National Maritime Heritage Complex (NMHC)

National Maritime Heritage Complex Latest News

The Prime Minister will review the progress of the National Maritime Heritage Complex (NMHC) at Lothal in the Ahmedabad district during his one-day visit to the state, officials said recently.

About National Maritime Heritage Complex 

• It is a flagship project of the Govt of India to piece together the entire 5000 years of India’s maritime history and showcase it under one roof.
• The Ministry of Ports, Shipping, and Waterways, under its SagarMala Programme, is developing the NMHC at Lothal, Gujarat.
  • The location–‘Lothal’–is significant since it is one of the prominent cities of the ancient Indus Valley Civilization (IVC) dating back to 2400 BC, located 76 km from Ahmedabad in Gujarat. 
  • It is the only port town of the IVC.
  • Archaeological excavations have discovered the oldest man-made dockyard, over 5000 years old, in Lothal.
• The NMHC is envisioned to be one of the largest maritime complexes in the world.
• It will be a one of its kind, digitally enhanced, experiential museum with the aim of attracting tourists and historians from all over the world, who will get to see and learn about the rich and diverse maritime history of India.
• The Ministry of Ports, Shipping, and Waterways has appointed the Indian Ports Association as the nodal agency, while Indian Port Rail Corporation Ltd. (IPRCL) is the executing agency of the project. 
• It is being developed in an area of about 400 acres with an estimated cost of Rs. 4500 crore.
• Funding: 
  • The NMHC project shall be funded by the Ministry of Shipping and Ministry of Culture through National Culture Fund by way of grant. 
  • In the future, other Central Line Ministries, Coastal States & UTs, other government institutions, private organizations, and the public shall be approached for contributions either from their CSR funds or otherwise to the bank account of IPRCL-NMHC vertical.
• NMHC is planned to be developed in various phases.
  • Phase 1A will have an NMHC museum with six galleries, which also includes an Indian Navy & Coast Guard gallery envisaged to be one of the largest in the country.
  • Phase 1B will have NMHC museum with 8 more galleries, Lighthouse museum which is planned to be the world’s tallest, and the Bagicha complex (with a car parking facility for about 1500 cars, a food hall, a medical centre, etc.).
  • Phase 2 will have coastal states’ pavilions, a hospitality zone, a recreation of real-time Lothal City, Maritime Institute and hostel and four theme-based parks. 
  • Phases 1A and 1B of the project are to be developed in EPC mode, and Phase 2 of the project will be developed through land subleasing/PPP to establish NMHC as a world-class heritage museum. 
• A separate society will be set up for the development of future phases, to be governed by a Governing Council headed by the Minister of Ports, Shipping, and Waterways.
  • This society will manage the implementation and operation of the NMHC.

Source: WEEK

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