Rajasthan - Physical Features

The state of Rajasthan is composed of two distinct geographical regions, the dividing line being the Aravallis, the oldest mountain chain in India. Aravallis runs southwest to northeast, the last low ridge ending up in Delhi. These hills block the southeast monsoon so the eastern region receives good rainfall and parts of it are covered with dense green forests of sal, axlewood, dhak, and mesquite.

However, even this desert area of Rajasthan is far from being barren and uninhabited. The rainfall, though scanty, encourages the growth of grasses shrubs and peepal trees which grow well along the desert margin. Among the sand dunes we have babool and khejri trees, with the last named sometimes cracking open even hard rocks. The Thar Desert abounds in wild life speciality around water holes. There are animals like the desert fox, jackal, black buck, chinkara and nilgai and birds like the sand grouse, dove, quail, pratridge and the famed Great Indian Bustard.

There are more surprises in store. Western and northern Rajasthan were not always desert. There is evidence to prove that this area was once covered with dense forests where elephants roamed freely. Ecological changes over the past 3-4 millennia have replaced forest with sand and the mighty elephant with the serviceable camel.

According to a report published by the Central Arid Zone Research Institute (CAZRI) the legendary river Saraswati, mentioned in the Rig Veda as the mother of all rivers, once flowed through the Thar Desert. This river changed its course many times, till finally the sand choked it off. The dry courses of the Saraswati lie buried underground, but a trickle of sub-surface water still flows though them supporting lush green vegetation even during the summer months.

Wonder of wonders, it has been established that the Thar Desert was once under the sea. The limestone rocks of Jaisalmer bear marks of ammonites and other marine fossils. The 21-hectare Akal Wood Fossil Park that lies 15 km from Jaisalmer, takes you back to the Jurassic period when the entire region lay under the sea. Fossilized tree trunks are now clearly exposed to view.

By itself, the presence of a desert is no cause for concern. Be it ever so dry and water starved, it is yet another type of habitat on earth, with its own plant and animal life, duly adapted to the region. What does, however, cause concern is the degradation of the land as a result of human activity, leading to the spread of the desert. And Rajasthan has, sadly, suffered this kind of degradation over the centuries.

Overgrazing by goats and cattle, over cultivation of poor soil, overuse by humans of the scanty supply of wood available for fuel, indiscriminate destruction of wildlife habitat, mindless hunting - these are some of the factors that have caused the land to deteriorate. The land that lies along the border of the Thar has a particularly fragile ecosystem because it is open to assault both by the desert and the people who live there.

Much has been done by government agencies to bring water to this region via a network of canals.