UPSC Prelims 2023 question on Rann of Kutch Marshland

Rann of Kutch is a massive expanse of cracked earth, inland from the sea, that promises to take your breath away. The area was once a sprawling shallow of the Arabian Sea until a constant geological shift closed off the connection with the sea.

Over the years, the region eventually became a seasonal marshy salt desert. During monsoons, the marsh fills up with water and the wetland extends from the Gulf of Kutch on the west through to the Gulf of Cambay on the east. In summers, the water dries to create a crunchy based bed of white salty land.

This is the best example of repeated falls in sea level giving rise to present-day extensive marshland.

Hence option (d) — Rann of Kutch — is the correct answer.