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Economic uplift of Thar after monsoon rain
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By Dr. Shamsuddin Tunio
Aug 06 - 12 , 2001
Thar is dry sandy desert of Sindh-Pakistan,
which is the land of drastic droughts and havoc famines, it is not
better any way from the African Sahara, due to water scarcity, low
rainfall, high temperatures and hot winds. The hot winds always
warmth sand and sand flora, where Akk plant (Calotropis procera)
too suffers heat waves and warmth may be persisted in it little
longer during day.
Thar is divided in five Taluka such as Mithi,
Chacharo, Nagarparkar, Diplo and Umerkot and geographically into
nine zones including Khawar, Dhat, Kantho, Parkar, Vat, Samroti,
Wango, Muharano and Achhro Thar. The total area of Tharparkar is
22000 square kilometer. The total culturable land is about 4.7
million hectares, out of which 1.7 million hectares are not
cultivable and used for animal grazing called Gauchar land and 3
million hectares are cultivated by growing different crops like
guar, millet, Mungbean, Kidney bean, Sesame, melons and castor.
The agriculture entirely depends on rainfall, however agriculture
on dug well is carried in southern parts of Thar around Karoonjhar
hills of Ngarparkar where cash crops are grown like chillies,
onion, garlic, brinjal, and wheat.
This land suffers a lot due to 3 to 5 years
drought and scarcity of water, food shortage, poverty as risk to
life, endanger to livestock and decline in economic mobility of
the area and people. The people of Thar desert live like a
globally invisible and insignificant sect of himan kind, with no
role in this world except to survive under hardships. The
geographical and environmenntal situation prevailing in this part
of the world had never been sustained until and unless nature
blessed Thar by rain water.
Climate
The climate of Thar is arid and rating to cool
winters and dry and warm summers. Annual rainfall ranges from 200
mm to 300 mm and the climate is arid and sub-tropical. All the
tropical crops are grown round the year. The rainfall is low which
occurs only in monsoon season starting from June - September with
high intensity and low frequency. Irregular rainfall periods are
followed by long drought periods and high evaporation and
evapotranspiration are due to high temperature, which dries the
surface water reservoirs and groundater aquifer. About 95% of
total precipitation occurs in monsoon durng June - Septerber.
Water resources
Rainfall is the only source of fresh surface
and groundwater. The rainfall is limited and occurs during the
monsoon season from June-September with a high intensity and low
frequency, the temperature is high due to which evapration is five
times higher than rainfall. Such factors affect the open Taraies
and cause low recharge to the groundwater aquifers and second main
factor is run off, of rain water.
The rainy season has started and rain has
poured down on Thar's dry sand with its continuous intervals and
follow ups for improving the prospects of a better harvest of
local indigenous crops in Thar desert, which might washes out
ruins and bad looks created by drought and havoc famine. At
present, rain has graced and blessed all areas of the drought
striken Thar with its high and heavy influx, which has soaked the
sandy lands. It is a signal to the peasants and farmers, to come
up with their Agro-tools to sow seeds of being prosperous, to
bring cheapenss and abundance of grains, which is locally a sign
of abundance or plenty of food.
The soils of Thar are sandy to sandy loam which
contain enough fine particles of clay and silt so it is fertile
land. The source of fresh water is rainfall which showers in
June-September in normal years and varies between 200 mm to 300
mm. But peak season of rain is July and August. The rainfall is
also not uniform all over Thar. The rain water is collected in
tarais, rain dams, ponds and whereas covered tanks, well as are
recharged for drinking, livestock and in some areas for
agricultural purposes.
Parkar is quite different from the rest of the
area of Thar having rocky plains. The watertable ranges from
20-100 feet. With Karoonjhar hill in the middle of the area being
the source of recharge for shallow aquifers. However, the option
of exploiting rain water by recharging the aquirers by controlling
the surface run off through retention dams is successful. Tharaies
and ponds in the area where groundwater is saline provide drinking
water around the year.
