Heritage activist Rani Sarma opposed the move to demolish the 153-year-old lighthouse at the 17th century Dutch township of Bheemunipatnam near here and construction of a new structure in its place.
Pointing that the edifice was listed as a heritage structure in VUDA Master Plan 2021, she said it was part and parcel of Bheemunipatnam’s Dutch heritage.
Further, it attracts the provisions of the Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Sites and Remains Act, 1958 (ACT No. 24 of 1958), she said.
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She dashed off a letter to the Secretary, Ministry of Shipping, registering her strong protest against the State government handing over the structure to the Union Ministry of Shipping. She said the State government had been repeatedly proposing to develop Bheemunipatnam as a heritage village and showcase it to attract tourism. This effort would receive a serious setback if heritage structures like the lighthouse were to be dismantled or modified.