State to get 2 new lighthouses: Min

Bhubaneswar: Two new lighthouses will come up on Odisha’s coast — one at Chaumuck at Narayanpur in Balasore district and another at Dhamra in Bhadrak district — Sarbananda Sonowal, Union minister for ports, shipping and waterways, announced on Sunday, while dedicating a new lighthouse at Jamnagar in Gujarat and two projects in Paradip port during the valedictory function of the second India Lighthouse Festival in Puri.
“For years, lighthouses, the guardians of our shores, have remained unnoticed, even while they guided vessels and seafarers through the most challenging nights. A national framework is being mooted to ensure that a well thought out system is in place for the coastal communities to preserve, protect and promote lighthouses as torchbearer of India’s rich maritime history and legacy,” said Sonowal.
Chief minister Mohan Charan Majhi joined Sonowal as the second edition of the lighthouse festival came to a close. A series of activities including beach yoga, beach run, sand art and boat art competitions and cultural programmes were held during the two-day festival.
“As part of National Waterways-5, Talcher will be connected to major ports like Paradip and Dhamra. Using Brahmani and Mahanadi rivers, the proposed waterway will be helpful in transporting raw materials like coal and iron,” said T K Ramachandran, Union secretary of ports, shipping and waterways.
“Waterways are much cheaper compared to road and rail. This belt is rich in iron ore. Lot of coal goes to the south via ships and the Brahmani and Mahanadi rivers are good waterways in Odisha. We hope this movement along the river using barges will reduce the cost as well as congestion. The detailed project report has been completed and financial liabilities are being looked into,” said Ramachandran.