Karoonjhar hill area is like a bowl with few
holes in the form of short time rivers which take the rain water
to Rann of Katchh during monsoon. It covers an area of about 400
sq. which has a big capacity to store rain water by closing such
short time rivers. The local people narrated that if such rivers
are plugged the bowl would be full of water, villagers are
confident that in such a scenario one monsoon would be enough to
face a drought of 4 years.
Field Crops:
For the struggle of survival, the peasants and
farmers of Thar prepare their lands and grow local crops like
millet, sorghum, Guar, mung, sesame etc in the early step, which
might benefit to farmer to improve and produce "the grains in
abundance' and green fodder for the animals which are being reared
in this dry region (Table 1).
Natural Vegetation
The desert itself let flourish natural
vegetation of all kinds after rain, which emerge on the moisture
conserved by the sandy land, spread over the whole Thar, which is
considered as the most fertile area. The natural flora and herbs
emerge after rain may be very useful for mankind, due to food and
medicinal value and reliveving pains of desert people. The natural
vegetation include herbs, shrubs, grasses and pastures, which
boost up economy of Thar while provding food, feed, fuel and
shelter to local population. Thar and its population are relying
on such resources to build up economy rather look for donors or
funding agencies to provide an aid, which might not be sufficent
to resettle them in the drought stricken areas.
Rain increases opportunities to produce more
food by growing cereals like sorghum and millet and legumes such
as cluster bean, mungbean and Kidney bean. However, the grains had
never been, the only food of the people living in Thar desert. But
people also relish and rely upon natural herbs and plants or their
edible parts including roots, leaves, delicates stems, flowers and
fruits. The natural herbs like Amaranths, Digeria,, Chenopodium,
Purslane, Wild cucumber, Melons, Pods of prosopis, fruits of
capper and salvadora are being used in food. Mushrooms appear in
abundance in Thar after rain, which is among indigenous foods and
is very important foodstuff in the famine conditions (Table 2).
Livestock and wildlife
The food stuffs, from domestic animals and
livestock may be abundance or plenty with availability of green
fodder in the dry areas after rain. The ample production of milk,
butter and meat is due to prosperousness of the Thar area. Thari
cow, sheep and goats may be out numbered as pasture, greenery and
green fodder become cheap and abundant. Thari oxen are the symbols
of strong drought animals of the Thar regionn. Whereas, wild life
of Thar can not be ignored, which is being conserved under
rangelands and natural habitats of Thar. Wild life of Thar desert
viz; Deer Antelopes, Black buck, Wild ass, Bustard, Peacock &
Partridges etc are world wide important.
Thar has problems of versatile type, where food
is not unique problem but drinking water, health, shelter and jobs
are rarely being met. The water storage is one of the main
problems of Thar for the living population. The water shortage in
terms of crop cultivation and for drinking purposes is chronic
one. The sandy soils of Thar may not hold water for longer
periods. Thus, farmers start preparting their lands to sow seeds
either earlier or soon after rainfall, to avoid moisture losses
from the soil.
The soil moisture conservation for longer times
in this sandy desert land is nevertheless problems, which must be
preserved for crop productioh.
Rain Storage Methods
In the agriculturally sound areas, before rain
fall farmers make bunds, dig pits and go for conservation tillage
practices to retain more water in the sandy soils for crop
cultivation purposes. The rain water is collected into natural
ditches and depressions locally known as Tal and Tarayoon and the
rain water collected is locally called as palar.
The rain water may also be stored in earthen
jars; house hold utensils and overground as well as underground
cemented tanks locally known as Tankas. The local population also
store rain water on the ceilings of "Pucca houses" with
solid borders. The capacity of such water containers and
reservoirs is not much enough to meet drinkinng water needs of one
family, community or population living in the area. But, the rain
falling with enough quantity during a particular rainy season may
saturate the deeper layers of soil with recharging the subsoil,
which may improve undergroud level of sweet water and also
recharge wells dug in the drought stricken area of Thar.
