Amid an unprecedented heatwave that has swept large swathes of Rajasthan since early March, Bishnoi farmers in the State’s Sriganganagar and Hanumangarh districts have made an innovative provision to quench the thirst of deer, blackbucks and other wild ungulates. The farmers have dug up troughs and constructed concrete ponds, many of them in their own fields, to provide respite to a population of 10,000 deer and blackbucks.
The soaring mercury levels owing to the early onset of the heatwave in the desert State have threatened wildlife, taken a toll on the quality of crops, caused the water level in dams to plummet and affected rural employment.
According to the India Meteorological Department (IMD), this March was the warmest in the country in 122 years since it began maintaining records. In mid-May, the temperature exceeded 45 degrees Celsius in all 33 districts of Rajasthan and the southwest monsoon is expected to be delayed owing to lesser intensity in its northward advancement, the IMD says. The monsoon is expected to enter the State after June 25. Till then, it is likely to reel under the heatwave.
