While the snowy wastelands of Siachen are being fought over in order to settle larger issues, the salty wastelands of the Rann of Kutch and its Sir Creek remain a coveted sliver of oil-rich land. Both countries have already had one military engagement, months before the war began in 1965, and the prospect of finding petroleum deposits in the continental shelf off the Rann coast makes the two neighbours adopt tough postures.

India and Pakistan will sit across the table on Monday to discuss the Sir Creek issue. Lt Gen AK Ahuja, the Surveyor General, will lead the Indian delegation while Rear Admiral (Retd) Jamir Akhtar, AdditionalSecretary, will lead the Pakistan team.

While entering Sir Creek, over the years, sea tides have changed the contours of the demarcated boundary between Sindh and what was then the princely state of Kutch. Princely Kutch and the British administered Sindh signed an agreement in 1914 which demarcated the boundary midway through Sir Creek.

The first map showing this demarcation, said South Block sources, was drawn in 1925. ``And we are basing our claims on that map and that treaty. As the successor state to that treaty, we have a historically verifiable claim,'' they say.

The problem with the 1914 agreement and the 1925 map is that sea tides have altered the position of the centre of the creek. ``The present centre of the creek is not what it was in 1914 on account of tidal activity coupled with silting,'' the sources say. While the eastern end of the creek is marked, the western end terminates at pillar number 38. The Indian position has always been that the demarcation should be done on the basis of thecentre of the creek through one of the larger islands that appears during low tides. The Pakistani position, on the other hand, places the demarcation line to the east of the island. And which line when taken to its logical end into the sea and the Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ), results in hundreds of square kilometres of the continental shelf changing hands.

It is the prospect of finding substantial reserves of oil in the continental shelf which makes the two sides intransigent. Surveys are believed to have been conducted in this area that have indicated petroleum reserves.

The frequent arrests of fishermen, by both sides, is also caused by the wrangle over Sir Creek and the EEZ.

Sources admit that it is in the interest of both countries to settle this issue. ``Otherwise they will not be able to develop this area economically. There won't be any activity unless the areas are clearly demarcated,'' they say.

Both countries have until 2004 to settle this dispute before the United Nations gets involved.The UN intervention is certain-owing to the 1994 ratification of the United Nations Convention on the Law on Sea.

According to this law, every country with a coastal belt has to submit its claims on its continental shelf by 2004. Following which the claims will be up for scrutiny, and with both India and Pakistan disputing the passage through Sir Creek, the EEZ too will remain contestable. ``If that is to be so then the economic and diplomatic loss will be the only thing that India and Pakistan will be able to share,'' said a source.