The Prime Minister received a warm welcome in Kavaratti, Lakshadweep, recently as he arrived to inaugurate and lay the foundation for numerous development projects.
About Kavaratti Island:
- Kavaratti is the capital of Lakshadweep (smallest Union Territory of India) and its most developed island.
- It lies 360 km of the coast of the State of Kerala.
- It is located in the centre of the Lakshadweep archipelago. It is located between Agatti Island on the west and Andrott Island on the east.
- It has an area of 4.22 sq km. The maximum length of the island is 5.8 km, and width is 1.6 km.Â
- The island is 2 to 5 m above the mean sea level on the western side and 2 to 3 m on the eastern side.
- There is a shallow lagoon on the western side of the island, and coconut palms grow on the northern side.Â
- The island is home to 12 atolls, five submerged banks, and three coral reefs.Â
- Strangely, Kavaratti has a small inland lake at its northern end.
- Kavaratti town is noted for the carved wooden pillars and roofs of its mosques and the carved stones of its graveyards.Â
- It has the maximum percentage of non–islanders as residents.
- Languages Spoken:Â Malayalam and Mahl
- Karavatti has been selected as one of the hundred Indian cities to be developed as a smart city under the flagship Smart Cities Mission.