Context: Union home minister visited Harami Nala (rogue or treacherous channel) in the Sir Creek sector of Kutch region of Gujarat, near the India-Pakistan border.
About Harami Nala
- It is a natural water body, approximately 25 kilometers long, flowing from west to east from Pakistan into Kutch, just south of Vighakot sector. It is flanked by vast marshy mud flats affected by low and high tides.
- About 22 kilometers of the channel lie on the Indian side of “vertical line” of the International Boundary (IB) between India and Pakistan, which itself is not contested. A portion of Rajasthan’s Barmar district also touches this area.
- It is extremely rich in fishing, especially prawns.
- The formidable marshy terrain through which it runs makes it impossible to approach or patrol on foot, even during low tide.
- There are dangerous tides, muddy areas, and mirages, and it also gets extremely hot in the summer, with temperatures exceeding 50 degrees Celsius.
- It is one of the most inhospitable places along the border and has also been at the center of cross-border mischief and exploitation by infiltrators.
- The water body has some unique characteristics. Tidal waters surge from the Pakistani side, and over the years, the channel has extended further on the Indian side.
- On the Pakistani side, there’s a wall called Chini-Bandh, built with assistance from China, to prevent ocean water from flooding their side. On the Indian side, there is a significant distance from the IB where factories have emerged to produce salt, bromide, and other chemicals carried by mineral-rich waters.
- The channel’s proximity to the coast and urban centers like Gujarat and Mumbai has made it an attractive route for potential infiltrators.
