The bare sands of the desert are full of life

Some time ago, I was in the heart of the Thar Desert, surrounded by miles of sand dunes. Blistering heat and temperatures of over 50°C often made the Thar an inhospitable place, writes Mike Pandey.

Some time ago, I was in the heart of the Thar Desert, surrounded by miles of sand dunes. Blistering heat and temperatures of over 50°C often made the Thar an inhospitable place. A lonely, emaciated cactus tree surrounded by some leafless bramble bushes was the only sign of life in the barren waste. We were looking for desert snakes but the sand seemed harsh and bare.

HT Image

Desert comes alive

One of the camels moved towards the cactus and relieved himself, depositing a dark mound of dung on the sand. Within minutes, the desert came alive. Over a dozen dung beetles came out of the sand and began attacking the moist dung. It was rolled into small balls and carried away.

The beetles bury the dung balls into the sand to save them from the heat and lay eggs in their life-giving moisture. Large desert ants came next, followed by a couple of lizards. None of the creatures noticed the sand mound near the cactus move. A long snake exposed itself and slithered towards the unsuspecting beetles and lizards. Our cameras were rolling already. The snake struck, missed the lizard, but managed to swallow a few beetles before submerging into the sand again.

Life struggles and manages to survive even in a blistering, unforgiving desert like the Thar.

Dunes destroyed

Next morning, we headed to see the famous Sam dunes. I was shocked. The picture of the pristine ocean of undulating sand that had been etched in my mind was gone. Miles of garbage lay strewn around for as far as the eye could see. Plastic bags and chips wrappers raced across the dunes. Water bottles and broken beer bottles added to the disgusting litter. A strong stench from the base of the largest dune told us that it was being used as a toilet and a garbage dump. It was impossible to film amidst this squalor.

As the day wore on, hundreds of camels criss-crossed the dunes, ferrying camera-wielding tourists. With music systems blaring, one group was busy celebrating a birthday party. Where was the quiet, peaceful Sam? The deep solitude that the dunes offered was shattered.

An animal’s plight

I took a camel ride to conduct a general survey; perhaps there were still some dunes untouched by this invasion. But garbage surrounded the dunes for miles. The worse was yet to come. The baying of a camel drew my attention. The animal’s foot was bleeding badly. He had stepped on a broken beer bottle buried in the sand. Fortunately, I was carrying enough water to wash the sand from the wound. The badly sliced part of the camel’s foot was then temporarily secured with safety pins. The camel driver wrapped his turban around the foot and took him away for treatment.

As the sun set, the convoys of cars, trucks and tempos started off for the city, almost creating a stampede in a rush to be the first to leave. The desert looked diminished and insulted.

While India bids to becoem a global player, is there any one who take care of the basic responsibility of keeping our country clean? World-class destinations need the cooperation of world-class citizens, who have basic civic sense. When will we learn not to litter, destroy and plunder our best?

Pandey is a Green Oscar-winning wildlife filmmaker