Redevelopment of an island

Adithyan B
Aksa Sara Thomas
Aleena Thomas
Anumol T. Regi
Anusree Bijukumar
Kavaratti
Island
Lakshadweep
Access by Air and Sea from India,South-west coast.

Location lies between 10o 32′ and 10o 35′ N latitude and

72o 35′ and 72o 40′ E longitude

Distance to Malabar coast 404 km (218 nautical miles) from Kochi

Total geographical Area 4.22 Sq.km

Population (2011) 11221

Density (per Sq.km) 2396.

Maximum Length 5.8 Km

width 1.6 Km

Temperature 32oC (Max.) to 28oC (Min.)

Humidity 70-75%

Highest Rainfall 241.8 mm.recorded in 24 hours

Literacy Rate 88.29

The Kavaratti Island is the headquarters of the Union Territory
of Lakshadweep. This island is at a distance of 404 km (218
nautical miles) from Kochi and is located between Agatti Island
on the west and Andrott Island on the east. It lies between
10o 32′ and 10o 35′ N latitude and 72o 35′ and 72o 40′ E
longitude, having an area of 4.22 sq km. Maximum length of
the island is 5.8 km and width is 1.6 km. It has a lagoon having
a length of about 6 km and an area of 4.96 sq km.

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. It is located in the centre
of Lakshadweep archipelago. Strangely Kavaratti has a small
inland lake at its Northern end. The island itself is stretched
over an area of slightly more than 4 sq kms and has the
maximum percentage of non – islanders as residents.
Kavaratti has warm sandy veaches where tourists can unwind
themselves. Though the beaches are narrow, the lagoons
around Kavaratti are fabulous with star fish, anemones, sea
cucumers, countless multi- hued fishes astounding corals.
Located to the west of the Island the lagoon is best suited for
swimming, kayaking, wind surfing and canoeing. To the South
of the Island lies Chicken Neck point which is an absolutely
fantastic place for water sports including scuba diving and
snorkelling. A glass bottom boat ride offers tourists and
opportunity to view the rich marine life and an array of
extraordinary corals.

Kavaratti has the maximum number of mosques in

Lakshadweep. Out of the 52 mosques Jamnath, mohidden and
Ujra are prominent ones. Jamnath mosque is a massive
structure having the largest tank of any mosque in the islands.
Mohidden Mosque is an ancient mosque that lies to the
North- West of Kavaratti. One of the oldest and most striking is
the Ujra mosque built by Sheikh Mohammad Kasim. The 17th
century structure has an ornate ceiling, said to have been
carved out of a single of driftwood.
A few blocks away from the Ujra Mosque lies an aquarium which is also a museum. The aquarium has a variety
of multi – coloured species of fish.

Yet the main attraction is a small shark that is placed in a large glass compartment and shares space with sea
cucumbers, octopuses, schools of fishes and few anemones. The museum displays different types of shells,
extra ordinary and numerous fishes preserved in glass jars.

Just next to the museum is the Dolphin Dive centre that offers diverse PADI (Professional Association of Diving
Instructors) programmers for amateur and professional divers. The trained and expert divers give instructions
on diving and other water sports at PADI which is one of the world’s largest leisure diving organization. The dive
center is ideal for Scuba dive beginners and is conveniently located on the northern tip of the island very close
to the entrance. Access to the various dive spots such as Harbour Mouth nearby, Zing Zang Par at the southern
tip, Governors reef famous for its brightly coloured corals, Turtle Nest popular for the sightings of turtle, Wind
Mill Point for Grey reef sharks &rays, Wall of Wonder at north west side for its caves is easy from the dive center.
Sunbathing or just lazing around on the beach can be
a heady experience. Marine life enthusiasts can visit
the marine aquarium, which has an excellent
collection of aquatic specimens. The multicolored
underwater life in the lagoons can be viewed through
glass-bottomed boats. Kayaks, wind surfers and sailing
boats are available on hire. ‘Coral reef ‘and ‘Taratashi’
tourist packages can be availed to visit this coral
paradise.

The island has a 10 bedded resort catering to divers.

