The internet calls it haunted; geologists call it hydrogeology.

The ‘Bermuda Triangle ’, ‘legend of Oak island’, the Sailing Stones of Death Valley are a couple of mysteries that have long kept, and still keep, the human mind occupied with their eccentricity. Such unexplained phenomena have long existed before human beings, and some, even despite the ranging scientific explanations and digital advancements, have failed to produce an accurate reason as to why certain things are beyond human comprehension. And one such peculiar incident has recently stirred up in the state of Gujarat, India, where water in a local farming well was caught rippling back and forth on its own without any external source.

At the beginning of August, a video circulated through various social media platforms, recording a ‘Kuvo’, situated in the Virpada Village, Morbi District of Gujarat, exhibiting an unusual phenomenon. ‘Kuvo’ is a distinctive type of well that exists for Gujarati farmers as a means of irrigation for their fields. Its circumference is vastly larger than a normal well, accumulating a huge barrier of water that reaches till the tip of the well. In the video, the three-month-old well, which is 18 feet deep, had water brimmed to the threshold and was rippling back and forth in perfect rhythm, like an antic pendulum. The scene, which was primarily witnessed by its owner, triggered a wave of astonishment and speculative fear in the minds of the locals as they observed the specific oddity of the well, which was foreign to the other local wells.

The visual evidence caught by the locals was quick to circulate, garnering immediate attention to the bizarre occurrence. Viewers were divided as they invaded the comment section with casual nonchalance, while others were quick to investigate and bring in various speculations and theories. Soon the local well was a source of attraction, with many people arriving to witness the strange phenomena.

Villagers quickly based their reasons on supernatural activity, asserting their ideas through folklore and tales, despite no haunting evidence being caught. Morbi, being fairly close to the coast, evoked another intuition connecting the water distress to the Arabian Sea. Villagers believe that the underground channels that connect to the coastal aquifers made the well water move in sync with the Arabian Sea waves. Others attributed the phenomenon to an indication of seismic activity, probably an earthquake or surface-level suppositions, such as strong winds, differences in pressure or maybe even the strong vibrations caused by traffic.

However, the most popular explanation that occupied the internet before any official statement was the theory of ‘Well Siche’. The ‘Well Siche’ is a geographical phenomenon whereby atmospheric pressure differences or groundwater pressure can cause oscillation in an enclosed water body.

Officials who visited the site, however, put an end to the above theories, providing a scientific explanation. Morbi district geologist J.S. Vadher, based on a preliminary observation, claimed the situation was a hydrogeological event, whereby heavy rain may have rapidly recharged the groundwater, forcing trapped air through rock holes and disturbing the well water. However, the phenomenon occurring only at this particular well called for further expertise. Collector Swapnil Khare has called for detailed research from the Gujarat Ground Water Research Institute before coming to an official conclusion. The site is temporarily barricaded, and officials have strongly warned against spreading rumours and illicit presence. The issue has been refuted from supernatural activity to scientific grounds. No further updates have been released after a month, hinting that the study is still ongoing.

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