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 Sanctuaries

The Great Indian Desert, also known as the Thar Desert, is one of the most fascinating deserts of the world and extends over 3.18 lac sq. kms. Spreading over the states of Haryana, Punjab, Gujarat and Rajasthan, its most arid and major portion lies in Rajasthan and is around 2.08 lac sq. kms. which is about two-third of the total geographical area of the state. Thar Desert is also one of  the most densely populated deserts of the world, the average density being 89 persons/ sq. km., the maximum being 264/sq.km. in Jhunjhnu and the minimum being 9/sq.km. in Jaisalmer.

The numerous life-forms-both floral and faunal- that have adapted themselves to survive and regenerate under the harsh habitat conditions in the desert, form an invaluable stock of rare germ-plasm which is too valuable from the biological point of view. Any further destruction and deterioration of the desert - a >fragile eco-system- is likely to remove, for all times, one of the world's most unique environments. Even the man has been its part for centuries. It is essential, therefore, that at least a part of the Great Indian Desert, in as much of its pristine conditions as possible, is kept further unmolested and restored to its original status, to serve as a bench mark model of the desert as it once existed over a vast territory. Also, the National Commission on Agriculture, in its report in 1976 mentioned that " an area of at least 100 sq. kms. in Jaisalmer district should be selected, notified and maintained as a  Desert National Park for continued studies under undisturbed desert conditions.

The following two lines truly depict the picture of the desert:     "Living with the minimum, not only to survive     but to flourish and bloom, that is the discipline of the desert".

DESERT NATIONAL PARK:
In order to protect and preserve the fragile eco-system of the Thar Desert, an area of 3162 sq. kms. situated in Jaisalmer (1900 sq. kms.) & Barmer (1262 sq. kms.) districts was declared by the State Govt. as a Sanctuary vide a Notification issued on 4th August 1980 under the Wildlife Protection Act 1972. An intention to declare the said area (3162 sq. kms.) as Desert National Park, Jaisalmer, was issued by the State Govt. vide a notification, under the Wildlife Protection Act 1972, on 8th May 1981.

The DNP is situated at 45 kms  in the South-West direction from Jaisalmer. The climate is typically arid. The average annual rainfall of the area is 100 mm. and that too is received during July- August in only 4 to 6 rainy days. January is the coldest month when the minimum temperature often falls down to 2ºC or even less and the frost occurs damaging the vegetation. May - June are the hottest months when the temperature rises up to 48ºC. The air is very dry and the dust storms are common.

Sand dunes form around 20% of the Park. The major landform consists of craggy rocks and compact salt lake bottoms, intermedial areas and fixed dunes. These are inhabited by a rich variety of plant and animal life.

Flora:
The vegetation, which is predominantly xerophytic and quite sparse, occur in great variety- there being as many as 700 spp., amongst which grasses alone account for 107 spp. The commonest plant is the Sewan grass. The other prominent shrubs are Sinia, Khip, Phog, Banvli, Bui, Murut, Lana, etc.  Lamp, Bhurat and Bekar add to the forage availability.

Khejri is the life-line of the desert but Rohira, Kair and Aak add colour to the landscape. Rohira has been declared as the State tree of Rajasthan. The other common plant spp. are Ber, Bordi, Kumat, Jal, Thor, Guggal, Tantia and Ganthia.

Fauna:
The past history of inhabiting the Thar desert is really fascinating. The Asiatic Lion, now found only in Gir forest in India, was found in fair numbers till 1870s in the plains of Rajasthan & Punjab. Leopards were common in the Siwana hills in Barmer district. The Cheetah, now extinct in India, was at one time found in the Kathiawar region. The Wild Ass, now restricted in the little Rann of Kutch, was well distributed in parts of Rajasthan desert. What remains now of the mammalian & other wildlife of the desert is a faint reminder of the past glory.

(i) Mammals:  Over 60 spp. of mammals have been recorded from the Thar desert. The Chinkara, Desert Cat, Desert Fox, Jackal, Wolf, Desert Hare are quite common in this area. There is an alarming preponderance of the Rodents and Gerbils in the area.

