TRIGGER FOR LAKSHADWEEP - MALDIVES TOURISM DEBATE

Do you know which place in India you can reach only by changing 3 flights …??

Yes it’s Lakshadweep, Capital Kavaratti.

Irked by some remarks against India, and our PM’s visit to Bangaram island on 2nd January, capital Kavaratti on 3rd January, multiple messages are floating on social media, urging all our 2 lakh tourists to turn from there to here. As an Administrator of Lakshadweep Islands from 2009-11, I too got a few frantic calls last fortnight, from friends in wellness industry, seeking advice on its tourism potential. Ex Chief Secretary Delhi Mr Narayansway, wrote a long piece on our what’s app group, comparing the geopolitical situation there & here. Economic times armchair writers used expressions like

“Deer aaye durust aaye “

“Lethargy from 1967 to 2023”

“Why PM‘s nudge should be required to develop Lakshadweep tourism“,

which shows utter ignorance, rather than any wisdom.

To contain the unnecessary hype, I’ll factually elaborate on what Lakshadweep is, & where does it stand viz a viz Maldives.

First the geographical comparison. As against 1190 islands spaced over 298 sq km, of which 180 are inhabited, supporting 5 lakh population,

Lakshadweep is 30 times smaller in island numbers, with just 36 in number, & 10 having a total population of less than 70000 roughly, spread over 32 sq km. So land area is much larger & lagoons are huge in Maldives, compared to the tiny ones here, & hence, you can see the exact place where the sea touches the lagoon.

Maldives passes on some of these uninhabited islands, which are plenty, to private hotel chains who develop it at considerable expense.

There is acute local resistance to any such move in Lakshadweep.

At present 10 inhabited islands plus Bangaram island resort, provide a total of about 200 rooms & I wonder how one wants to relocate 2lakh Indians, from Maldives with one flight a day of 72 passengers.

For tourism to develop significantly in these fragile areas, let’s examine where we stand on 8 imperatives:

1. Construction & furnishing of new rooms requires all materials, literally from the pin to the plane as they say, to be carted by ships or catamarans from Kochi, a 14 -18 hour journey depending on the speed of the ship. Nothing is available locally. Land which is largely owned by the local population is, itself a huge task to garner, as it is in small parcels for housing needs or coconut cultivation, the only crop possible, apart from sea fish. Hence largely through government’s efforts, almost 10-20 rooms per island on an average, have been created, including uninhabited Bangaram island, which was developed as a government resort with 30 rooms, in the 70’s & liquor allowed as a one time exception. I added 2 decent rooms in Bangaram, 10 in Agatti & about 15 in Kavaratti, at a frenetic pace, when the President of India visited in 2010 during my tenure. So upscaling is a Herculean task.
2. Food including dry ration & fresh fruits & vegetables have to follow the building material route!!!!! Government Ships are required to carry locals to Kochi for their Health, Education, Shopping needs, with remaining space available for such luxuries!!! I added 3 ships during my tenure, but choppy seas mean frequent & time consuming repairs at Kochi shipyard. Even the cooking gas comes that route, although I had managed a special vessel only to cart these over rough seas, thereby easing the situation a bit. How do u work on perishables remotely?
3. Drinking water the world over is in bottles & Lakshadweep is no exception. But how do you get water for bathing /washing/cleaning. Desalination plants with DRDO technology, existed in only 3 islands, when I joined, & I added 3 more. Few islands still remain to be covered. Imagine the difficulties local population faces, which the tourists will shun.
4. Sanitation is a major issue as you cannot lay a sewerage system, since ground water is just 2-3 feet below. Those who understand, will realize how difficult it is to keep the islands clean, with the existing methods of solid waste disposal. Why strain the system more?
5. Power is provided through island wise large DG sets ,run on diesel brought through special vessels, all the way from Kochi again. Land being scarce solar power possibilities are limited. I tried hard through MNRE, got the sanctions in 2010, but BHEL the only willing partner, found the situation very challenging. I’m told in Agatti a small experiment has succeeded very recently. Power addition is not easy & a big impediment.
6. After several attempts, an airstrip was created in Agatti decades ago, which initially brought a Dornier only, but lately it brings an ATR with 72 passengers maximum taking 50 minutes from Kochi. No land exists on either side of runaway to extend it for larger aircraft without compromising passenger safety. In winter months Jan to March, a second flight of 72 has been pressed into service by Alliance Air, which runs on government diktat. These flights are fully booked, used by government officials, local public & tourists. So getting a seat itself is a task. In rainy season twice a year, flights get cancelled due to torrential rains.
7. Tourism develops where it is encouraged by the local people. Here 99% Muslim population reads namaz 5 times a day, as a must, bans liquor, & does not want to lure tourists like Maldives. No wonder Niti Aayog‘s umpteen teams have visited in futility, to identify uninhabited islands, & bid them out to private parties. But when you look at these 8 imponderables, there are not too many takers for monumental tourism related efforts, especially when many other options exist, in God’s own country.
8. This is especially true when there are skeletal health facilities, as no doctors are willing to stay here. Health Ministry sends 4 doctors on monthly rotation with great difficulty to Kavaratti only. Agatti hospital I had started with a team of 43 doctors plus paramedics in 2011, taken from a Anandmayi hospital in Kochi, on a cost plus basis, & providing them make shift accommodation plus Air travel. I understand even that got stopped due to local religious politics. So government runs one helicopter daily as an ambulance, to ferret the sick from any island, all the way to Kochi, at huge govt expense, taking almost 2 hours. Would anyone take such risks in full knowledge?

Hold your horses then. No matter how beautiful the islands are, providing Scuba diving, Snorkeling, Swimming in the lagoons with turtles in Minicoy island, lazing in the sun, it is a long haul for tourists. Even the officials from Delhi book 3 flight tickets to reach the capital, or any other island except Agatti, where 2 flights suffice.

At a time when the world is talking about sustainability, climate change & worry about island states being submerged by 2050. Protagonists want more & more people to visit & endanger the fragile ecosystem here.

Is it tenable?

Is it justified??

Is it not unthinkable????

I dare to dream big in these islands, or for these islands, as discretion is the better part of valor.

JK Dadoo

IAS Retd.

MBA - IIM A