Desert villagers in Rajasthan turn to traditional ingenuity to beat intense heat, water scarcity

Key points

• Families residing in Rajasthan’s Thar Desert are facing the ongoing heatwave with adaptations to cope with high temperature, water scarcity and the difficult geographical conditions.
• The villagers of the region are used to facing the blistering heat every year, and the mercury has crossed 46 degrees Celcius in Bikaner district this time.
• The source of water for the rural households and agricultural fields in the region is mainly the Indira Gandhi Canal, considered the lifeline of the Thar Desert as it brings the Himalayan waters.
• Pugal marks the geographical bridge where the main canal’s primary feeder line ends and its downstream path continues into Jaisalmer district, with a 256-km section heading towards Mohangarh.
• The present heatwave, partly attributed to climate change, has put immense pressure on the local agrarian economy and livelihood of farmers, peasants and agricultural labourers.