Paradip, April 30: The “poor and erratic” light signal from the Paradip lighthouse has become a cause for worry for mariners and navigators.

The lighthouse has not been repaired for almost two years, affecting its performance and failing to effectively guide the navigators.

The crew of small fishing vessels are going through a harrowing time. They become panick-stricken as the light begins to blink. “Some traditional marine fishermen had told us about their mid-sea experience. Though light only went off for a few minutes, it bothered them greatly,” said president of Odisha Traditional Marine Fishermen Association Narayan Haldar.

“We were fishing at about two to three nautical miles off Paradip coast when light signal from Paradip lighthouse stopped. The disruption lasted hardly for three to four minutes. But we panicked as we sailed directionless in the middle of the sea,” said Laxman Ramulu, a traditional marine fisherman from Sandhakuda near Paradip. Disruption in the light signal occurs for a few minutes, he said.

The lighting beam system installed at the lighthouse near the Paradip port trust is an outdated one. According to mariners, it is battery operated and frequently exposed to technical snags.

Officials at the lighthouse said the periodic breakdown was not a cause for concern because the false point lighthouse at Batighar was just nearby. According to officials, the Paradip lighthouse is equipped with the latest differential global positioning system and other gadgets. navigators in ships and deep-sea vessels with satellite connectivity receive radio signal s constantly .

According to an engineer at the lighthouse, the visual signal system at the Paradip lighthouse was in need of repairs. The visual signal system has undergone major revamp at the nearby false-point lighthouse. The eastern zone directorate of lighthouses is being apprised of the technical hitch.

The Paradip coast guard deputy inspector general, K.P.S. Raghuvanshi, said: “Our ships have not reported visual signal going from the lighthouse. They are equipped with gadgets to handle such situations. Our ships are not entirely dependent on the lighthouse.”

Assistant engineer of Paradip lighthouse, Arabind Kumar Singh said: “On certain occasions, the visual signal had become erratic. But it had been restored. We are trying to set right the technical snags.”