Accommodation in Kavaratti is available close to the
jetty. There are a few tourist huts with attached
bathroom and balcony. Tourists can savor the buffet
that generally serves Malabar cuisine including spicy
tuna fish, chicken and sweet potato. Kavaratti is
covered in two packages offered by the Lakshadweep
Tourism department namely Coral Reef and Taratashi
packages.
KAVVAYI ISLAND
• Kavvayi is a group of small islands, near Payyannur in the Kannur district
of Kerala state in India. The island is connected to Payyannur by a small
bridge on the Kavvayi River.
• Area: 37 km²
• Access - The islands are also very well connected to Mysore and
Bangalore. The nearest railway station is the Payyanur railway station,
and Kavvayi is only 3 kilometres from here. The nearest airport is at
Kannur, Mangalore, and Calicut - all International Airports.
• Kavil Pattanam, now called Kavvayi, has been recreated into a beautiful
island. Spread over the districts of Kannur and Kasaragod, the Kavvayi
islands, also called Kavvayi Kayal are the largest backwater island group
in north Kerala.
• Historically, kavil Pattanam used to be the hub for spice and gems trade,
done through the port of Malabar, which also brought in precious
Damascus steel. The port, however, was closed after it was banned by
the British in the 17th century. The name Kavil Pattanam was changed to
Kavvayi by Sir William Hogan.
• Kavil Pattanam popularly known as Kavvayi located near Payyanur makes
you fall in love with its backwater stretches fed by Kavvayi, Kankol,
Vannathichal, Kuppithodu and Kuniyan Rivers. This idyllic destination is
famed for the island groups that exist along with the picturesque Kavvayi
backwaters. The largest island of Kavvayi is Valiyaparamba and the
backwater near it is also known by the same name.
 Attraction Things to do
Vellur, about 10 kms away • Water zorbing
Anandashramam, about 36 kms away • Paid boat rides
Kunjimangalam, about 12 kms away • Round trip boating
Payyannur, about 4 kms away • Village Life Experience
Cheemeni Vishnumoorthy Temple, about 22 kms away • Water sports
Neeleshwaram, about 24 kms away

Best Time to Visit 

• The best time to visit Kavvayi Kayal is from October to March when humidity is at its low and it isn't raining as hard.
The weather around this time is very cool and pleasant, and ideal for all the nature walks adventure sports, and
boating trips and picnics.
• One must avoid the monsoon months of June, July and August, as the average rainfall that Kavvayi receives is over
3578 mm. The summer months of May and June are very humid, and hot. The average annual temperature of
Kavvayi is 27.2 °C
• (50 kms from Kannur) - Kavvayi Backwaters is the third largest
backwater in Kerala and the largest one in north Kerala. The
Kavvayi Kayal(Backwaters) is dotted with several small and large
islands. Valiyaparamba island is the largest among them and
stretches over 16 km2.
• The island is also known for the Zamindar system that was
prevalent here. The main income of the villagers of Kavvayi is
agriculture and fishing. Kavvayi can be developed into a game
fishing and trophy fishing destination as an international level.
There is also immense potential for backwater tourism, Aqua-
tourism and rural village tourism here.  
• The island's main source of income come from agriculture and
fishing. 
• The people of Kavvayi are mostly conservative Muslims. The island
also has a small fishermen community belonging to Hindu religion.
Kavvayi Island birds The tourists can simply unwind by taking a
walk along the land that fringes the Kavvayi Island or else may step
into one of the country boats and relax in the cool breeze while
enjoying the abundance of surrounding greenery. This backwater
stretch of Kavvayi Island is full of interesting sights and experiences
that would keep preventing your interest level from hitting a low.
Locally called as Kavvayi Kayal or the backwater of Kavvayi, this
lesser known backwater of northern Kerala is the result of the five
rivers viz. River Kavvayi along with its tributary streams, namely
the Kankol, Vannathichal, Kuppithodu, and Kuniyan.

From an ecological point of view the backwater of Kavvayi and its

surrounding region is considered to be significant. The backwater
and the wetlands of Kavvayi Island are home to a variety of fauna
and flora. Another interesting sight that one could encounter while
on the backwaters of Kavvayi Island is the nearly half a dozen of
small and big islands. The backwater setting at Kavvayi is the
biggest wetland in north Kerala with an area of roughly 37 km². A
boat ride ideally from Kotti-Kottappuram would enable a visitor to
see and enjoy the many stimulating sights of Kavvayi Island.
THE
MUNROE
ISLAND
The Munroe-islands is a cluster of islands located on the confluence zone of the
Kallada river and the Ashtamudi lake in the Kollam district of Kerala state. The
island
measures a total area of 13.4 sq.km with Pattamthuruthu, Pezhamthuruthu and
Perungalam as the major islands. Before entering the lake the river, which is the
major tributary of the lake, splits into many narrow and wider canals before
discharging into the lake. Listed by lonely planet, Munroe island is one among the
most tourist preferred destinations in Kollam district as well as a most prominent
village-canal tourism zone in Kerala.

