INDIA: Government To Develop Tourism Facilities At Khanderi Island

Ground work to develop tourism on Khanderi island, which houses the Kanhoji Angre Fort, is likely to commence after a month. The Directorate General of Lighthouses and Lightships (DGLL) is in the final stages of the process to appoint an agency to develop tourism on the island.

Speaking at Maritime India Summit 2016, deputy director general of lighthouses and lightships DK Sinha said that his organisation has received two proposals from private players in response to the Request for Qualification that DGLL had floated in September last year.

"Next month, one of the two bidders will be finalised to commence work on creating facilities in the lighthouse and on the island," Sinha said.

The facilities that will be established by the private contractor in the Rs25-crore project include limited rooms in a heritage hotel and restaurant by converting the existing structures on the island, picnic infrastructure such as shelters, resting areas, landscaping and civic amenities among others, heritage walkways, an information centre-cum-souvenir outlet, a sound-light-animation show, food court, Swiss cottages, an amphitheater and requisite infrastructure for power, water, solid waste management, etc.

The development of tourism at Khanderi is part of the larger plans of the Ministry of Shipping to promote tourism at 78 lighthouse locations across India.

There are also plans to have a jetty that will be constructed at an estimated cost of Rs16 crore. It will be 37m long and 10m wide and will be connected to the island by a 150m long approach road. Once the jetty is ready, passenger ferry services will be started from the Gateway of India.

The Khanderi island lighthouse was built in 1867 by the Government of Bombay for Rs1.22 lakh. Earlier known as Kennery (Khanderi in Marathi) island, it is situated off the coast of Thal village near Alibaug. The island is about 4.5km from Thal, 9.5km from Alibaug and 23km from Gateway of India. Kanhoji Angre Lighthouse marks the entry point to the Mumbai harbour and acts as a prime navigational aid for ships entering and leaving Mumbai ports.