360° UPSC Mains Analysis

Desert National Park, Rajasthan, India

The region falls under a hot arid climate zone (Köppen BWh) characterized by extreme diurnal temperature variations, low and erratic monsoon rainfall (under 150 mm annually), and high wind speeds. Geologically, the Thar is a paleotectonic basin containing Mesozoic marine deposits covered by thick quaternary aeolian sands, making it highly susceptible to wind erosion and desertification.

The Thar Desert (Great Indian Desert) forms a natural geographic boundary between India and Pakistan, bordered by the irrigated Indus River plains to the west, the Rann of Kutch to the south, and the Aravalli Range to the southeast. In the landmark environmental case M.K. Ranjitsinh & Ors. v. Union of India & Ors. (Writ Petition Civil No. 838 of 2019), the Supreme Court designated a 'Revised Priority Area' of 14,013 sq. km in Rajasthan and 740 sq. km in Gujarat to balance GIB habitat protection with renewable energy transmission lines.

The Thar Desert is a critical hub for India's green energy transition, possessing immense solar and wind energy potential that conflicts with GIB flight paths. It is also rich in industrial minerals such as gypsum, limestone, bentonite, and fuller's earth, while supporting rain-fed agriculture (bajra, guar) and pastoralism, supplemented by the Indira Gandhi Canal.

Under the Seventh Schedule of the Constitution, 'Protection of wild animals and birds' is placed under Entry 17B of the Concurrent List (List III), transferred from the State List via the 42nd Amendment Act, 1976. This shared jurisdiction enables the joint implementation of Project GIB by the Central Government and the Rajasthan State Government.

While there is no direct impact on merchandise trade, delays in domestic renewable energy capacity addition could slow down India's transition to green hydrogen exports under the National Green Hydrogen Mission. Additionally, it may affect India's international climate commitments under the Paris Agreement to reduce emission intensity by 45% by 2030.

The conflict between GIB conservation and transmission infrastructure in the Thar desert impacts India's target of achieving 500 GW of non-fossil fuel capacity by 2030. Restricting overhead transmission lines in Rajasthan and Gujarat, which hold a significant share of India's solar and wind potential, increases capital expenditure for power evacuation, potentially impacting fiscal deficit targets and green energy investments.

The Secondary and Tertiary sectors are primarily affected, specifically the renewable energy generation and power transmission industries. The requirement to underground or reroute transmission lines under Section 68 of the Electricity Act, 2003, increases the cost of power evacuation projects, affecting the financial viability of solar and wind developers in the region.

Local employment in the construction and maintenance of solar and wind farms in Jaisalmer and Kutch districts may face temporary slowdowns due to regulatory delays in transmission line approvals. Conversely, community-based conservation programs under Project GIB and eco-tourism in the Desert National Park provide localized, sustainable livelihood opportunities for pastoralist communities.

Historically, the decline of the Great Indian Bustard (GIB) is rooted in colonial-era land classification systems, where grasslands and arid ecosystems were categorized as 'wastelands' to prioritize revenue-generating agriculture. This systematic neglect of open natural ecosystems led to widespread habitat fragmentation and conversion. Additionally, during the colonial period and early post-independence era, the GIB was heavily hunted as a prized game bird, drastically reducing its population before formal conservation measures were introduced.

Post-independence, India's conservation policy shifted from regulated hunting to absolute protection, culminating in the enactment of the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972, which placed the GIB under Schedule I. In 1980, the establishment of the Desert National Park in Rajasthan marked a major step toward habitat-centric conservation for the species. By 2013, Rajasthan became the first state to launch a dedicated 'Project Great Indian Bustard' to address localized threats. More recently, policy has evolved to integrate ex-situ conservation, leading to the establishment of captive breeding centers in Jaisalmer under a tripartite agreement between the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, the Rajasthan Forest Department, and the Wildlife Institute of India.

The conservation crisis of the Great Indian Bustard closely parallels that of the Cheetah, which was declared extinct in India in 1952 due to unchecked hunting and grassland habitat loss. It also mirrors the plight of the Lesser Florican, another critically endangered bustard species facing severe population decline due to the conversion of traditional grasslands into agricultural and industrial zones.

During the Indian freedom struggle, colonial forest laws and restrictions on grazing in common lands and grasslands were major points of public grievance. This culminated in the 'Forest Satyagrahas' of 1930, where local communities actively defied British restrictions to reclaim their traditional rights over these open natural ecosystems.

The restriction of GIB habitats and subsequent land-use regulations directly disrupt the daily lives of local communities by limiting agricultural expansion and infrastructure development. The fencing of traditional common lands leads to the loss of pastoral livelihoods, forcing distress migration and occupational shifts among youth. Furthermore, delays in laying underground power cables can temporarily affect local electricity access and rural electrification projects.

In the landmark case of M.K. Ranjitsinh & Ors. v. Union of India & Ors. (Writ Petition (Civil) No. 838 of 2019; SCR citation: 2024 3 S.C.R. 1329), the Supreme Court of India recognized the 'right to be free from the adverse effects of climate change' as a fundamental right under Article 21 (Right to Life) and Article 14 (Right to Equality). This must be balanced with Article 48A (Directive Principles of State Policy), which mandates the State to protect and improve the environment and safeguard wildlife, and Article 51A(g) (Fundamental Duties), which obligates citizens to protect the natural environment.

As a District Magistrate, I would face the ethical conflict of 'Green Development vs. Ecological Conservation'—balancing the national mandate for renewable energy expansion to combat climate change against the urgent local duty to protect the critically endangered Great Indian Bustard from power-line collisions. Additionally, I would grapple with 'Utility vs. Equity', weighing the macro-level benefits of clean energy transmission to urban centers against the micro-level loss of traditional grazing rights and livelihoods of marginalized local pastoralists.

The expansion of solar parks and strict conservation zones in the Thar desert disproportionately impacts traditional pastoralist communities (such as the Raika and Rebari) and small-scale farmers. Fencing of common grazing lands ('orans' and 'gochars') restricts their access to fodder, directly threatening their economic survival and cultural way of life. Rural women in these households face increased hardships as they must travel longer distances to secure water and fodder.