Renovation work commences at 170-yr-old Pamban lighthouse

The official further said that according to rules painting works should be carried out once in six years but this time it has taken seven years to paint the tower. Though maintenance works inside the lighthouse are in full swing, the official refused to divulge the details. Also, the lighthouse is closely guarded by CCTV cameras and public are not allowed inside.

An official at the lighthouse, on request of anonymity, said that Pamban lighthouse is not just the oldest one in the state but it also has modern communication facilities. “Satellite communication facilities are present and the centre can receive signals from satellite communication devices,” said the official.

Signals can be sent to boats fitted with GPS and it can also receive distress signal from them, said the official.

The light from the lighthouse will be visible from a distance of 18 kilometres in the sea and in the northern part of Pamban it benefits country boats more than mechanised boats. The lighthouse will be functioning 24/7 but only during the times of war Indian Navy will take over the lighthouse and the lights will be switched off, said the official.

Pamban lighthouse, one of the very few colonial structures left in Rameswaram, was constructed as part of Palk Bay Lighthouse project in 1846. The beaming light in the lighthouse was lit in 1879 using the Actylene gas and now a solar-powered laser like beam is used in the lighthouse.