New Delhi/ Port Blair, Dec 22: As a new year beckons, the government plans to weed out several archaic rules, some of which are over 100 years old, relating to shipping sector and also harness inland waterways, lighthouses and islands as new growth drivers of the Indian economy.
Terming the revamp of shipping sector as a high-priority agenda for 2016, Union Minister for Shipping Nitin Gadkari said the new ship building policy will also give a major boost to the government’s “Make In India” initiative while the country’s vast coastline will see major development projects.
Also on the Minister’s radar is the development of India’s lighthouses and islands.
Enthused by a higher tourist footfall at historic lighthouses of Mahabalipuram and Cannanore, an ambitious plan has been drawn to unlock their rich history and heritage.
India has 189 lighthouses dotting its 7,517-km vast coast line, including the Andaman and Nicobar Islands in the Bay of Bengal and Lakshadweep Islands in the Arabian Sea.
The identified lighthouses are in Gujarat, Maharashtra, Goa, Karnataka, Kerala, Lakshadweep, Tamil Nadu, Puducherry, Andhra Pradesh, Odisha, West Bengal and Andaman and Nicobar.
Steeped in rich maritime heritage, each lighthouse has its own story to tell and has tremendous tourism potential to be tapped.
Land adjacent to these lighthouses may have hotels, resorts, viewing galleries, maritime museums and heritage museums, adventure sports facilities, thematic restaurants, souvenir shops, LASER shows, spa and rejuvenation centres, amphitheatres and allied tourism facilities to attract tourists, the Minister said.
Globally, lighthouses tend to attract tourists with their scenic and serene surroundings and rich maritime heritage.
Another important focus area in the new year would be the Sagarmala Project, which is aimed at port-led development in coastal areas, Gadkari said, while adding the project will give a major boost to the Indian economy.
The government has lined up about Rs 70,000 crore for its 12 major ports only, he said.
India has 12 major ports — Kandla, Mumbai, JNPT, Marmugao, New Mangalore, Cochin, Chennai, Ennore, V O Chidambarnar, Visakhapatnam, Paradip and Kolkata (including Haldia) — that handle approximately 61 per cent of the country’s total cargo traffic. (Courtesy: PTI)
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