GSI team to visit Andaman to investigate eruption at India's only active mud volcano in Baratang

Port Blair, Oct 5 (PTI) The Geological Survey of India (GSI) will send a team to the Baratang Island to investigate the recent eruption of India's only active mud volcano, a senior official said on Sunday.

Speaking to PTI, GSI's Deputy Director General Shantanu Bhattacharjee said the volcano was dormant for more than two decades, and the October 2 eruption seemed to have happened due to tectonic movement.

"A team of seven geologists from Kolkata will visit Baratang on October 7 and inspect the area. They will collect mud and gas samples for tests. We already have a testing facility at Baratang," he said.

"The Andaman and Nicobar Islands are in the subduction zone due to frequent movement of tectonic plates, which causes tremors most of the time. Even the eruption of lava at Barren Island could be due to the tectonic plate movement," he added.

Asked if the eruptions were a cause of concern, Bhattacharjee said it is better to wait for the official report.

Thousands of tourists visit India's only mud volcano at Baratang, located in the North and Middle Andaman district, nearly 150 km from Port Blair.

"The mud volcano has been formed by gases deep inside the earth from decaying organic matter. It pushes the mud and gas to the surface, which creates bubbles and craters. It is one of the must-visit spots in Andaman," Bhattacharjee said.

The eruption on October 2 was reported around 1.30 pm at Jarwa Creek. Witnesses described hearing a loud explosion, followed by a violent discharge of mud.

The eruption created an earth mound approximately 3-4 metre high, spreading mud over an area of more than 1,000 sq metre. Activity has since ceased, but as a precaution, tourist access to the site has been suspended.

"Such a big eruption was last reported in 2005," a local official said.

Barren Island, located around 140 km by sea from Port Blair, also experienced two minor eruptions last month, on September 13 and 20.

This uninhabited island sits at the convergence of the Indian and Burmese tectonic plates, and has a history of volcanic activity dating back to 1787, with notable eruptions in 1991, 2005, 2017, and most recently in November 2022.

The closest inhabited areas to Barren Island, which is spread over 8.34 sq km, are Swaraj Dweep (Havelock Island) and the Narcondam Lookout Post, both located about 140-150 km away. PTI SN SN SOM