India has had a glorious maritime tradition. From the dawn of civilization and for the past 30 centuries, India has had commercial interchange with foreign countries and maintained her position as one of the foremost maritime nations.

The hymns of Rigveda and Satapatha Brahmana mention navigation in Purva(East) and Paschima (West) Samudra. The Rig Veda describes sea voyages by Varuna and Vashitha. The rescue of ‘Manu’, the Indian Noah, from a flood with a resurrection, also reflects their knowledge of sea and navigation.

During the 3rd century B.C., Ptolemy II built the famous pharos of Alexandria, which was one of the seven wonders of the ancient world. The word pharology, the science of lighthouse design and engineering owes its origin to this. The massive tower, built of high quality, kedan stone bricks embedded in molten lead, was said to be 135m high and was operative for as long as 1600 years. During the night, flames of fire were burnt which were said to be visible from a distance of 20 miles and more in the sea and in the day, the smoke emanating from, enabled the tower to serve as a landmark. During the 13th century AD, this Pharos of Alexandria collapsed due to a severe earthquake.

In the 7th century A.D, Pallava king Narasimhavarman-I known as Mamalla, or the great wrestler, is credited with the establishment of a lighthouse at Mamallapuram (Mahabalipuram), 56Km south of Chennai, where log fire was burnt in a crucible for guiding the ships.

In later times, around 47 A.D., people became aware of the regularity of the monsoons in the Indian Ocean. This added great impetus to shipping in this area and helped immensely to the securities of the cargoes, which no longer had to fear attacks from pirates/or vessels hugging the coast.

During the later part of the Moghul era, the Marathas during the reign of Shivaji (17th century) maintained extensive naval forces. A number of light signaling arrangements were set up on the top of hills and forts, along the western coast during Shivaji’s rule. At the same time, the Nawabs of Bengal also maintained extensive fleets on the East coast of Indian waters.

When India attained independence in 1947, there existed only 17 ’General’ lighthouse over a 7400 Km coastline. Their administrative control was not uniform and maintained by different managements .The merger of these maritime states as well as parts ‘C’* (regrouped princely states prior to reorganization of states in 1956) and ‘D’** (which subsequently became Union territories) States, became the responsibility of the central Govt.

The growth of major ports in the post-independence era also manifested in development of Aids to Navigation. Six New major ports were built at Kandla, Nava Shewa(Jawaharlal Nehru Port), New Mangalore, Tuticorin ,Ennore, Paradeep and Haldia, and the existing ports at Mumbai, Marmugao, Cochin, Chennai, Vishakhapatnam and Kolkata were further developed. Ennore is a corporate port, set up in 2001. The establishment of these ports resulted in changes, in the pattern of shipping traffic on the coastline which necessitated corresponding improvements to be effected in the aids to navigation, commensurate with the density and growth of shipping traffic.

As a result four lighthouse district were established, two on West Coast & two others on East Coast. Subsequently two new additional lighthouse district were set up under 5- year plan, one each in Port Blair and Cochin on the southern side of India.

The lighthouse Act provides for the setting up of a committee called the central Advisory Committee for Lighthouses under the Chairmanship of the secretary, Ministry of Shipping and comprising representatives from parliament, shipping interests and sailing vessels, with the Director General of Lighthouse and Lightships functioning, as the Member-Secretary. This committee, which meets at least once annually, examines all the proposals in respect of aids to navigation and other allied matters and submits its recommendations to the Government of India.

The lighthouse Act also provides for the levy of ‘Light dues’, a charge leviable on all ships and sailing vessels, calling at the ports, in order to enable the Department to achieve financial self- sufficiency. It was also decided that the department should be administered on an All- India basis and that the accounts of the service should be maintained in a commercial form so that the financial results of the department may be obtained with greater facility and accuracy.

A light Vessel is a floating aid to navigation placed in the sea to mark an isolated shoal or any other submerged danger where the construction of a lighthouse is inhibited due to inhospitable site conditions. Such a vessel which may be 20 to 50m long is provided with a lantern which houses the optical equipment carried on a steel tower a amidships. The optical equipment is maintained in a horizontal plane by a pendulum supported on gimbals which neutralizes the inclination of the vessel due to wave action. The forepart of the vessel carries a white flashing light to indicate the direction of vessel riding. At present the department has only one Perigee Lightship Vessel, placed near Gogha Lighthouse, in Jamnagar Directorate.

