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Sr. No.
Position


Character

Tower


Height above MSL

Range

Optical Equipment



Illuminant


Source of Energy

Year first light commissioned

Subsequent Innovations


Postal Address

Telephone

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F 0388
22° 28.6’ N
69° 04.2 ’ E

flash (3) White every 25 Sec.

23 m high square Masonry Tower (Red and White bands)

26m

26 Nautical Miles

250mm (4th order) revolving optic inside 2.16m Diameter Lantern house (Chance Bros)

Cluster of Three 150W 230W Metal Halide lamps

Mains supply 440V 50Hz
(Standby Genset provided)

1935.


1956,1959,1989,1978,1979,1988,1991,
1996,1998,2004.

OKHA Lighthouse.

02892-262016

 
Okha is well connected by Rail and Road links. There is a daily rail service to Mumbai. It is interesting to note that Okha has the Railway station, Bus station, Passenger Boat Terminal and the port, all situated within one km radius. The famous pilgrim centre Beyt Dwarka is situated on the island opposite Okha port. 

This region is known as Okhamandal and prior to Independence it was part of Baroda State of Gaikwad. They had developed the port at Okha during 1920s. It was inaugurated by Maharaja Sayaji Rao on 14th February 1926. Baroda state maintained a Sea police force to patrol the sea around. The MG rail link was extended to Okha in 1925 which was converted to BG in 1978. 

Okha is the gateway to the Gulf of Kachchh. There are rocky shoals and reefs close to the coastline and off Okha-Lushington shoal, Gurur shoal, Bobby shoal, Samiyani shoal, and the reefs of Chinri (Chandri), Paga and Bural. Okha was the base for the site investigations and hydraulic survey of Lushington shoal area carried out in November-December 1952 by Prof. B.Hellstrom and Dr L.Rundgren of the Royal Institute of Technology, Stockholm and then by Engineers India Ltd team for providing a lighthouse at Lushington shoal. 

The harbour of Okha is a natural harbour well protected by Samiyani and Beyt islands. The harbour is open throughout the year and vessels of moderate size can be berthed alongside the jetty. There was a regular passenger steamer service till 1950’s between Okha and Bombay touching some of the other ports on Saurashtra coast. 

During the early developmental stage of Okha port, the light on Samiyani Island was the only Lighthouse guiding the mariners entering Okha harbour. There was no light at ‘Vomani Point’-the site of the present Lighthouse. In the year 1935 a 30 m high steel trestle tower was erected at a site called Okha point (about 3 km from Vomain point). A fixed white light (Sr. No F 0392) was exhibited from this tower. This was converted to occulting character light in 1936. The trestle tower was painted red & white. A flag also used to be hoisted from this tower.

Soon after the Independence and transfer of Karachi major port to Pakistan, attention drew to Kandla port in the gulf of Kachchh as a substitute for Karachi. As such there was demand to improve the entire system of aids to navigation in the gulf of Kachchh – Okha region in particular. A modern Lighthouse and a Radio beacon therefore was planned at Okha in the skeleton plan of 1950. This was the foundation for an important centre for Aids to Marine Navigation at Okha.

The modern electric Revolving light was commissioned at Okha on 15th August 1956. It was incidentally the first powerful Revolving electrical lighthouse in Asia. The light on the red trestle tower (F 0392) was discontinued and the tower was dismantled. The installation work of Marconi Marine direction finding Radio beacon was also in progress alongside the construction of Lighthouse. The Marconi make Radio beacon was installed and put on the air on 11th October 1959. This was later replaced by MACE Radio Beacon equipment in March 1991. In 1969 a baffle wall was constructed to support vibrators for sound horns for the fog signal which were discontinued in 1988.

A ‘Marconi’ Racon was installed on the lighthouse tower in 1978. It was commissioned on 15th May 1978.A buoy yard was established at the station in1979 for conducting Buoy operations for the deep water Salaya channel leading to Vadinar SBM. 

The direct drive of optic through stepper motor was introduced on 15th May 1996. The DGPS equipment manufactured by M/s Leica Geo systems, U.S.A. and supplied by M/s. Elcom Marine, Mumbai was integrated in May 1998 converting the Radio beacon into DGPS Transmitting station. It was formally commissioned into service on 30th October 1998. Okha Lighthouse will also have one of the important control towers for the proposed VTS for the gulf of Kachchh.
 
     
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