t is a unique example of modern science drawing on ancient wisdom to produce a startling outcome

After the latest partial lunar eclipse on July 5, Banars Hindu university hydro- geologist GC chaudhary has bad news. Eclipses lead to a rise in ground water levels and may cause flash floods, he says citing the results of his study.

The study makes this unprecedented observation by providing ancient social lawmaker Maharashi kavyayans saying that ground water behaves in much the same way as river or pond water during eclipses, he claim

Chuadhary has based his observations on the behavior of ground water in a well at the densely populated Thatheri Bazar locality in varanasi

The 60-foot deep well has a 34-foot water column, which is nearly 26 feet below the ground level.
On July 5, he says, the water level in the well was recorded at 26feet from the ground level before the eclipse began.. After the celestial spectacle began to unfold at 7.05 pm, the water level rose to 25 feet and 10 inches.

And, at 8.35pm, when the eclipse was near its peak, the water level stood at 25 feet six inches -a rise of six inches

Chaudhary had recorded similar fluctuation in ground water level during eclipses in 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998 and January 2001.

While ground water level rose by 10 inches during the total solar eclipse of 1995, the increase was only 10 centimeters during the partial lunar eclipse of April 1996. in 1997, it was only 50 centimeters.

The trend was similar during the partial solar eclipse of august 1998. The ground water level rose by 10 centimeters then. During the partial lunar eclipse of January 2001, the water level rose by 8.5inches.

"Ground water has a tendency to meet a river. In case of a sudden rise, it may cause a flash flood," he explains.