Desalination Plants Transform Drinking Water Access in Lakshadweep Islands

Officials accompanying the Minister explained that the LTTD technology converts seawater into potable water by using the natural temperature difference between warm surface seawater and cold deep-sea water.

 

Residents of Lakshadweep’s Kavaratti island say access to safe drinking water has improved significantly after the introduction of seawater desalination facilities, replacing the earlier dependence on saline well water.

“Earlier we used to drink salty well water. Now everyone in our area is using desalinated water for drinking,” said Abdul Rehman, a resident of Kavaratti, during an interaction with Union Minister for Earth Sciences and Science and Technology Dr. Jitendra Singh. The conversation took place during the Minister’s visit on Friday to the Low Temperature Thermal Desalination (LTTD) plant operating on the island.

Rehman was among several residents who shared their experiences as the Minister reviewed the functioning of desalination units set up by the Ministry of Earth Sciences across the Lakshadweep archipelago to address long-standing drinking water shortages.

Local residents explained that the new desalination facilities have significantly eased the water crisis in the island territory, where groundwater resources are limited and often contaminated by seawater intrusion due to the islands’ proximity to the ocean. According to Rehman, households previously relied on small wells located near their homes, but the water was frequently saline and not always suitable for drinking.

“With the desalination plants now operational, clean drinking water is available directly through taps,” he said.

Another resident, Valiya B, highlighted how the new system has reduced the daily burden of fetching water. He recalled that families earlier had to make repeated trips to wells to carry water back home.

“Earlier we had to bring water from the well and carry it home several times a day. Now the water is available at our doorstep,” he told the Minister.

Desalination Technology for Island Regions

Officials accompanying the Minister explained that the LTTD technology converts seawater into potable water by using the natural temperature difference between warm surface seawater and cold deep-sea water. The process enables the production of freshwater without the need for high energy inputs, making it particularly suitable for island environments.

The desalination plants have been established on several Lakshadweep islands to ensure a reliable and sustainable source of drinking water for local communities.

During the visit, Dr. Jitendra Singh said the desalination initiative initially began in Kavaratti and has since expanded to other islands across the territory. The Ministry is now working to scale up the technology further to improve water security in the region.

The Minister also reviewed progress on the upcoming Ocean Thermal Energy Conversion (OTEC) project, which aims to generate clean electricity using ocean temperature differences. In addition to power generation, the project is also expected to produce freshwater through desalination.

Addressing Long-Standing Water Scarcity

Singh noted that technologies such as LTTD and OTEC are particularly well suited for island territories like Lakshadweep, where freshwater sources are scarce but seawater is abundant.

He added that such projects could also help reduce dependence on diesel-based systems that currently support many essential services in remote islands but are often disrupted due to logistical challenges, especially during the monsoon season.

Lakshadweep has historically struggled with reliable drinking water supply because of limited freshwater reserves, high salinity intrusion into groundwater, and heavy dependence on seasonal rainfall. Officials said the expansion of desalination infrastructure is expected to play a critical role in ensuring a stable and sustainable supply of potable water for the island population in the coming years.