Israel hails Lakshadweep's "pristine and majestic" underwater beauty

NEW DELHI: Israel said on Monday that a team had visited Lakshadweep last year and the country is ready to commence working on a desalination programme in the islands. The Israel Embassy said in a tweet that a team from the country was in Lakshadweep last year at the request of the Indian government to initiate a desalination programme.

The embassy also shared pictures of the Lakshadweep Islands. "We were in #Lakshadweep last year upon the federal government's request to initiate the desalination program. Israel is ready to commence working on this project tomorrow," Israel in India said in a post on 'X'.

"For those who are yet to witness the pristine and majestic underwater beauty of #lakshadweepislands, here are a few pictures showing this island's enchanting allure," it added. The embassy also shared a video of the majestic beach.

Meanwhile, Indian online travel company Make My Trip on Monday said that it has observed a whopping 3,400 per cent increase in on-platform searches for beach destination Lakshadweep ever since Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to the archipelago.

This interest by potential tourists in local Indian beaches has prompted the launch of a 'Beaches of India' campaign on the platform, with offers and discounts to encourage Indian travellers to explore the country's stunning beaches.

The huge spark in interest for Lakshadweep is linked to the outcome of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's recent overnight stay, followed by beach visits and his participation in some adventure activities. A massive row was triggered after three Maldives deputy ministers made disparaging and unsavoury references to PM Modi's Lakshadweep visit. Indians, including cricketers and film celebrities, have since come out in open support in promoting local beach destinations and other tourist spots.

They also voiced support for PM Modi's call for promoting beach tourism in Lakshadweep. Following a huge uproar and a diplomatic row, Maldives President Mohamed Muizzu suspended the three ministers who had made the derogatory remarks.

The Maldives government has also distanced itself from the remarks made by its ministers. Maldivian Minister of Foreign Affairs Moosa Zameer said that these remarks against foreign leaders are "unacceptable" and do not reflect the official position of the Maldives government. PM Modi visited the Union Territory of Lakshadweep on January 2 and shared several pictures, including an 'exhilarating experience' of trying his hand at snorkelling.

In a series of posts on X, PM Modi shared pictures of the white beaches, the pristine blue skies and the ocean and tagged them with a message that read, "For those who wish to embrace the adventurer in them, Lakshadweep has to be on your list." Maldives receives a sizeable number of tourists from India.