0
UMERKOT After receiving heavy monsoon rains, the Thar Desert has turned into a refreshing green landscape.
Farmers have started storing fresh and sweet water. They usually cultivate crops like pulses and vegetables for their survival.
The intermittent rains have not only changed the weather, but also raised hopes for a better harvest of local indigenous crops in the desert which always suffers from drought.
This land suffers a lot due to drought and scarcity of water, lack of food shortage and poverty. The people of Thar Desert live like an invisible and insignificant group of human being, with no role to play except to survive under hardships.
Livelihood and environmental situation in this part of the world is totally dependent on rains.
Tharis do not celebrate marriages or other celebrations without prosperity in the desert. They arrange such celebrations after their crop production that is a main source of income for them other than livestock.
In drought like situation, 59 per cent population of Thar become displaced as they leave their houses and families in search of livelihood and fodder for their only source of income in drought, livestock.
But as they smell the rain, not only Thari people but also their livestock rush to their native place. Juman Darbadar, a Thari intellectual, termed it as a natural attraction of this soil which attracts its inhabitants towards it, mostly in the rainy and romantic season.
He referred Marvi as a symbol of patriotism who had rejected luxurious life offered by King Umer of Umerkot and preferred to go Thar to pass life of hardships.
The rain, which started from July 15, continued with intervals and damaged considerable houses and cattle.
It has also caused large-scale damage to government buildings, offices, schools and hospitals and standing crops in irrigated areas. But the rain has brought the joys back on the faces of Thari people.
Following the rains, almost all the Tobaas or Taraais (natural ponds) have filled up with rainwater. These ponds are used as the main water supply for human and livestock in Thar.
In the struggle of survival, the peasants and farmers of Thar have prepared their pieces of land and started sowing local crops like millet, sorghum, Guar, mung, sesame in the early stage, which might benefit farmer to improve and produce grains in abundance and green fodder for the animals which are being reared in this dry region.
At this time, they mortgage themselves, but sow crops in a ray of hope of two more rains. Even they are facing a hike in the rates of seeds.
The desert itself let flourish natural vegetation of all kinds after the rain. The natural flora and herbs have started emerging after the rains.
They are very useful for mankind due to their food and medicinal value. Mostly they are used in relieving pains of desert people.
The natural vegetation includes herbs, shrubs, grass and pastures, which will boost up economy of Thar while providing food, fuel and shelter to the local population.
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, grains have never been the only food of the people living in Thar Desert. They also rely on natural herbs and plants or their edible parts including roots, leaves, delicates stems, flowers and fruits.
Natural herbs like Amaranths, Digeria, Chenopodium, Purslane, Wild cucumber, Melons, Pods of prosopis, fruits of capper and salvadora are being used in food.
Mushrooms have started appearing in abundance in Thar after the rain which was among indigenous foods and was very important foodstuff.
The food stuffs, from domestic animals and livestock, may be in abundance with the availability of green fodder in the dry areas after rains.
The ample production of milk, butter and meat is due to prosperity of the Thar area, as Thari cow, sheep and goats may get greenery, and green fodder become cheap and abundant.
Wild life of Thar desert viz; Deer, Antelopes, Black buck, Bustard, Peacock and Partridges have also felt joy after Thar received the rain.
Rare wild life species of Thar wait a long time for rains. Otherwise they prefer to die rather than to migrate.
