Gulf of Kutch

The Gulf of Kutch is an inlet of the Arabian Sea along the west coast of India, in the state of Gujarat, which is renowned for extreme daily tides.[1]

Gulf of Kutch on the left. Image NASA Earth Observatory
Gulf of Kutch in 1896

History

The Gulf of Kutch is referred to in the Periplus of the Erythraean Sea, a travelogue written in about 50 CE, as the Gulf of Baraca.[2]

Geography

The maximum depth of Gulf of Kutch is 402 feet (123 m).

It is a region with highest potential of tidal energy generation.

It is about 99 miles in length, and divides Kutch and the Kathiawar peninsula regions of Gujarat. The Rukmavati River empties into the Arabian Sea nearby. Gulf of Khambhat lies in south and the Great Rann of Kutch is located in north of the gulf.

Flora and fauna

The first coral garden will be set up near Mithapur in the Gulf of Kutch. The different species of corals will be set up and an underwater garden will be developed for conservation and tourism purposes. It will be developed by a joint venture of Gujarat forest department, Wildlife Trust of India and Tata Chemicals.[3]

Vessel Traffic Service

In 2012, the vessel traffic service (VTS-GOK) was opened in the Gulf of Kutch. The project was the join initiative of the Kandla Port Trust, Gujarat Maritime Board and the Directorate General of Lighthouses And Lightships of India. It is one of the largest VTS system in the world covering water area of 16,500 square kilometres (6,400 sq mi). It extends from Koteshwar to Okha, about 800 km. It cost ₹165 crore (equivalent to ₹250 crore or US$35 million in 2019). It has nine radars, three repeater stations and six port monitoring stations. Two additional monitoring stations of the Indian Coast Guard at Jakhau and Okha and one station of Indian Navy at Okha is also integrated in the system. The master control centre is located in Kandla.[4][5][6]

See also

References
  1. "British Company To Help India Harness The Power Of The Sea". Atlantis Resources Corporation. 28 November 2009. Archived from the original on 30 June 2012.
  2. Schoff, Wilfred H.: The Periplus of the Erythrean Sea - Travel and Trade in the Indian Ocean by a Merchant of the First Century, Longmans, Green and Co. London, 1912.
  3. "India's First 'Coral Garden' to be Set up in Gujarat". Press Trust of India. 3 September 2014.
  4. "VTS system to make navigation easier in Gulf of Kutch". The Times of India. 13 December 2012. Retrieved 26 July 2020.
  5. "India: VTS for the Gulf of Kachchh to the Nation DGLL to Launch AIS for Tracking Vessels". Safety4Sea. 13 February 2012.
  6. "VTS: Directorate General of Lighthouses & Lightships". www.dgll.nic.in. Retrieved 26 July 2020.


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