In the past three weeks, the lighthouse on the Marina has attracted over 45,000 visitors, while hundreds have been denied entry due to restrictions in visiting hours.
Currently, visitors are allowed from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. and 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. Serpentine queues can be seen in front of the lighthouse during the weekends and on holidays.
However, the directorate general of lighthouse is able to accommodate just about 2,500 visitors per day due to space and time constraints.
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Following requests from the public, the shipping ministry is planning to extend the visiting hours or allow public during the lunch hours too.
Shipping minister G.K. Vasan enquired about the safety measures followed by the officials in the lighthouse and said Chennai Port Trust would commence guided tours for school children from next month.
“We will have separate routes for school children and college students as their needs are different. The areas to be shown will also depend on the group size. We will announce the dates soon,” said a Port official.
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