Sindh alongwith desert Thar is an arid part of
the country where there is high temperatures, hot winds and low
rainfall, which is sporadic in nautre. Monsoon rains may come into
2-3 years intervals with high influx. Annual rinfall range in
Sindh is 5-7 inches and after every 2-3 years interval, heavy
rainfall may develop known as torrential rain. We have little
winter monsoon rains in December and January but summer monsoon
rains may develop in July to August with high intensity under
specific intervals and weather conditions. Despite of necessary
arrangements made for collecting and conserving rain water. There
is great need fo digging canal in Thar, which may be seasonal one
to bring high flow of water during flood times. This type of canal
must begin from Sukkur barrage towards Thar.
Recomendations
The weather as well as socio-economic
conditions may improve in Thar when there is establishment of arid
zone forestry and tree plantations every year after monsoon rains
occur in the desert. Growing indigenous Food crops, prosperity may
also brought about in the area of Thar. The rain dams should be
developed in Thar areas where high depressions are found by
erupting bunds. Such rain dams may be the source of drinking water
for mankind and animals. It would not only improve grass and
greenery in the desert but could attract quite good number of
tourists to visit Thar while it is lush green and blessed with
rain. Where there is sign of prosperity and pleasant weather and
no danger to life.
The author is Associate Professor, Department of Agronomy,
Sindh Agriculture University, Tandojam
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Table
1: Food crops grown in Thar |
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Local Name
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English Name
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Botanical Name
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Family
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Cereals |
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1. Bajhri |
Millet |
Pennisetum typhodeum |
Graminae |
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2. Chenno |
Italian millet |
Panicum milliaceum |
Graminae |
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3. Saon |
Little millet |
Panicum colonum |
Graminae |
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4. Jowar |
Sorghum |
Sorghum vulgare |
Graminae |
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Legumes |
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1. Guar |
Cluster bean |
Cyamopsis psoraloides |
Leguminosae |
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2. Moong |
Mungbean |
Vigna radiata |
Leguminosae |
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3. Mooth |
Kidney bean |
Phaseolus aconitifolius |
Leguminosae |
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4. Choonra |
Cow peas |
Vigna catiang/sinensis |
Leguminosae |
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Oil Crops |
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1. Tir |
Sesame |
Sesamum indicum |
Pedaliaceae |
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2. Hiran |
Castor |
Ricinus communis |
Euphorbiaceae |
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Cucurbits/Melons |
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1. Khiro |
Cucumber |
Cucumis sativus |
Cucurbitaceae |
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2. Gidro |
Musk melon |
Cucumis melo |
Cucurbitaceae |
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3. Hindano |
Water melon |
Citrullus vulgaris |
Cucurbitaceae |
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4. Meho |
Squash melon |
Citrullus vulgaris |
Cucurbitaceae |
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5. Chibbhar |
Wild cucumber |
Cucumis prophetarum |
Cucurbitaceae |
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Mushroom |
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1. Khumbhi |
Mushroom |
Podais pistilaris |
Agaricaceae |
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Local Name |
English Name |
Botanical name |
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Babur |
Acacia |
Acacia nilotica |
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Kandi |
Prosopis |
Prosopis cineraria |
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Kirir |
Caper bush |
Capparis decidua |
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Kunwar booti |
Aloe |
Aloe perfoliata |
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Khabar |
Tooth brush plant |
Salvadora persica |
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Lohiro |
Tecoma |
Tecoma undulata |
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Akk |
Madder Plant |
Calotropis gigantea |
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Thohar |
Opuntia |
Euphorbia candifolia |
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Lani |
Salt wort |
Salsola foetida |
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Tooh |
Bitter cucumber |
Citrullus colocynthis |
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Phoog |
Calligonum |
Calligonum polygonoides |
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Dooth |
Wild grainn grass |
Panicum turgidum |
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Mariro |
Amaranths |
Amaranthis viridis |
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Lular |
Digeria |
Digeria arvensis |
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Jhil |
Chenopodium |
Chenopodium album |
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Lunak |
Purslane |
Portulaca oleracea |
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