Rajasthan's harsh climate and vast deserts have led to misunderstandings of the region and misguided government interventions. However, the people of Rajasthan have an extraordinary sense of community and cooperation that helps them survive in this difficult environment. An organization called Sambhaav Trust has worked in the region for over 5 years, establishing trust with the local communities. They have helped revive traditional water sources like wells and beris that the communities had maintained for generations, improving access to water and allowing people to remain in their villages.

2. Some regions in this country have been grossly misunderstood over time. To
many Rajasthan's harsh climatic conditions and the vast Thar desert has
meant little else than hardships and distress. This may not be so damaging
as long as it remains a public perception alone. But the trouble is that such
a flawed understanding of Rajasthan and its people has led to a long line of
misguided interventions led by governments as well as development
agencies.
I am one of the recent converts to the group of people who hold this
remarkable community in high regard for their extraordinary sense of
togetherness and of the people of Rajasthan. Some suggest that perhaps it
is the harsh geographical and climatic conditions that bring people together
and bring about a co-operation with an understanding that co-operation
could ensure survival for all. The images here from Rajasthan’s Jaisalmer
district are an exploration into the meaning of ‘community’ in this region and
‘attributes’ which make them brave all existential odds.
Sambhaav Trust, a partner organization of Arghyam has been working in this
region for over 5 years and this work has been facilitated by the enormous
amount of good faith and respect that Sambhaav has established with the
people here.

3. My first guide in the region- Rajasthan Roadways’ bus driver. People here exhibit a remarkably
high degree of understanding and interest about their water resources.

4. Jaisalmer City- The imposing structures in the background is the ramparts of Jaisalmer fort
which houses a significant population. It receives the least rainfall in India, but in spite of this
98.3% of its villages have access to water for all their requirements.

5. Girdwala Village- A typical landscape with settlements spread thin across the desert. Sand
dunes often make villages inaccessible by motor.

6. Livestock (Cow, goat, sheep, camel) rearing is common in the region and forms an essential
livelihood system here.

7. Isawal Village: Sand dunes have made the village inaccessible by motor at this time of the year
(July,2011). A 200 year old well, situated on the paleo channel of Saraswati River has been
revived by Sambhaav here. There were multiple attempts to revive the well, which even led to
loss of lives during restoration.

8. Biprasar – Man drawing water from a beri. The herd in the background do not belong to him.
This heard has arrived at this watering hole in Biprasar after walking a long distance as water
in available only here. For people here fetching water for any herd is as effortless as for their
own. They do not consider this act as anything extraordinary.

9. A caution board by the road side, Lava Village, Jaisalmer: A set of rules dictating the use and
conduct of people around the water body in the background. The rules prohibit people from
defecating or urinating around the water body.

10. A woman drawing water from a beri: The metal tub kept beside the pot is kept filled for the
animals to quench their thirst, again a provision in larger interest of the community. This village
is about 100 kms from Ramgadh very near to the India Pakistan border.

11. Indira Gandhi Canal – This project was started by the Government of India in 1958 to provide
water to distant villages in the Thar desert of Rajasthan. The picture shows the condition of
irrigation channels under the project. This particular stretch of the canal was constructed in
2005. People here say that a large portion of channels like this one have fallen in disuse with
many of them eroded and filled with sand.

12. Indira Gandhi Canal promised comfort and the promise of piped water along with a regular
supply. With the coming of this project communities stopped using their beris and tankas –
water sources which they had been using since generations. But the canal did not serve for
long. Within a few years the canal started to supply brackish water in some places and no
water at all in other places. Now people truck water from as far as 100 kms away.

13. As the channels of the Indira Gandhi Canal started drying up in this region, the piplelines and
civil works were salvaged to build houses, animal shelters etc. The shelter in the picture is
made from salvaged pipes.

14. Chattar Singh (of Sambhaav) , with Anna one of the local champions who was instrumental in
getting the community together to work and revive their water harvesting systems in Biprasar
Tanda.

15. Biprasar, Tanda- This place has 25 beris which are collectively owned by12 villages around
Biprasar. When Sambhaav began its work here five years back, only about 4 beris were
functional. Today all 25 beris are functional and these together serve water demand of 12
villages including their livestock. This case is a testimony of how work done by the community
in reviving its own structures impacts their lives.

16. A shepherd boy on a bright afternoon herding his stock to the beris for water, Biprasar- There
is a belief here that work should not be approached as a burden. It is better served with a
relaxed mind and persistent efforts. Sambhaav believes that for a social change to sprout from
within the community a great deal of patience, time and perseverance is required.

17. Women and children from Ratan Ka Gaon, a muslim settlement with 20 families- In this village
Sambhaav did not work on water or the water structure. They focused on the issues that led
to the split in the community with a belief that work on the water structure will be taken up by
the community once it united.

18. Shila/Stupa – A closer understanding of geography, geology, weather and climatic patterns is
also essential in order to plan restoration of water bodies. The structure in the picture is called
a shila . Usually located on a high ground (at an elevation) shila serves the purpose of
reconnaissance of a large geographical area and also as an observation post. It is considered
sacred.

19. Koriyon Ka Gaon - Lack of water made people migrate from their village sometimes
temporarily and in some cases permanently. Sambhaav’s work has helped in reversal of this
trend in the villages where they have worked. In this village water is no more a reason for

20. Bheelon ka Gaon – The settlement in the distance is of bheel community. The people here
worked as casual laborers and often survived on alms. Although they received a huge land
grant (allocated by the government to native tribes), they didn’t have adequate resources to
farm it and draw benefit from it. This year the community has harvested a produce worth
Rupees 50 lakhs. This turn around has happened over a period of 5 years.

21. Abhay Singh (right), Sherawa Village –This year, the community for the first time has come
together (July 2011) to work on their khadeins as they have seen many of their neighboring
villages and villages as far as 100 kms from Ramgadh benefiting from their collective efforts in
restoration of water structures.

22. Dherasar Khadein - This khadein is one of the oldest in the region. The embankments for this
khadein was built over 500 years ago by Pali brahmins. It had broken embankments and had
fallen in disuse. There was no initiative from community to repair the embankment. In the
picture, to the right is the new restored part of the embankment mended with new bricks. This
was undertaken with Sambhaav’s help.

23. Jaisalmer City - Earlier Gadisar lake met all the water requirement of the city. Today the water
is supplied from Indira Gandhi Canal. Gadisar lake is now used for recreational purpose. This
picture with dense buildings reminds of a quote from ‘Aaj Bhi Kharein Hain Talab ‚ by Anupam
Mishra, ‚Earlier populations of a place was estimated by the number of water bodies and not
the number of people‛.