Long, wide cracks have appeared on the ground in several villages in the trans-Yamuna region of the district, spreading panic in the area and triggering speculation about the possible cause of the phenomenon. All the affected villages fall in the Meja Tehsil, over 40 kms from Allahabad, where a receding groundwater table had been a cause for concern for long and which, geographical experts say, could be a reason for the cracks.