UPSC Prelims 2017 Q19: Modern History – Early Nationalism & Indian National Congress (1885 - 1915)
At one of the places in India, if you stand on the seashore and watch the sea, you will find
that the sea water recedes from the shore line a few kilometres and comes back to the shore,
twice a day, and you can actually walk on the sea floor when the water recedes. This unique
phenomenon is seen at
- (a) Bhavnagar
- (b) Bheemunipattnam
- (c) Chandipur
- (d) Nagapattinam
Answer: (c) Chandipur
Explanation
The 'vanishing sea' of Chandipur
At Chandipur in Balasore district, Odisha, the sea recedes up to about 5 km at low tide.
It happens twice a day, and visitors can walk on the exposed sea bed.
| Place | State | Feature |
|---|---|---|
| Chandipur | Odisha | Sea recedes several km at low tide; also a DRDO missile test range |
| Bhavnagar | Gujarat | Port on the Gulf of Khambhat; Alang ship-breaking yard nearby |
| Bheemunipatnam | Andhra Pradesh | Old Dutch settlement near Visakhapatnam |
| Nagapattinam | Tamil Nadu | Port town, hit hard by the 2004 tsunami |
The very gentle slope of the shore makes the tide expose a huge area.
Answer: (c) Chandipur.
Why each option is right or wrong
- (a) Incorrect. Bhavnagar has strong tides in the Gulf of Khambhat, but not this walkable receding sea.
- (b) Incorrect. Bheemunipatnam is a historic beach town, not known for a vanishing sea.
- (c) CORRECT. At Chandipur, Odisha, the sea recedes kilometres at low tide twice a day.
- (d) Incorrect. Nagapattinam is a Tamil Nadu port, not known for this tidal effect.
Key point
Chandipur (Balasore, Odisha): sea recedes up to about 5 km at low tide twice daily; also home to the DRDO Integrated Test Range.
Remember
Vanishing sea = Chandipur, Odisha.
Common mistakes
- Choosing Bhavnagar because the Gulf of Khambhat has very high tides.
- Not linking Chandipur to both the 'hide and seek' beach and the missile range.
- Confusing a tidal effect with a tsunami-related event (Nagapattinam).
Exam tip
Chandipur = 'hide and seek beach' + missile test range.
Sources
- Odisha Tourism — Chandipur beach
- NCERT Class XI — Fundamentals of Physical Geography, Ch 14 (Movements of Ocean Water: Tides)