Gulf of Khambhat

06.04.2024

Gulf of Khambhat

Why in the news?                                                                                     

 Recently, a seriously injured crew has been rescued from a fishing boat in the Gulf of Khambhat by the Indian Coast Guard.

Important points:

• Indian Coast Guard Station Pipavav rescued a critically injured 37 year old patient from an Indian fishing boat named Pushkar Raj, 50 km off the coast in Gulf of Khambhat on 03 April 2024.

About Gulf of Khambhat:

• The Gulf of Khambhat is an inlet of the Arabian Sea along the western coast of India in the state of Gujarat.
• The Gulf of Khambhat is a triangular shaped gulf located in the Arabian Sea.
• It opens into the Arabian Sea from the south.
• It divides the Kathiawar peninsula from the south-eastern part of Gujarat.
• The Gulf of Khambhat is also known as the Gulf of Cambay.
• The perimeter of the Gulf of Khambhat is an extensive area of ​​estuarine habitats.
• Narmada, Tapti, Mahi and Sabarmati rivers fall into it in the Gulf of Khambhat.
• The bay is not very deep and has abundant shoals and sand dunes.
• There are extensive areas of intertidal mud and sand plains in the deltas of the Mahi and Sabarmati rivers.
• Some coral reefs are also found around small inlets in the western part of this bay.
• Its size and its orientation with respect to the south-west monsoon winds are responsible for its high tidal range (12 m) and the high velocity of the entering tide.
• On the eastern side of this bay are Bharuch, one of the oldest Indian ports, and Surat, which are identified with the earliest European commercial contacts with India.
• Khambhat city is situated at the mouth of the Gulf of Khambhat.
• Near the Union Territory of Daman and Diu, its mouth is about 190 km wide, which narrows to 24 km with rapids.
• 5 big, 5 medium, 25 small and 5 desert rivers fall into this gulf from Gujarat.

                                                         Source: The Print