 "Israel to begin desalination program in Lakshadweep today: What it means")
Amid the ongoing India-Maldives row over the derogatory remarks made by the now-suspended ministers of the island nation last week, Israel announced that it would commence the desalination program in the Union Territory (UT) of Lakshadweep starting Tuesday.
"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," the Israeli embassy said in a post on Monday on the social media platform X (formerly Twitter).
While it did not mention anything about the controversy, the key West Asian ally of India, boasted about Lakshadweep's scenic beauty and urged the people to pay their visits to the UT. "For those who are yet to witness the pristine and majestic underwater beauty of Lakshadweep Islands, here are a few pictures showing this island's enchanting allure," the post further added.
What is desalination program
The Sea Water Reverse Osmosis (SWRO) or desalination program is designed to tackle the issue of scarce water resources. Israel itself was able to mitigate the drought challenges by adopting a world-leading desalination network and recycled wastewater. Today, it claims to have plenty of water and says that it no longer relies on subterranean reserves in the same way it did after first capturing the West Bank, east Jerusalem and the Gaza Strip in the 1967 Mideast war.
The technique is popular in many nations to meet their water demands. It includes a journey of several cleaning and filtering systems, where, eventually, the seawater is freed of its salts. This involves the reverse osmosis process, where high-pressure forces seawater through membranes which separate the salt.
Long-term risk due to desalination program
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The desalination process, though popular, poses long-term risks as well. Hence, experts have often flagged the need to invest in sustainable water consumption. The World Economic Forum stresses the environmental concerns over this process, including the production of waste and toxic chemicals that are harmful to wildlife and the planet. This process can also raise salt levels in seawater, which affects fish. Additionally, the desalination plants, if not run using renewable energy sources, lead to greenhouse gas emissions, a key problem linked to climate change.
India-Maldives controversy:
Last week's social media post by Prime Minister Narendra Modi praising the Lakshadweep islands led to an unflattering diplomatic row with the Maldives over the tourism sector during the weekend. Three Maldives ministers, now suspended, made appalling comments on India and PM Modi as they sought to compare the tourism industry of the two countries. Their reaction was widely condemned by Indians, including prominent celebrities, calling for a 'boycott' against the island nation.
On Monday, the government also summoned Maldives High Commissioner Ibrahim Shaheeb and sought the ministers' dismissal over the controversy. Over two lakh Indians visited Maldives in 2023.