There is a buzz about Lakshadweep, following the PM’s visit there and the unsavoury comments made by a few politicians from the Maldives, including ministers. As Delhi-Malé ties nosedive, a case is being made to turn the Lakshadweep islands into a high-end beach tourism destination – an alternative to the Maldives. Lakshadweep is, no doubt, fabulous: It has expansive sandy beaches and coral reefs, and offers water sports such as scuba diving, and windsurfing. However, its fragile ecology and limited resources are constraints when it comes to mass tourism.
Any plan to turn it into a destination that rivals the Maldives will need a massive overhaul of the infrastructure, which is currently meant to service its 60,000-plus local residents. Also, mass tourism will hurt the ecology of the area. The authorities should be very careful with their plan to turn Lakshadweep into a major tourist destination. Mass tourism has already caused immense destruction to popular destinations like Ladakh, Manali, Shimla, Darjeeling, the Andaman Islands, etc. Within Arunachal Pradesh also, places like Tawang, Ziro, etc, have borne the brunt of tourism. With the rise in tourists, the pollution increases and rampant construction activity hurts the ecology of the areas. Considering all these factors, the authorities should take maximum caution while promoting Lakshadweep as a tourist destination.