Lighthouses, radio centres in 7 coastal spots soon

The Department of Shipping will set up lighthouses and radio centres in seven spots in the coastal areas of the country.
The lighthouses and coastal radio centres will be set up under the Global Maritime Distress and Safety System and Integrated Maritime Navigation System (GMDSS) project. The 'Command and Control' centre system of the project will be located in Dhaka.
Disclosing this to BSS, Chief Nautical officer of the Shipping Department Captain Jashimuddin Sarkar said the South Korea government has been providing loans for the project at an interest rate of 0.01 per cent. The government will have to repay the loans in 40 years. A South Korean company will construct the lighthouses and the coastal radio centres, he added.
The project will be implemented at an estimated expenditure of Tk 3.70 billion. Of the total amount, Tk 800 million will be provided from government funds and the remaining amount will be disbursed as loans by South Korea.
On March 11, the ECNEC (The Executive Committee of National Economic Council) approved the project. Tender for the project will be invited soon.
With the setting up of the lighthouses and the radio centres, the senior official said, "Communication could be established between the ships venturing in the sea and the coastal radio centres. Coordination in rescue of passengers, different maritime vessels and related operations could be created while maritime distress and safety system would be geared up."
Besides, he said hundreds of fishing trawlers and local and foreign ships in the coastal areas will get advance signal of probable storm while the system would provide safety measures
for rescue if anybody fall in danger or storm in the sea.
Under the project, the existing three old lighthouses in the coastal areas would be modernised while four new ones would be constructed. The old lighthouses are located in Saint Martin, Cox's Bazar and Kutibdia.
The new four lighthouses would be constructed at Nijhum Dwip in Noakhali, Dhalchar in Bhola, Kuakata in Patuakhali and at Dublarchar in Bagerhat district, the official said adding that setting up of lighthouses and coastal radio centres is an international obligation.
After implementation of the project, he said there would be immense improvement in operation of ships in the sea and in rescue operation of the vessels that met accidents so many times.
The government gets Tk 100 million as revenue income from the existing three lighthouses now and with the construction of four new ones, the revenue income would be doubled, the official source added.