Sir Creek
Kartavya Desk Staff
Source: IT
Context: Defence Minister of India warned Pakistan of a decisive response to any misadventure in the Sir Creek sector, citing its growing military build-up in the disputed region.
About Sir Creek:
What it is?
• Sir Creek is a 96-km long tidal estuary, once called Ban Ganga, situated in the Indus River Delta.
• It is a marshy, uninhabited stretch where seawater mixes with river waters, making the terrain unstable and ecologically fragile.
Located in:
• Lies on the India–Pakistan border, separating Kutch region of Gujarat (India) from Sindh province (Pakistan).
• The creek opens into the Arabian Sea, thus directly influencing maritime boundaries and fishing zones of both nations.
Features:
• It is a narrow, muddy, and shifting water channel prone to changes in its course due to tidal activity.
• The region is part of the Indus Delta wetlands, home to migratory birds and marine biodiversity.
• Control over Sir Creek is crucial as it impacts the demarcation of Exclusive Economic Zones (EEZs) and the continental shelf, which determine rights over fishing, oil, and gas exploration.
History of the Dispute:
• The issue dates back to a 1914 resolution between the Government of Bombay (under British India) and the Ruler of Sindh. Pakistan’s claim: The resolution placed the boundary on the eastern bank, giving the entire creek to Sindh (and hence Pakistan after 1947). India’s claim: The resolution invoked the thalweg principle (boundary runs through the middle of the navigable channel), making the border lie mid-stream.
• Pakistan’s claim: The resolution placed the boundary on the eastern bank, giving the entire creek to Sindh (and hence Pakistan after 1947).
• India’s claim: The resolution invoked the thalweg principle (boundary runs through the middle of the navigable channel), making the border lie mid-stream.
• After Partition (1947), Gujarat remained with India, Sindh with Pakistan, making this boundary contested.
• In 1968, an international tribunal settled much of the Rann of Kutch border, but Sir Creek was left unresolved.