the
festival, the Chief Minister of Odisha, Mohan Charan Majhi and the Union
Minister Sarbananda Sonowal felicitated eminent personalities from the fields
of education, sports and culture. Among them, Odishi dancer, Mamta Ojha; artist
Dr Ramesh Prasad Panigrahi; sand sculptor, Om Prakash Sahu; Mariner Nividita
Acharya; Oriya Literary figure & poet, Dr Haldar Nath; footballer Sasmita
Malik and social worker Sujit Mahapatra, were felicitated. Eight employees of
the Directorate General of Lighthouse & Lightships (DGLL) were also
felicitated for their good performance.
Earlier, the
2nd edition of Indian Lighthouse Festival was inaugurated by the Union Minister
Sarbananda Sonowal. The festival, in its second avatar here, aimed at
rejuvenating the rich maritime history of India iconic lighthouses in a
culturally vibrant atmosphere. The festival showcased rich flavours of coastal cuisine,
amusement park, folk dance & music, coastal hut among many other
interesting performances.
On
the historic relationship between Assam and Odisha, Sarbananda Sonowal added,
“Assam & Odisha have always shared a close spiritual, historical, cultural,
commercial ties through the lives of great saint Srimanta Sankardeva, literary
genius Lakshminath Bezbarua & visionary trader Bholanath Barooah which has
only strengthened over the years. It is heartening to witness cultural show by
the artists of both Assam and Odisha here today celebrating the vibrancy of
this festival.”
The Chief
Minister of Odisha, Mohan Charan Majhi joined the Union Minister Sarbananda
Sonowal at the valedictory session of the festival. The event was also attended
by Shantanu Thakur, Union Minister of State, MoPSW; Pravati Parida, the Deputy
Chief Minister, Odisha; Suresh Gopi, the Union Minister of State of Tourism
& Petroleum and Natural Gas; Sambit Patra, MP as well as TK Ramachandran,
IAS, Secretary, MoPSW among others.
During
the first day, the festival witnessed sessions on ‘Lighthouse Tourism &
Heritage,’ ‘Preservation and conservation of Lighthouse.’
The festivities began with the invocation dance, Ganesh Vandana, followed by a captivating medley of traditional Assamese performances, showcasing the rich cultural heritage of Assam. The concluding performance began with the invocation dance, Shiva Stuti, followed folk dance. The festival was enthralled by some electrifying performances by noted singer Papon on the first night of the festival while Sona Mahapatra was slated to perform on the concluding night.
With an investment of ₹60 crore, 75 iconic lighthouses across 9 coastal states
and 1 union territory have been developed under the visionary leadership of the
Hon’ble Prime Minister. Each lighthouse has become a beacon of both heritage
and recreation, with modern amenities such as museums, amphitheaters,
children’s parks, and more. In Odisha, five lighthouses—Gopalpur, Puri,
Chandrabhaga, Paradip, and False Point—have been developed as part of this
initiative to promote lighthouse tourism.
In the fiscal
year 2023-24 alone, the 75 dedicated lighthouses attracted an impressive 16
lakh visitors. As of September 2024, the current fiscal year 2024-25 has
already welcomed more than 10 lakh visitors. These developments have also
resulted in job creation, with 150 direct and 500 indirect employment opportunities
emerging in nearby hotels, restaurants, tour operators, transportation
services, and local shops and artisans.
In 2023, the maiden edition of Indian Lighthouse Festival
took place in Goa with a spotlight on 75 historical sites to be developed into
tourists destinations. The 'Bharatiya Prakash Sthamb Utsav’ was conceived with
an intent to transform these historical sites into tourist destinations with
the help of Public Private Partnerships. The key highlights of India’s First
Lighthouse Festival were cultural exhibitions, session highlighting maritime
history and culture, classical performances, light and sound shows, melodious
evenings with celebrity singers, flavours of the coast and community
engagements.
In
Odisha, the Sagarmala Programme encompasses 36 projects with a total value of
₹20,200 Cr. Among these, 15 projects, valued at approximately ₹4,330 Cr., have
been successfully completed, while 21 projects, totalling around ₹15,850 Cr.,
are currently in various stages of implementation. One standout achievement of
the Sagarmala Programme is the living example of Paradip Port’s growth Story.
This Port today is the number one major port in cargo handling. Paradip Port
will transform into a mega port with a formidable cargo handling capacity of
over 300 MTPA very soon and will exceed 500 MTPA capacity by Amrit Kaal 2047.
The mammoth traffic volume growth at the port in the recent years has been due
to the successful implementation of Capacity augmentation projects under the
Sagarmala projects. The Sagarmala program also envisions uplifting the
fishermen community with the Modernization of Paradip Fishing Harbour project,
with a project cost of ₹108 Crores. The modern fishing harbour will be a strong
step towards the coastal community development initiative in Odisha. For
upliftment of fishermen community, a fishing harbour at Chandipur in Odisha has
also been sanctioned under Sagarmala at a cost of ₹50 Cr. Paradip port is also
being developed as a green hydrogen hub in the country.
Odisha, a
principal maritime state situated on the eastern coast of India, has a
coastline of about 480 km. Paradip Port (290 MTPA Capacity, Cargo handled in
2023-24 – 145.38 MTPA) is the only Major Port in the State under the control of
the Government of India. The Government of Odisha has already identified 14
potential sites for the development of Non - Major Ports, out of which, Dhamra
(Adani – 100 MTPA Capacity) and Gopalpur (Shapoorji Pallonji & Odisha
Stevedore Ltd. – 25 MTPA capacity) are already functioning.