The lighthouse, which functions under the Union Department of Lighthouses and Lightships, is a crucial navigational guide for numerous ships frequenting the ocean and has dopplers and radar of both the Navy and Coast Guard.
The wireless system at the lighthouse kept crackling all night yesterday with a small team of officials sending every bit of information about the weather and ocean currents to their headquarters in Kolkata and to the disaster response centre in Delhi as the cyclone made landfall here.
"We kept our headquarters in Kolkata informed about every development in the sea post 5 P.M.
"The period between 10.30 P.M. And 11 P.M. Was the most ferocious as the wind and water battered us," Pramod told PTI.
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The lighthouse stands right on Gopalpur beach and houses two families of staff members who work round the clock in different shifts.
The structure of the lighthouse suffered minor damage while some trees on its premises were uprooted. A few sheds were also blown away in the strong winds.
"If we also would have deserted the area, like civilians were asked to, who would have given a challenge to the cyclone.
"It was our job to keep the authorities posted about the developments," Pramod said.
The lighthouse, which is also a radio beacon station, is the most crucial communication centre in this coastal area.
"We stood tall at the lighthouse when it mattered the most. We have a few more days for our shift to finish and we are happy that the cyclone did not cause much havoc as it was considered to be very severe," another employee at the lighthouse said on condition of anonymity.