Lakshadweep to soon have Maldives-style water villas

Lakshadweep will soon have three premium Maldivesstyle water villas, claimed to be the first-of-its-kind in the country. The three premium projects will come up in Minicoy, Kadmat, and Suheli islands at a cost of `800 crore, for which the administration floated global tenders on July 31, 2020. With a vision to establish a robust base for maritime economic growth with tourism development at its core, the administration said it is engaged in developing high-end eco-tourism projects at these islands as anchor projects under the aegis of NITI Aayog.

The scientific approach adopted in each stage of the finalisation of the project ensures that it strikes a balance between protection of the fragile corals’ ecosystem and the need to improve livelihood opportunities of the islanders, the administration claimed in a statement.

“In a first-of-its-kind initiative in the country, three premium water villa projects are identified in Minicoy (150 keys, project cost of `319 crore), Suheli (110 keys, `247 crore), and Kadmat (110 keys, `240 crore) islands, based on comprehensive location suitability analysis, technical and financial feasibility and project structuring,” it said. A joint survey, comprising representatives from National Centre for Sustainable Coastal Management (NCSCM), MoEF and CC, and NITI Aayog, visited Lakshadweep during November 2018 for site assessment and confirmation.