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DIRECTORATE GENERAL OF LIGHTHOUSES & LIGHTSHIPS
AN INTRODUCTION |
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The Directorate General of Lighthouses & Lightships provides marine aids to navigation (ATON) along the Indian Coast. The term ‘lighthouse’ represents all marine aids to navigation including light vessels, sound signals, buoys, beacons or any other mark, sign or apparatus, radio aids such as Differential Global Positioning System (DGPS), Radar Transponder Beacon (RACON), Long Rang Navigation (LORAN-C), etc.
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There are two categories of ATON namely ‘General’ and ‘Local’ as defined in the Lighthouse Act 1927. Superintendence and management of General Aids to Navigation is vested with the Director General of Lighthouses & Lightships. The local aids are the responsibility of the maritime state governments, port trusts, etc.
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The Directorate General of Lighthouses & Lightships is headed by the Director General. For the purpose of administration and management of various lighthouses, entire coast line is divided into seven regions with their headquarters at Jamnagar, Mumbai, Kochi, Chennai, Visakhapatnam, Kolkata and Port Blair. Each region is headed by a Director (Regional). They are assisted by technical and ministerial staff.
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The Lighthouse Act provides for setting up of a committee called ‘Central Advisory Committee for Lighthouses (CACL)’ under the Chairmanship of the Secretary (Shipping), Department of Shipping, Ministry of Shipping, Road Transport & Highways and comprising representatives from Parliament and various shipping interests. This committee, which meets once annually, examines all the proposal in respect of marine aids to navigation and other allied matters and submits its recommendation to the Government.
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The revenue of the Director General is derived from lightdues levied on ships entering or leaving Indian ports. However, the vessels on coastal runs are exempted from the purview of lightdues. The rate of the lightdues is Rs. 8 per tonne for foreign going vessels. The Directorate is able to generate adequate revenue to meet its expenditure both plan and non-plan.
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Aids to Navigation.
(a) Operational |
(b) Under Establishment. |
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1. Lighthouses
2. Lightship
3. Loran-C
4. DGPS
5. Racon
6. Deep Sea Buoys
7. Wreck Marking Buoys |
- 169 Nos.
- 1 No.
- 6 Nos.
- 22 Nos.
- 48 Nos.
- 21 Nos.
- 1 No.
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1. Lighthouses
2. VTS having 9 Radar stationsfor Gulf of Kachchh |
- 15 Nos.
- 1 Chain |
| (c) Under Planning. |
1. VTS having 5 Radar stationsfor Gulf of Kachchh
2.National network of Automatic
Identification system (AIS) |
- 1 Chain.
- 1 network. |
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The main function of this Directorate General is to provide visual and radio navigational aids to the mariners sailing in Indian waters. For the safety of the mariners the Directorate General has established the following ATON.
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Visual aids 167 + 3
Racon 30
DGPS 22
Loran ‘C’ 06 (Proposed to be closed w.e.f. 01.01.2006)
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For the effective maintenance of the ATON, the entire coastline has been divided into 7 Lighthouse Districts and each district is headed by a Director. The details can be seen at SETUP
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