Light houses may become tourist spots

Imagine getting a birds eye view of the ocean and also learning the basics of how a light house guides the ship at the seas. All of this could become a reality if the proposal of the Ministry of Shipping sees the light of the day. The Ministry of Shipping (MoS) has proposed to allow tourism in certain light houses in the country. Top officials of the ministry, led by Milind Deora, Minister of State for Shipping, will meet the officials of the Infrastructure Leasing & Financial Services Limited (IL&FS) next week to understand the technical feasibility of the project. There are 183 light houses spread across the 7,517 kilometres coastline of the country. Some light houses exist very close to some military establishments and getting a go ahead in such cases might be difficult. “The Shipping Ministry is looking to start allowing tourists on a pilot basis at the light houses situated in Chennai and Mumbai,” Deora said. Light houses double up as tourist locations in most western countries.