Unaffected by the hustle and bustle of the outside world,

the Munroe-island is cradle of wide range of tourism products that will make the
visitors experience their maximum. The attractions include the emerald backwaters,
river and canals that surrounds and crisscross the islands, the
fish/prawn/clam/coconut farms, the mangroves, the house boat and canoe trips, the
island clusters of Perinad, Vedanchadimala, San Jose farm view point, the Kallada
boat race, traditional boat clubs and yards, old churches of Perinad and temples of
Pezhamthuruthu and Pezhamhuruthu Islands, migratory bird watch, traditional coir
industries, the cuisines and the village life itself.
tourism in munroe island
The Munroe-Island is the most visited destination along the edge of the
Ashtamudi backwater and is also one among the major destinations in the
Ashtamudi Lake Circuit Project. The destination is also listed in various
travel and tourism platforms as a prominent nature, village and cultural
tourism destination. The lonely planet listed the Island as one among the
must-seen village tourism destination and specifically praised the
traditional country canoe trip conducted in the canals operated by the
District Tourism Promotion Council(DTPC), oared by the villagers
themselves. The Munroe-Island is also listed by the Department of Tourism,
Kerala, in the official website under ‘Enchanting Kerala’ page. It showcases
the tourism wealth of the island and depicts her natural land and canal
formations as ‘small slices of heaven.’
tourist activities
The island village is currently a tourist destination- the coir retting
process, coir weaving, fishing, prawns feeding, migratory bird watch,
narrow canals and waterways, coconut farms on the lake shore,
lagoons, mangrove plants and the beautiful tiny islands of
Pathupara.
As the island lies in the meeting points between Kallada river and
Ashtamudi lake, canoeing through the backwaters while enjoying the
sunset is a major attraction for tourists. Some other activities while
staying in Munroe Island include taking a relaxing walk through the
banks of the canal, the villagers provide exquisite home cook food.
An important event conducted by the Kollam district tourist
promotion council is the Kallada boat race happening in
Karuvathrakadavu- Muthiraparambu nettayam in Munroe Island,
which can be conveniently viewed from Munroe Island.
accommodation and travel facilities
The destination already has a total bed capacity of 87 numbers, which
needs to be increased considering the increased rate of tourist flow in the
past years.
The destination is well connected to nearby major nodes both by road,
rail and water ways. Better transport infrastructure is there in the Islands
in terms of rail and water connectivity. In case of road connectivity, the
conditions need to be improved, in terms of surface quality and total
road length. The Perungalam island is not even connected by roadways.
The islands has a railway station and the Kollam city could be reached in
any of the three ways within half an hour time.
submerging threat
Low-lying areas of the Island are now under a threat of Submerging in high
tides. This is post tsunami phenomena. An expert team from the Thangal
Kunju Musaliar College of Engineering, Kollam has started a study into the
phenomena. The team headed by Prof. Gouri Antharjanam, and consisting
of Prof. Suniil Kumar, Prof. Sruthi. R. Krishnan, Prof. Amal Azad and Prof.
Udayakumar made several visits to the Island. The death of Lans Naik
Sudheesh of this island in the Border area at Siachin has invoked interest of
the outer world to the problems of this Place. The island's population has
been steadily declining resulting from an exodus of people unable to cope
up with the deteriorating conditions.
The residents largely believed that the land on which they over the years by environmentalists and locals as the unambiguous
were living for generations was gradually subsiding due to casualty of global warming. But now, scientists, who have been
tidal erosion and rise in sea levels and began leaving in droves conducting studies on the island for the last two years, are close to
looking for safer pastures. The island, located at the joining of invalidating the theory of land subsidence.
the Kallada river and the expansive Ashtamudi backwaters
which opens out to the sea at Neendakara, has been flagged
mobile
island is not sinking
Geo-scientists at the National Centre for Earth Science Studies (NCESS) have
deduced with the help of data collected so far that only the heavy built-ups,
such as houses and other structures constructed on the island, are subsiding,
not the land itself. “When we began studies two years ago, we went ahead with
the premise that the land is subsiding. But with our observations from the
satellite microwave interferometric technique and those in-situ from an array of
GPS stations continuously monitoring the island, we can tentatively conclude
that the land, as such, is not subsiding. Since the mud below is highly fluidised,
only the very heavy buildings built without proper engineering techniques are
going down, some even 1 to 1.5 feet,” said KK Ramachandran, the head of
atmospheric processes, at NCESS, Thiruvananthapuram,The double railway line
that cuts through the island is a case in point, he said. Due to heavy traffic –
close to 150 trains a day passing in either direction – the railway tracks have
sagged at several places. “You can see the railway platform has subsided as well.
People naturally doubt there is some kind of sinking, but the land is not
subsiding. It’s just the houses, railway line and tourism projects built without
proper engineering care that has gone down,” he added.
But because of its unique location, being at the confluence of damming of the Kallada river, 70 kms away from the island,
two large water sources, flooding became a perennial problem. blocking the supply of freshwater into the island. And then in 2004,
Due to inadequate cleaning of the inland canals, criss-crossing the Indian Ocean tsunami struck and may have left behind
the island, and deposition of silt from the river, locals began to profound changes in the backwater system, including increasing
experience increasing instances of delay in the water receding salinity in the soil.
after a flood. The problem, they clain, got amplified after the
dam
On a recent visit to the island, the devastation in the coconut sector was
palpable. Barren coconut stumps stood across the island, especially in the
areas of Pattamthuruth and Peringalam that have been the most affected.
Several houses, where families lived for generations, lay abandoned, its
walls taken over by creepers and weeds.
Drinking water supply is in doldrums, with piped water getting suspended
during prolonged floods. The absence of a road and a railway overbridge
virtually isolates the Pattamthuruth ward from the rest of the island. All of
these factors have resulted in the migration of dozens of families, selling
off their land and homes for dirt-cheap prices. The more sentimental ones
cling on to their crumbling homes, hoping for change. There must be
mechanisms introduced for their well-being. Travel arrangements should be
made for them. Amphibious housing can be implemented. New cropping
systems can be proposed.
reasons to choose this site
According to DTPC (District Tourism Promotion Council) Kollam, the
backwaters and the associated areas are the most tourist visited locations in
Kollam district. This shows that 17.2% of the total tourist visitors in the
Kollam district came to experience the Ashtamudi backwater and of this
approximately 38% exclusively were visitors to the Munroe-islands including
foreign tourists from 20 nations.
The island is seeing a continuous and sudden increase in tourism. Due to this
reason there may be chances of improper development in the area affecting
the land and the native population, who are really taking care of their land
and the small tourism developments. But the people are showing a real
interest in participating in tourism and investing in it as well.
The ideal solution is to develop the Munroe Islands to a best backwater,
canal, nature and village tourism destination without depleting her natural
beauty and resources and also by encouraging and empowering the local
host population to involve, innovate and invest in tourism related activities.
Suitability map for tourism development
 MUNROE ISLAND
REDEVELOPMENT
The best way to develop Munroe Island to a best backwater, canal, nature and village tourism destination is by conserving its natural
beauty and resources and also by encouraging and empowering the local host population to involve and invest in tourism related
activities.
Munroe island tourism redevelopment plan is developed by considering the conservation of its natural beauty and resources and
also by encouraging and empowering the local host population to involve and invest in tourism related activities. The aim is to
combine different ideas and proposals to clusters according to their purpose and locate them according to the site conditions and
site suitability.

