Mission:

To help the mariners and local fisherman to navigate safely in the Indian waters.

About Directorate

The Directorate General of Lighthouses and Lightships is a subordinate office under the Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways. It provides General Aids to Marine Navigation along the Indian coast. The Headquarters of the Directorate is at Noida.(U.P.) For administrative control the entire coastline has been divided into Nine Districts having their regional headquarters at Gandhidham, Jamnagar, Mumbai, Goa, Cochin, Chennai, Visakhapatnam , Kolkata and Port Blair. Our motto is to provide safe and secure navigation in the Indian waters.  

Aids Provided:

For the safe voyage in Indian waters, the Directorate has provided aids to marine navigation. They can be categorized as visual and radio Aids. The visual aids are lighthouses, light vessels, buoys and beacons. The radio aids are DGPS, RACONs etc. All these aids are passive in nature and not user interactive. The Directorate has entered into the interactive field of Aids to Navigation i.e. Vessel Traffic Service. For the control of jurisdiction the aids to marine navigation are categorized as General Aids and Local Aids. The upkeep and maintenance of general aids to marine navigation is the responsibility of the Directorate as per the LH Act 1927. The upkeep and maintenance of local aids is the responsibility of various Maritime State Government organizations like Ports, State Maritime Boards etc. However the directorates are extending all technical support for maintenance of the local lights. In case the local lights are not maintained to the international standard due to financial constraints and lack of proper technical personnel, the Directorate on acceptance of  the local bodies is taking over the those local lights.

Revenue Generation:

For providing these aids, the Directorate collects lightdues  in 30 days at the rate of Rs.8/- per ton NT basis from all foreign going vessels calling at/departing from Indian ports. Customs Department collects light dues behalf of the Directorate.

Location of our offices :