 Portonovo Lighthouse And Navtex Station | |
 | |
| Location | Portonovo Lighthouse CumNavtex Station, Parangipettai,Cuddalore District Tamil Nadu,India. |
|---|---|
| Coordinates | 11°30′15″N79°46′14″E / 11.5042708°N 79.7704575°E /11.5042708; 79.7704575 |
| Tower | |
| Constructed | September 30, 1980; 45 years ago (1980-09-30) |
| Foundation | Concrete (At-ground) |
| Automated | Rotating Beacon |
| Height | 30 metres (98 ft) |
| Shape | Circular tower |
| Markings | Red and White Band |
| Operator | DGLL of Chennai |
| Heritage | Lighthouses of Tamil Nadu |
| Racon | Tide Land (Sea Beacon 2) |
| Light | |
| First lit | March 31, 1981; 44 years ago (1981-03-31) |
| Focal height | 32.99 metres (108.2 ft) |
| Lens | 6 |
| Light source | 150W/ 230V Single end CDMT Lamp |
| Intensity | 10,3000 cdl |
| Range | 25.7 nautical miles (47.6 km) |
| Characteristic | FL.W. 15s |
| India no. | F 0919 |
Portonovo Lighthouse is a lighthouse inParangipettai, Tamil Nadu, India. It is one of sevenNAVTEX facilitated lighthouses in India.[1] The lighthouse was established and is maintained by the Directorate of Lighthouses and Lightships at theMinistry of Ports, a ministry of theGovernment of India.[2] The lighthouse has three working staff.[3]
The lighthouse comprises a 39 m (128 ft) round cylindrical concrete tower with lantern and double gallery, painted with horizontal red and white bands. The lantern's active focal plane is 36 m (118 ft); a white flash occurs every 15 seconds.
The port of Portonovo is situated at the mouth ofVellar river in theBay of Bengal. ThePortuguese were invited to trade here byGingee Krishnappa Nayaka, who built this port in 1590.[4]
The lighthouse is located on the north bank of the mouth of theVellar River roughly 30 km from the city ofCuddalore. At the time of construction, the lighthouse cost 20 lakhs to complete.[5][6]
The lighthouse and shore were affected by the2004 Indian Ocean tsunami.[7][8]
The Union Shipping Minister GK Vasan inaugurated the renovated lighthouse and the Lighthouse Technology Museum by laying thefoundation stone for an information exchange program to help fishermen calledNavtex in a program held near theChennai lighthouse on November 14, 2013.[9][10]
TheNAVTEX communication project was implemented at a cost of 20.25 crores to communicate information aboutsea climate changes,weather warnings, and rescue operations directly to ships in print form. Out of seven NAXTEV broadcasting stations inIndia, two stations (including Portonovo Lighthouse) are located inTamil Nadu.[11] The NAVTEX system at Portonovo can reach as far as the state ofAndhra Pradesh. It can communicate over a distance of 720 km from shore, benefiting over 15,000 fishermen in Tamil Nadu in the area.[12]
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) Pg No. 119-13311°30′15″N79°46′13″E / 11.50417°N 79.77028°E /11.50417; 79.77028