Thar – Most Fertile Desert of the World is stretched to the east of Pakistan for more than 50,000 sq-kms, and it is connected with the Indian border.
In the last two decades, Thar is witnessing quite severe weathers that also resulted in famine for many years consecutively. However, for last a few years, the weather has been mild and there are regular rains that is helping the local people and wild-life in the area.
Thar desert is famous for its Fauna and Flora as it is home of indigenous trees, precious herbs, and useful grasses.
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In this article, you will read about location, travel details, economy, million tree project, and climate of the Thar desert.
Location Of Thar Desert
Thar or Tharparkar is also known as the great Indian desert. It is an arid region that is located at border of India and Pakistan. It’s large portion is part of Pakistan’s province Sindh.
In North of Thar, there is Cholistan desert that is also named as Rohi. In Sinsh province, Tharparkar district, Umerkot district, and Mirpurkhas district are part of Thar desert. If you are travelling from Karachi, It generally takes around six and eight hours of travel to reach Tharparkar district.
Other famous cities that exist in peripheries of Thar are Badin, Makli, Kalo, and a few others. Traveling to Thar is easy as there is a very good network of roads that leads to the most parts of the Thar desert.
Travel and Tourism in Thar
Car or a four-wheel drive (4×4 jeep) is a good source to reach Thar desert. Travelling by local transport such as public buses are also an option that are accessible from nearby cities.
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If you know the local language that is Sindhi or Urdu, it will be useful for you to interact with the local people and exploring the area in a better way. Thar – Most Fertile Desert of the World.
Hiring a local guide can be a plus as there are so many hidden places that you can miss to visit. Only the local residents are well-aware of the all points to visit in Thar.
For a well planned tour, several tour agencies in Karachi offer very good guided tours to Tharparkar, Sindh with accommodation and other essentials.
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Coal Reservoirs of Thar
Thar is a very large reservoir of coal and it is an essential part of country’s economy. There are around 14 sites of underground coal reserves in the region.
Besides Thar-I project, The Engro Thar Coal Power Project (Thar-ll) is a coal-fired power plant project developed in this area to produce energy and complement the energy requirement of the country.
This coal reservoir project is part of the CPEC and Sindh Engro Coal Mining Company.
Thar Million Tree’s nursery
The Thar Million Tree Project was initiated in 2017 as an initiative of Thar Foundation and Sindh Forest Department. Under this project, now the golden sands of the Thar desert are turning into a green, dense, thick forest.
The Sindh Forest Department is providing technical support to plant 1 million trees, fully funded by the Green Pakistan Project. Thar – Most Fertile Desert of the World,
The trees planted under this project will also reduce carbon emission and hep in reducing desertification in the area. In this desert, where two coal mining projects.
Climate of Thar Desert
For the last six years, this area is getting regular rainfall that has helped to raise the life standard of the local residents of Thar.
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More than average rains in 2022, have been resulted in transformation of the harsh landscape into green forested landscape. During your visit, you can witness the grass-lined roadways that were just drab sand and stones.
Timely rainfall is also assisting local farmers and boosting agriculture for the last couple of years. Due to availability of sufficient water, the live stock business in the area has also progressed, in the recent times.
However, the biodiversity and livelihoods is being seriously effected due to the rising warming in the desert. Hopefully, the foresting project will help to cope with the warming issue of the desert. Thar – Most Fertile Desert of the World.
Flora and Fauna in Thar
Thar is homeland of more than sixty animal species including panther, the chinkara, the Asiatic wild cat, the chousingha, the blackbuck, the Bengal desert fox, various species of snakes and other reptiles.
Deer, rodents, rabbits, and reptiles are common food sources for desert animals. The grasses and spiky plants are typical food for chinkara and blackbucks.
Thar is also home to more than 140 various species of residents and transitory birds. This list includes Indian Bustard, Indian peafowl, Koel, Rudy Shelduck, black-winged Stilt, dove, gadwall, and many others.
Economy of Thar Desert
It is the latter that provides feed for more than 6 million livestock. Spreading over 4,894,663 acres, the region has a diverse population in terms of culture, religion, and ethnicity.
Thar region is also part of the China–Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) development project. In addition to this Thar foundation is assisting in development work in the area to bring betterment and wellbeing in the life of local people.
