India is tapping the tourism potential of Lakshadweep islands as the archipelago is all set to get a major makeover with some big projects in the pipeline. 

To bolster the connectivity of the islands, Spice Jet and  Fly19 have already got the necessary clearances for flight operations to Lakshadweep’s Agatti Island, PTI reported 

Meanwhile, a team from Indigo Airlines met with the island administration on Wednesday, expressing their interest in starting flights to the island. As per administration sources, Fly19 will commence its operations by the end of this month, PTI said in a report. 

At present, Alliance Airlines is operating a single daily flight to Agatti Island, with two trips on Wednesdays and Sundays. Besides, there is only one ship service available between Kochi and Kavaratti in a week. As more airlines line up to start operations, the Agatti Island airport is going for a major expansion.

Notably, construction major Larsen & Toubro (L&T) has been allotted the contract for Rs 4,500 crore for the expansion works where the runway will be extended to 2,800 meters.

Greenfield airport at Minicoy

Apart from Agatti, another greenfield airport will be developed at Minicoy Island, which is the southernmost island of Lakshadweep and lies next to the Maldives.

Notably, the Minicoy island lies near the 9 0 Channel, which is one of the busiest shipping routes and is about 130 km from the northernmost island of Maldives.

For the Agatti airport’s expansion, private lands will be acquired and also a sizable chunk of the sea floor will be reclaimed. Once the connectivity part is finalised, the next step is to provide more rooms for the visiting tourists.

Taj resorts to welcome visitors 

India’s marquee Tata Group has already proposed three major Taj resorts on three islands – Suheli, Minicoy, and Kadmat. Of these, Suheli and Kadmat have been given the green signal by the district administration.

It is noteworthy that Taj hotels and resorts will be building Lagoon Villas, the first-of-its-kind land villas in India. Further, each of the villas will have more than 100 rooms.

“All these projects have been cleared only after a proper Environment Impact Assessment. We have very strict guidelines regarding development projects in the Islands and no project will be cleared without an EIA,” K K Idrees Babu, Marine Biologist attached to the Department of Science and Technology, who leads the coastal ecosystem conservation projects in the Islands, told PTI.

The rules stipulated under the Integrated Island Management Plan are strictly followed, Babu mentioned.

(With inputs from PTI)