Unusual sea activity turns desert into 'lagoon'

Palanpur, Gujarat, Aug 7 (UNI) Contrary to the popular notion that rains play spoilsports by flooding an area, it has been proved otherwise as the sea here turned a large tract of desert into a pleasant 'lagoon'.

The unusual phenomenon occurred last week in the Indo-Pak bordering Vav and Radhanpur taluka of Banaskantha and Patan districts, respectively, after a heavy rainfall. A desert area over 75 km was submerged following the heavy downpour when rising sea water touching two to eight ft gushed in with massive force.

According to Range Forest Officer (RFO) Dungarsinh Solanki, ''One could easily differentiate the two waters by taste and colour.'' The vast area between Custom road, Nadabet near the Line of Control (LOC), about 35 km from Suigam at the last Indian police outpost, had become a vast pool with sea waters pushing the rainwater upwards, Mr Solanki said.

Water-logging on the LOC is a usual phenomenon. However, the blue sea waters with its salty flavour has become a miracle of sorts for villagers living around the border region. Taking it to be ''God send,'' they lined up to break coconuts as a mark of greeting the ocean, according to them, ''has come to pay its respects to Goddess Nadeswari.'' The unprecedented occurrence has made the local villagers term it a miracle of the Goddess. According to Suigam gram panchayat sarpanch Bhanabhai, ''The ocean has come to pay its homage to our deity.'' A staunch devotee of the Goddess, Arjanbhai Patel from Bhardwa village said, ''Such a miracle usually occurs once in a decade.'' Deputy Conservator J V Joshi said that the water he tasted on the border was ''the same sea water.'' However Border Security Force (BSF) Company Commandant M L Sohna considers it as a mere natural phenomenon. ''The sea waters might have made deep inroads due to the tide in the ocean. Water gushed in from the Sirki seashore in Kutch, though the shore is about 100 km away.'' A contractor working on the roads leading to the LOC is also convinced that this was indeed a miracle. ''The Goddess can do it, if she wishes to bring the sea to prostrate at her feet,'' he said.

''The people are happy. Whether it was a miracle or a chance, one thing is certain - by the next winters, the vast area would be an ideal resting place for migratory birds,'' Mr Joshi said.

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