ગુજરાતી
English
The sea has once again intruded into Khambhat.
Threat to 70 villages and Khambhat
October 22, 2025
The geographical landscape of Khambhat in Anand district is changing again. Khambhat was a global port, trading with 70 countries.
The sea has intruded into the fields in Khambhat, at the mouth of the Sabarmati River. Many fields have been submerged. Fishing is impossible. Rising sea levels are causing land to sink. Increasing pollution in the Gulf of Khambhat is also a contributing factor. Khambhat town faces a significant threat. Climate change and stagnation of sedimentation have exacerbated the crisis.
70 villages
A geological survey conducted revealed that 18,000 hectares of land have been damaged by erosion from the Mahi River, which flows into the Gulf of Khambhat. 70 villages in the taluka have been affected. 500 bighas of land in 14 villages are being eroded. The coastal area has been eroded to a depth of 30 feet.
56 Years Later
For the past two years, a small amount of land has been seen sinking into the sea with each tide. 56 years ago, it was receding 7 kilometers. Now, the sea is advancing toward the city of Khambhat. Near Khambhat, centuries ago, the sea was receding from here. But now, it is returning to where it used to flow naturally. The sea is approaching the city, crossing mud and silt.
The Sea of Khambhat is moving toward the city at a speed of 3 to 4 kilometers per year. Land has sunk into the sea.
Sedimentation has decreased
In four decades, the Sea of Khambhat, which once stretched 7 kilometers, is rapidly moving back toward its original location. Due to the accumulation of sediment in the Sea of Khambhat, the sea gradually receded, leaving the sea seven kilometers away from Khambhat, and with it, the Jahojahali and port of Khambhat also collapsed.
The Sabarmati river has changed its course due to rising temperatures.
The lives of farmers and fishermen in many villages have been severely affected.
Vadgam
The water level of Vadgam, located on the coast, is sinking into the sea. The sea has entered from three sides. In just a few years, hundreds of acres of land have been submerged. Sea waves hit the land, causing rocks to collapse. During each high tide, the wave height increases, and the sea breaches the banks and sinks into the land. Sea water has entered the fields.
Since some farmers have lost their entire land to the sea, they have become agricultural laborers.
Peanuts were grown abundantly in their fields. Now the sea has receded.
Fishing
The people on the trail used to catch shrimp and lepta in the river. They used to cast nets during the high tide. Saltwater has arrived, forcing them to fish in boats. The people on the trail are now becoming fishermen.
Helipad submerged
There was a helipad near Akhol village; its road has been washed away by the waves. The sea has entered the helipad located 3 kilometers away.
A park worth ₹5 crore has been destroyed.
Reasons
Experts believe that the sea is retreating towards the city due to the effects of global warming. However, this seems to be increasing the problems faced by local people.
The dynamics of the ocean are changing because its energy is increasing. Storms that occur in the ocean during the monsoon season increase the ocean’s energy. Secondly, the waves in the Gulf of Khambhat are very high. This increases the waves during the monsoon season, causing erosion.
Rivers like the Mahi and Sabarmati, which flow into Khambhat, also carry debris and soil.
Warning
Erosion has increased during the 2025 monsoon. Due to rising sea levels, the municipality has had to install warning boards. The Khambhat Municipality has also taken precautionary measures in response to the rising sea levels. To avoid loss of life, people have been restricted from approaching the sea.
Coastal security has been deployed. Furthermore, given the possibility of rockfall due to the tides in the coming days, a special appeal has been made to avoid venturing into the sea, and fishermen have also been alerted.
Deep pits are forming on the beach, so after inspecting the site, the municipality has installed warning boards and warned tourists against venturing into the sea.
Dunki Point
The sea has reached Dunki. It has come within 500-600 meters of Dunki Point. Previously, this distance was approximately 2 to 3 kilometers. Following the high tides during the Falgun Purnima festival in 2024, soil erosion increased, causing the coastline to recede.
The Sea of Khambhat, which once extended from Dunki Point to Makai Darwaza, now appears to be receding.
Will the port be rebuilt or will the city be submerged?
If the flow of seawater becomes regular and the coastline remains stable, the port can be redeveloped. The water coming closer to the shore is a joy for the residents. For many years, the sea has been receding from the shores of Khambhat. The water has now reached the actual shore.
For the city of Khambhat, famous for gemstones like topaz and pearls, the re-advancing sea may now bring new economic and historical possibilities.
History
In the early 19th century, when Bharuch was at the peak of its prosperity, this bay was known as the Gulf of Bharuch. Its length is 48 km from Surat to the mouth of the Mahina and from Gopnath in Bhavnagar district to the mouth of the Sabarmati, westward. From Surat to Gopnath, its mouth is 48 km wide at its widest point and its lowest at its crest is 19.2 km.
The total length of the Gulf of Khambhat is 128 km.
The mouth of the river is opposite Gopnath. Between Jafrabad and Daman, the depth of the bay is low due to sand accumulation, making it a hindrance to navigation.
North of Piram Bet, the tide is 2.15 meters.
The tide rises at a speed of 16 km per hour. Where there is dry land, the water spreads out, and the tide recedes just as quickly.
The tide enters the river mouth and wreaks havoc.
This is called ‘Ghodo’. The situation is similar in the Hooghly. Ghodo causes significant damage to coastal areas.
The Gulf of Khambhat is eroding due to river sedimentation. During the Sultanate period and before (900 to 1572), large ships used to visit Dhaka. During the reign of Jahangir, large ships stopped at Ghogha, and from there, goods were transported by boats to Khambhat.
Currently, the sea is two kilometers away from Khambhat. The port of Khambhat has become virtually defunct since the 1960s due to sea level decline. Sedimentation from the Mahi and Sabarmati rivers during the monsoons has caused sea levels to fall, rendering the port useless.
The Sabarmati, Shakha, Mahi, Dhadhar, and Narmada, along with their tributaries, deposit sediment into the sea. The Shetrunji, Sukhbhadar, Uthori, Bhogao, Kalubhar, Ghelo, and Maleshri rivers from Saurashtra flow into the Gulf.
According to engineers, 0.45% of the 465-mile (1,000-mile) of water is silted. The Gulf of Khambhat has an area of 4,560 square kilometers. At low tide, it is 20 fathoms deep. Therefore, if the incoming silt settles, the Gulf will be completely filled within a thousand years. Due to high tides and waves, a large portion of the silt is carried back into the Arabian Sea.
The Gulf had ports such as Khambhat, Kavi, Dholera, Nagara, Vallabhipur, and Gandhar.
Currently, there are ports in Tankari, Dahej, Bharuch, Magdalla, Hazira, Surat, Ghogha, Sartanpur (Talaja), and Bhavnagar.
Bats are found near the mouths of Aliabat, Piram, and Shetrunji in the Gulf, and near the Bhavnagar Bay and Ronio.
There is potential for petroleum and natural gas. A lake called ‘Kalpasar’ could be created.
Gujarat
Sea temperatures are rising along the coast of Gujarat. The Gulf of Khambhat experienced a 1.5-degree increase from 1860 to 2020. A similar situation occurred in Okha in 2017. According to a NASA report, four of India’s 12 coastal cities—Bhavnagar, Okha, Kandla, and Khambhat—could be submerged by 2100. The main reason for this situation is the increase in global temperature and melting of polar ice, due to which the sea level is continuously rising. (Google translation from Gujarati)