Administration Cluster
The administration cluster is the area for development of tourism
administration as it is more suitable for any construction purposes. This area
is also preferred for the development of tourist amenity center, Eco
museums etc. The tourist amenity center includes wellness and spa services
like aqua yoga, wellness and fitness programs.

Ecology Cluster
The ecology cluster will cover the mangrove areas, which are to be protected.
At the same time adventure trips can be allowed with restricted access for
visitors- controlling both the number of tourists and time of visit.
Activity Cluster
Three areas are identified, with canal trip as the major activity. Visitors have the opportunity to enjoy the trip by actively
participating in the process of rowing it. They can also join the farming activities including fish/prawn catching, fish feeding etc.
each of the three activity cluster consist of traditional coir making and traditional boat making units. The visitors also has a
chance to join the process.
There is an increase in demand for canoe trip along the canals, especially during the peak seasons. Increase in canal canoe trip
length along the three activity center is proposed. The proposal will also enhance the opportunities for the local people to
directly participate in tourism.
Cultural Cluster
This cluster is also spread at three areas- at the Perungalom Island where the old Marthoma and Catholic churches are located.
Next is at Pattamthuruthu and Pezhamthuruthu islands where the old temples exists. These are pilgrim locations and seasonal will
be there during the time of festivals. Another one is located alongside the boatrace track in Kallada river. Many cultural activities
happens during the boat race time, which is conducted exactly after twenty eight days after the state festival of Onam in the month
of August/September.
Commercial Cluster
The commercial cluster is located near Karoothrakkadavu, which is the finishing point of the boat race. Vacant land is available at this
location which if developed can be used for merchandise all around the year and as facilitation centers during boat race time.
Also the development of a pavilion and commercial centers along the 1km stretch of the boat race, from the starting point to the
finishing point, will facilitate the spectators during the boat race event and function as controlled commercial areas during non event
period.

Leisure/ Family Cluster

This involves the house boat trips along the river and
backwater. The trip is less active which will be preferable for
family and aged visitors.