Ten islands among the 36 islands of Lakshadweep archipelago might have more than 60 per cent land loss in the next 30 years because of the continuous and extreme rise of sea water level in the last 15 years, according to a study conducted by ocean engineering scientists at IIT Kharagpur.
Lakshadweep, a group of 36 islands, is known for its exotic and sun-kissed beaches and lush green landscape.?
The name Lakshadweep in Malayalam and Sanskrit means 'a hundred thousand islands'. India's smallest Union Territory, Lakshadweep is an archipelago consisting of 36 islands with an area of 32 sq km.?
It is a Uni-district Union Territory and comprises 12 atolls, three reefs, five submerged banks and 10 inhabited islands.
The study published in the current issue of international magazine Elsevier (Regional Studies in Marine Science), has been posted by the Department of Science and Technology on its website. It was conducted on the ten most vulnerable islands of the archipelago and shows that there will be 70 per cent to 80 per cent land loss in eight of the ten islands by 2035. The other two islands will also have a land loss close to 40 per cent.
It also found that capital Kavaratti will be 70 per cent affected. Deep signs of damage have also been noticed at the islands' lone airport in the southernmost tip of Agatti, which has started getting dangerously inundated.