DWIEP

Geography

Island code

INLK011

Name of the island

Tinnakara Island

Island note

Thinnakara is a tiny teardrop shaped island, lying 8 km northeast from Agatti. The island is located between Bangaram and Parali Islands. The island covered with moderate vegetation. This island opened for international tourism with a lot of facilities like stay and adventure sports of scuba diving, sailing boats, kayaking, speed boat, snorkelling etc. The island offers spectacular lagoons, beautiful beaches with abundant greenery of palms, rich marine flora and fauna with added attraction of phosphorescent plankton washing ashore during nights, giving the beach a bewitching bluish glow.

Type of island

Oceanic / Coral Island

State / UT

Lakshadweep (UT)

Location

Arabian Sea (Thinnakara Island located near the Agatti Island in Lakshadweep, Arabian Sea)

Geographical coordinates

10°56'49.68"N
72°19'3.26"E

Area

0.4657 sq.km

Area range

Less than 2 sq.km

Climate

Thinnakara Island located near the Agatti Island in Lakshadweep, Arabian Sea The climate of Agatti is categorised as 'Aw' i.e., tropical savannah according to the Köppen-Geiger system of climate classification. The annual average temperature is 27.9°C, May being the warmest month at 29.6°C and August, the coldest at 27.2°C. The annual precipitation is 1575 mm. The highest precipitation of 394 mm seen in June. (Source: climate-data.org)

Terrain

-

Elevation / Altitude

Around 4 m (Data from Google earth)

Soil type

The major soil types in Lakshadweep are coral sand derived from coral limestone. The islands of Lakshadweep have a soil layer overlying coral limestone. The island soil includes coral sands and lagoonal sands. These soils are highly permeable and allow rainfall to readily infiltrate, with the result that surface run-off does not occur except in local areas of compacted soils. (Source: CGWB Report, 2009).

Fresh water sources

The average rainfall of Lakshadweep is 1640 mm. Though the islands receive high rainfall, storage of freshwater is difficult due to high permeability nature of coral sand. Net annual ground water availability: 349.86 ha.m Annual Ground Water Draft: 258.79 ha.m (Source: CGWB Report, 2011)

Hydrology

Lakshadweep Islands are coral island and general enclose a lagoon. The hard coral limestones exposed all along the beach during low tides and in well sections. Along with hard pebbles and coral sand generally seen.

Demography

Habitation

Inhabited

Population

No data available

Language

No data available

Religion

No data available

Ethnic groups

No data available

Traditional knowledge

No information available

Shoreline Characteristics

Coastline / Shoreline

3.94 km (Data from Google earth)

Tidal amplitude

1.47 m

Bathymetry

Lagoon side 1 to 12 m depth; Open sea side 20 to more than 75 m.

Infrastructure and Communication

Infrastructure

Eco-friendly resorts, jetty and lighthouse

Communication

Telephone system - mobile; Broadcast media - radio, television, internet

Transportation

Transport

The Lakshadweep capital is Kavaratti Island. Lakshadweep administration provides the inter-island boat service facility for both local people and tourists. The island can be reach by boat from Agatti jetty.

Nearest Port / Jetty / Harbour

Cochin port or Kochi port, Kerala

Distance to nearest Port / Jetty / Harbour

443 km from Kochi port, Kerala 17.00 km from Agatti Jetty

Shortest distance from mainland

447 km from Kochi, Kerala

Nearest Airport

Air and water are the two modes of transport to reach Lakshadweep from Kochi. Kerala is the gateway of Lakshadweep. The inter-islands can be reach by boat and helicopter. 17 km from Thinnakara Island to Agatti Airport, Lakshadweep. 468 km from Agatti Airport to Cochin International Airport, Kochi.

Activities

Agriculture

Coconut plantation

Commercial activity

Tourism

Industries

Tourism

Tourist places

Beaches and underwater coral reef and its associates

Tourism activity

Sun bathing, skin diving, scuba diving, snorkelling, canoeing, yacht sailing and underwater coral view through glass bottom boat.

Biodiversity and Conservation

Flora

Seagrass, seaweed and mangrove

Fauna

Coral reef and its associates

Medicinal plants

No information available

Type of forest

-

Endangered species

No information available.

Flagship species

-

Keystone species

-

Conservation status
(Protected / Unprotected with ESA /
Unprotected without ESA)

Unprotected with ESAs

Sanctuary

Coral reef, seagrass, seaweed

Ecological Sensitive Areas (ESAs)

No

Hazards

Natural hazards

Cyclone and coastal erosion

Seismic sensitivity

As per the Seismic Zone Map of India, this region assigned under the Moderate Damage Risk Zone III (MSK VII) (Source: NDMA, 2019)

High Flood Line (HFL) / Tsunami

The Island comes under the Moderate Damage Risk Zone B (V_b=39m/s) for Wind Hazard Map of India (Source: NDMA, 2019). As per the Flood Hazard Map of India, this region comes under a probable maximum surge height of 3 to 4 m (Source: NDMA, 2016).

Environmental Issues

Environment-current issues

Coastal erosion, saltwater intrusion and freshwater contamination

Data Web on Island Environment and Protection (DWIEP)

Coastal and Oceanic Island Database of India

Tinnakara Island