In August 2006, Mumbai residents were stunned when the water at Mahim Creek unexpectedly turned sweet. Soon, reports surfaced from Gujarat’s Tithal beach that the seawater there had also become sweet. People flocked to both locations, collecting and drinking the seawater, believing in a miraculous event.
A Miracle or a Misunderstanding?
Rumors quickly spread, with many attributing the sweet water to divine intervention, especially near the Haji Maqdoom Baba shrine. Despite warnings from local authorities about the potential health risks of drinking contaminated water, large crowds continued to gather.
The Science Behind the Phenomenon
Geologists from the Indian Institute of Technology Bombay explained the event as a natural occurrence. They suggested that rainfall had caused fresh water to accumulate in underground rock formations, which then discharged into the sea, floating atop the saltwater. The fresh water gradually mixed with the seawater, returning it to its usual salty state.
A Short-Lived Event
By the afternoon of August 19, the sweet seawater turned salty again. The mass hysteria faded, but the incident remains a curious and mysterious moment in Mumbai’s history.
