Tourism in Odisha is likely to get a significant boost with five of its famous lighthouses set for a facelift under a central project for the improvement and beautification of 65 such structures across the country. As it is, Odisha’s beaches have always attracted people in hordes. With lighthouses along the coast to be made more attractive, tourist footfall is bound to increase. Lighthouses not only have historic importance but also provide a panoramic view of the coastline.
Reports suggest that the Centre plans to develop 65 lighthouses across the country including 5 in Odisha in the Public-Private Partnership (PPP) mode. The five lighthouses identified for beautification in Odisha are Gopalpur Lighthouse in Ganjam; Puri Lighthouse in Puri; Chandrabhaga Lighthouse in Puri; Paradip Lighthouse in Jagatsinghpur district and False Point Lighthouse in Kendrapara district.
The project will be implemented after necessary clearances from State Coastal Zone Management Authority and the relevant local bodies where these historic structures are located. While a lift has been installed at the lighthouse in Chandrabhaga, the 184-year-old False Point lighthouse at Batighar is a heritage structure.
Lighthouses along the Odisha coast also showcase the state’s glorious maritime history. In the days when it was known as Kalinga, the state had maritime trade relations with several countries including Indonesia and Sri Lanka. The long voyages made in those days by Odia traders (called Sadhavas) are still celebrated during the Bali Jatra festival. Odisha also boasted several important ports along its coastline but most of them are now buried under the sea.
What is important, however, is that the state’s tourism sector is getting the Centre’s attention after a long time. Though everyone agrees that Odisha has tremendous potential for the growth of tourism, the state is yet to realize its full potential on this front because of resource constraints. In recent years, the Odisha government has made big strides in the field of tourism with the state’s heritage sites as well as sanctuaries and tribal culture being showcased to an international audience through high-end advertisements and fairs.
As a result, there has been a significant increase in tourist arrivals — although things could have been much better had the COVID-19 pandemic not struck the state at a crucial time. While it played havoc with the economy, its impact on the tourism sector was particularly severe as it imposed tremendous restrictions on the movement of people. With the movement of people within the state and across the country coming to a virtual halt for several months, tourist spots remained practically deserted. Tour operators faced the prospects of closing down shop.
Things are much better now and tourism, too, is picking up. But a little support from the Centre can help the state achieve much more on this front. The Centre should come up with more schemes like the one on lighthouses.
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