Buoy is a floating object in open and providing navigational directions to the mariners. Earlier, all the lighted buoys were functioning on acetylene gas. These have been converted into electric lights, operated off, storage batteries which in turn are charged by solar photovoltaic modules. The department has placed buoys in Salaya and Narmada channel in Jamnagar directorate and also near Mumbai port, JNPT port and Mangalore Port.

During 1955-60, 7 Medium Frequency Radio Beacons, operating in the band 285-325 KHz, were installed at different lighthouses. As these belonged to the first generation using valve technology, they were replaced by solid-state beacons in 1980s along with additional new 7 Radio- beacons. Although in accordance with the 1974 Safety of Life at Sea Convention (SOLAS) regulation, it was mandatory for all ships above 1600 tons (GRT) to be fitted with a Direction finder, the technology were rendered the utility of M.F Radio beacons in their original format redundant. Radio beacons were continuously providing service to ships. But, in advent of the new technology the Radio Beacons are replaced by DGPS, real time correction to Global Positioning System (GPS) signals are transmitted by these beacons to facilitate mariners obtain improved accuracy in their position. These are the DGPS (Differential Global Positioning System) Stations, of which there are currently 23Nos. in vogue.

Racons return a distinctive predetermined code signal when triggered by ship’s radar and this signal displayed in the ship’s radar screen provides range, bearing and identification data and their power requirements is low and it is operated on solar energy.

Directorate of Lighthouse & Lightships
Deep Bhavan
44 B.S. Road
Port Blair -744101
Phone No & Fax No: 03192-233164, 244577
E-mail: dir_lhns[at]dataone[dot]in

NAIS has been completed and inaugurated on 03rd August 2012 for the effectively tracking of SOLAS (safety of Life at Sea) vessels along the Indian coastline up to a distance of 25Nm from coast. The network is compatible to track small fishing vessels. The works of NAIS in Andaman & Nicobar coastal region & Lakshadweep region are in progress.

After 26/11 Mumbai terror attack, the Government of India has decided to strengthen Coastal Security System by instituting various measures including setting up of Coastal Radar Chain all along the coast line of India including Andaman & Nicobar Island, within the existing premises of the lighthouses. The coastal Radar stations are designed to monitor the sensitive and high traffic density areas all along the coast of India. The Coastal Surveillance Network is an important Surveillance and communication Project with regards to National security for providing early warning, detection, identification and neutralizing all the attempts of seaward ingress in our territory for carrying out disruptive activities by anti national elements.

The scheme of establishment of VTS- GOK (Vessel Traffic Service in Gulf of Kachchh) has been commissioned into service on 13.02.2012 at a cost of Rs. 188.02 Crores, to effectively track and guide the vessels plying in Gulf of Kachchh, the safety of marine life and protection of environment. It is one of the largest systems in the world covering 16500sq Km area ensuring monitoring of vessels. The system is presently catering to the requirement of 6 ports with add on facilities for future ports where management of 10 more ports can be taken. Proposal for VTS in Andaman and Nicobar region is in progress.

To improve the safety of mariners, the Directorate is establishing a chain of NAVTEX Transmitters along the Indian coastline for relaying the safety and weather related information to the mariners plying in the coastal waters. The scheme is under implementation. In Andaman & Nicobar region, Navtex will be installed at Keating Point Lighthouse.

Establishment of new Lighthouse in Koltapalm (Campbell Bay), Sister Island, Tries Island and Patrie Island is underway.

Got Second Runner up award for Hindi works in year 2010-2011 from TOLIC (Town Official Language Implementation Committee.

The Director General
Directorate General of Lighthouse & Lightships
Ministry of Shipping
Deep Bhavan, A-13 sector-24
Gautam Budh Nagar
Noida-201 301. (U.P)

The general public may send their suggestions or query, if any, to the office email id dllportblair7[at]gmail[dot]com and dir_lhns[at]dataone[dot]in.

Thank You..!!