One of world's biggest solar bowls — the Thar desert — which basks an average of 320 days in sunshine has transformed into a trough of death and destruction after three days of downpour left it with double the rain it normally gets in a year.
The border district of Barmer is drowning under 577 mm of rainfall, which has submerged over 800 villages with an approximate population of about 20 lakh.
This is at least 300 mm more that 277 mm of rainfall that the region receives annually. The official death toll so far is 85 and likely to climb as the receding waters reveal bodies of those trapped between sand dunes.
Though the rain seemed to stop on Saturday and the sun shone — as is customary in this arid part of the world — the troubles were just beginning.
Sitting atop a body of gypsum — better known as Plaster of Paris — the village and its surrounding regions have turned into a lake.
The thick, rock-hard deposit is preventing water from seeping into the soil leading to massive water-logging and triggering fears of malaria outbreak.
Villagers fear if the gypsum is not crushed to allow water to seep, disease will definitely visit them. Over a decade ago, the last time such water-logging took place in Barmer, 500 people in the region died of falsciparium malaria.
The state government's health department is yet to wake up to the situation. Ironically, this is the same region where the much-touted Indira Canal cuts a greening swathe across the desert' but brings its own share of woes.
The waters that were to bloom the desert, have also led to a change in eco-system of the desert. Large parts of it have turned marshy and in some places, soil salinity has changed, leading to problems like water-logging, say experts.
The worst-hit are Kawas, Malva and Bhadka villages. The Army and IAF in its joint operations have so far rescued 3,200 people trapped across the vast expanses of water, with an Army jawan also losing his life trying to save two children in Kawas.
District collector Subir Kumar said: "I have never seen such support from all walks of life. People are preparing food for 50,000 flood-affected people every day, which is simply amazing."
But the reality is that Barmer may have lost crores worth of livestock and infrastructure. "Livestock loss in Barmer is estimated to be 47,000 heads and the loss of crop is worth Rs 30 crore. The loss of livestock is likely to crush the economy of the region," said Mag Raj Jain, a social worker in Barmer.
When CM Vasundhara Raje visited the flood-affected Kawas, Malva and Bhadka areas on Friday, she seemed to provoke anger.
"The chief minister is insensitive to the miseries of the people of Barmer. She chose to come when the water is receding. The administration failed to cope with the situation caused by the flood and rescue operations were far and few," alleged Sona Ram, a former MP.
The border district of Barmer is drowning under 577 mm of rainfall, which has submerged over 800 villages with an approximate population of about 20 lakh.
This is at least 300 mm more that 277 mm of rainfall that the region receives annually. The official death toll so far is 85 and likely to climb as the receding waters reveal bodies of those trapped between sand dunes.
Though the rain seemed to stop on Saturday and the sun shone — as is customary in this arid part of the world — the troubles were just beginning.
Sitting atop a body of gypsum — better known as Plaster of Paris — the village and its surrounding regions have turned into a lake.
The thick, rock-hard deposit is preventing water from seeping into the soil leading to massive water-logging and triggering fears of malaria outbreak.
Villagers fear if the gypsum is not crushed to allow water to seep, disease will definitely visit them. Over a decade ago, the last time such water-logging took place in Barmer, 500 people in the region died of falsciparium malaria.
The state government's health department is yet to wake up to the situation. Ironically, this is the same region where the much-touted Indira Canal cuts a greening swathe across the desert' but brings its own share of woes.
The waters that were to bloom the desert, have also led to a change in eco-system of the desert. Large parts of it have turned marshy and in some places, soil salinity has changed, leading to problems like water-logging, say experts.
The worst-hit are Kawas, Malva and Bhadka villages. The Army and IAF in its joint operations have so far rescued 3,200 people trapped across the vast expanses of water, with an Army jawan also losing his life trying to save two children in Kawas.
District collector Subir Kumar said: "I have never seen such support from all walks of life. People are preparing food for 50,000 flood-affected people every day, which is simply amazing."
But the reality is that Barmer may have lost crores worth of livestock and infrastructure. "Livestock loss in Barmer is estimated to be 47,000 heads and the loss of crop is worth Rs 30 crore. The loss of livestock is likely to crush the economy of the region," said Mag Raj Jain, a social worker in Barmer.
When CM Vasundhara Raje visited the flood-affected Kawas, Malva and Bhadka areas on Friday, she seemed to provoke anger.
"The chief minister is insensitive to the miseries of the people of Barmer. She chose to come when the water is receding. The administration failed to cope with the situation caused by the flood and rescue operations were far and few," alleged Sona Ram, a former MP.
