Infrastructure

Because of its isolation, Kavaratti requires highly specialized infrastructure: - **Water**: The island relies on a pioneering Low Temperature Thermal Desalination (LTTD) plant, established by the National Institute of Ocean Technology (NIOT). This plant utilizes the temperature difference between warm surface seawater and cold deep seawater to produce lakhs of liters of pure drinking water daily, solving the island's historic freshwater scarcity. - **Electricity**: Power is primarily generated through central diesel generator powerhouses. In recent years, solar power installations have been expanded to reduce dependency on imported diesel. - **Telecommunications**: BSNL (Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited) and Airtel provide mobile networks and broadband. A massive undersea optical fiber cable project (Kochi-Lakshadweep Islands Submarine Cable) was recently commissioned to bring high-speed broadband to Kavaratti and neighboring islands. - **Healthcare**: Kavaratti houses the Indira Gandhi Hospital, the premier medical facility in the Union Territory, equipped to handle most routine and emergency care, with medical evacuations to the mainland for critical cases.