Kamal Ghorui
NEW DELHI: Authorities and the fishing community have raised concerns over reports of unusual churning and bubbling of seawater off the Gujarat coast, officials in Maharashtra’s Palghar district told news agency PTI on Monday.Videos recorded by fishermen show vast stretches of seawater in continuous turbulence, appearing to bubble and churn as if “boiling”.Vivekanand Kadam, head of the Palghar District Disaster Management Cell, described the phenomenon as highly unusual and said it required immediate examination by specialised agencies.“The nature of the turbulence observed is not typical and warrants a detailed investigation by marine and industrial experts,” Kadam told PTI.Given the proximity of the area to busy sea routes and active fishing zones, authorities have not ruled out the possibility of gas seepage from the seabed, underwater geological activity, or leaks from undersea pipelines, he added.The Palghar Disaster Management Cell is coordinating with maritime authorities to ascertain whether the churning is the result of natural geological processes or a man-made industrial incident.As a precautionary measure, fishing vessels and other boats have been advised to exercise extreme caution while navigating near the affected coordinates.
