New Moor
 | |
| Other names | New Moore Island, Purbasha |
|---|---|
| Geography | |
| Location | Bay of Bengal |
| Coordinates | 21°37′00″N 89°08′30″E / 21.61667°N 89.14167°E |
| Administration | |
None | |
| Demographics | |
| Population | 0 |
South Talpatti Island as it is known in Bangladesh or New Moore Island or Purbasha as it is known in India is a small uninhabited offshore island that emerged in the Bay of Bengal in the aftermath of the Bhola cyclone in 1970. There is no permanent settlement or any other station located on the island. Its sovereignty is disputed between Bangladesh and India.
Geography
The island is situated only two kilometers from the mouth of the Hariabhanga River. The emergence of the island was first discovered by an American satellite in 1974 showed the island to have an area of 2,500 sq meters (27,000 sq ft). Later, various remote sensing surveys showed that the island had expanded gradually to an area of about 10,000 sq meters (110,000 sq ft). The recent satellite pictures show the existence of a vast submerged landmass in the shallow seawaters around South Talpatti. A number of submerged shoals are visible on the north and southeast sides of the island in the Hariabhanga estuary, indicating that the total area of South Talpatti Island will surpass 25 to 30 sq km within the next one or two decades.
The shape of the shallow are is almost round, appearing crescent-shaped at high tides, opening to the north, with narrow 'arms' of land on the east, west, and south sides. A shallow lagoon has been formed within these arms and remains almost dry except during high tide. The bottom of the lagoon is muddy. The highest elevation of the island is only 1.3m high above sea level. The southern part of the island's coastland is mainly sand mingled with clay, while on the north and east sediment-clay and clayey soil is observed. Coastal mangrove forest has been growing along the south and southeast coast of the island since roughly 2005. The following ecosystems are found on and near the island: (a) tidal floodplains; (b) tidal bogs and wetlands; (c) shoals formed by river deposits; (d) river borne clayey lowlands; (e) river eroded continental coast in the east; and (f) sandy-beach in the southeast. River borne sediment and clay played pivotal roles in the formation of the island. Accumulation of comparatively bigger granular sand is particularly noticeable in the south and west of the island.
Location
The island is located in the coastal, shallow Bay of Bengal immediately south of the international border river, the Hariabhanga, flowing between Satkhira district of Bangladesh and South 24 Parganas district of West Bengal, India. The island lies at about 21°37′00″N 89°08′30″E / 21.61667°N 89.14167°E
Area
The island is about 3.5 km (2.2 mi) in length and 3 km (1.9 mi) in width. The island continues to expand and the land mass area fluctuates between 7 km² and 14 km² (2.7 and 5.4 sq mi) depending on the high and low tides.
Dispute
The island is claimed by both Bangladesh and India, although neither country has established any permanent settlement there because of the island's geographical instability. India had in the past reportedly hoisted the Indian flag on South Talpatti and established a tempoarary base of Border Security Forces (BSF) on the island, regularly visiting with naval gunships. [1]
According to the Radcliffe Award (establishing the East Pakistan and India boundary in 1947), the 'mid-channel flow' principle or 'Thalweg Doctrine' is recognized as the international boundary on river boundaries between the two countries.
The middle line of the mid-channel flow (thalweg doctrine) of the Hariabhanga River establishes the boundary between the states north of South Talpatti Island. South Talpatti Island technically falls under the Bangladesh-Indian land boundary, but the eventual determination of the island's sovereignty will have a major impact over the location of the states' maritime boundary further offshore when it is negotiated between Bangladesh and India.
There is no available, conclusive evidence as to which side of South Talpatti Island the main channel flows. Indian authority claims that, a 1981 detailed survey of water depths printed on a 1990 British Admiralty chart and reprinted on the 1991 US National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency (NGA) chart number 63330 Edition 9, showed the main and much deeper channel and main flow on the east side of South Talpatti, favoring India. On the other hand, Bangladesh side claims, during Ziaur Rahman's visit to India in late 70s, the data provided then clearly shows current flown from western side of the island, thus establishing the island's sovereignty over Bangladesh [2]. Many believe the island current is usually changes her direction over time to time based on surrounding conditions.
Under some international boundary precedents, the location of the channel in 1947 or at the time of the island's emergence may be more relevant than its present location. River channels here often shift their locations from time to time.