(ii) Amphibians and Reptiles:   The amphibian fauna of this region is restricted to one specie of  toad viz. Anderson's toad and five species of frogs. Forty-three species of  reptile are found in the  Thar desert. The prominent among these are Spiny tailed lizard and Monitor lizard. At few places, the Skink, Geckos and Agama are also found. The Horned toad or the Toad agama is a misnomer because neither it is a toad nor it has a horn. It is actually a lizard. The Sandfish, another lizard, which swims under sand and the colour- changing Chameleons are also commonly seen in the desert. Saw-scaled viper, Russel's viper, Kobra and Pivana are the prominent among the several species of snakes found here. The Saw-scaled viper doesn't leave any serpentine mark on the sand. The colour of the Russel's viper matches so well with the sand that one can not easily see it even after reaching  very close to it.  Although the Pivana has been identified as the Sind Krait, yet the myth about it's breath-sucking power causing a man's death is prevalent in the desert.

    (iii) Insects:   The desert is very rich as far as Insect species are concerned. Seventeen spp. of Termites are found here. Various types of colourful Butterflies add beauty to this area. The hot and sandy areas of the desert are very ideal for swarms of Locusts and Grasshoppers. To see a Dung Beetle rolling dung balls larger than itself is quite an interesting site in itself. The Velvet mites, which have disappeared from many areas because of chemical sprays, can be seen in the desert.

     (iv) Birds:   The avifauna of the desert is very rich in both species and population - the numbers of birds at times reach 3000-4000 at a single spot. Around 300 species of birds have been reported by Hugh Whistler in 1938. The most prominent of all is the Great Indian Bustard ( locally known as Godavan ) which breeds in the area and migrate locally in different seasons. This tall and heavy bird is an epitome of grace and confidence. This has been declared as the State bird of Rajasthan. Only a century ago this bird was found as a resident bird in whole of India but now it is confined only in some areas of Rajasthan, Gujarat and Maharashtra. About two decades ago its total population was estimated as 1260 or so but now it is reduced to even less than 1000 and most of them are found in the Desert National Park (Jaisalmer and Barmer), Sonkalia- Closed area- of Ajmer and Sorsan- Closed area- of Kota. The other resident bird spp. found here are Indian sandgrouse, Painted and Spotted sandgrouse, Grey Partridge, Common quail, Bush quail, Common bee-eater, Blue tailed bee-eater, Blue J (or the Indian roller), Shrikes, Drongos, Babblers, Warblers, flycatchers, white cheeked bulbul,  etc. The Peafowl and the Rose-ringed parakeet are normally seen near habitations where water is available and, therefore, can hardly be called as desert birds. The Ring doves are common but the Red turtle doves and Spotted doves are rarely seen.

    During winters, due to rich food availability, clear storm- less weather, and comfortable nights the desert is visited by many birds. The prominent among the visiting birds are the Houbara bustard, Imperial sand grouse, Spanish sparrow, Rosy pastor, Spotted starlings, Demoiselle cranes and Common cranes etc.

    IMPORTANT FEATURES :   Nine satellite areas viz. Akal, Ram Deora, Ujala, in Jaisalmer, Dhorimanna (Barmer), Kolu, Fitkasni (Jodhpur), Panchla Sidha (Nagaur), Sanchor (Jalore), & Diyatra (Bikaner), abounding in wildlife, have been taken up for protection under the umbrella of D.N.P.

The main emphasis in managing any Nature Reserve is on creation of the conditions and environment suitable for various species to breed and survive. The most common doctrine in the management of the various sanctuaries is the " Principle of least interference ", i.e. as far as possible, to leave the things to nature and let the nature take its own course. For this it is essential to minimize the biotic interference and to improve the degraded forest areas by planting fruit and fodder trees as well as by carrying out the soil and water conservation measures. This will ultimately help in augmenting the food and water availability to the wildlife during the pinch period.

    Water is a commodity which is conspicuous by its absence in the desert. There are no regular sources of water supply. The water table is very low. A few tube-wells that are available can not even meet the human requirement, not to talk of wildlife. Making water available for wildlife in the desert is, therefore, one of the most important aspects of the management. For this, as the situation demands, the Water-holes are created, Anicuts made, Hand pumps installed and wells dug up. In D.N.P., a network of covered tanks has been made to harvest & store large quantity of rain water. From these tanks, water is released at specific points for drinking, through underground pipes. These points known as " Guzzlers " are made of sandstone and camouflaged to merge with the terrain. These drinking troughs of sizes 10m x 1m are shallow and have a small surface area to reduce evaporation looses. Percolation losses are eliminated by providing impervious bottom.