A Deluge And A Trickle

Ismael of Nachna hasn't heard of York, but he certainly knows about Lunkaransar, just across the district boundary in Bikaner. The recent flooding in York would, of course, neither faze nor interest him. What happened, identically, in Lunkaransar prior to York is another matter though. The rain came in torrents, or to use its Indian English equivalent, the cloud burst over Lunkaransar. The rain was like nothing as yet experienced, even by the old-timers. Centred on Lunkaransar, the water fell in inches even in parts of Jaisalmer district, particularly around Nokh. And then, to worsen the plight of the farmers, the water stayed. A litre of water will vanish in a matter of seconds in the desert, but this time the water stayed. As it had in 1999, on the way from Jaisalmer to Ramgarh. That water-logging was caused by the sub-soil presence of some chemical formation which ends its name with a 'mite'. But the Lunkaransar episode was altogether different and it was understood even by those barely educated, like Ismael. "It is the canal," he said.

Over years, water from the canal has been seeping into the sub-surface, thanks to the shoddiness of its construction. As children, an often-heard joke was that funds of the Rajasthan Canal have been better utilised in making various new residential colonies in Jodhpur and Bikaner. The Shastri Nagars and Nehru Parks have come up because of the canal, so people said. And the residents of Lunkaransar in 2000 AD would vouch for that. The seepage over the years has raised the water table to such an extent that one heavy rain and the soil is completely saturated. Added to that are the various raised-side channels which effectively block the water into ponds with no run-off possibilities. All this is now the topic of much discussion by Ismael and his ilk in Nachna. And portents are even worse for Nachna.

The canal has been in Nachna for some time and the seepage has been as steady as the supply of water. But unlike Lunkaransar, there is a greater sub-soil danger in Nachna, and it is called gypsum. Whoever extended the canal into Jaisalmer district clearly didn't see what was under the surface, and with the rate of seepage what it is, it is only a matter of time before the gypsum comes to the surface, killing all that grows. Many a farmland has already been lost in Nachna to gypsum and Ismael faces the future with a grim expression, notwithstanding his naughty eyes. He tells me that thousands of hectares in Sindh are lost every year to this, and over there this phenomenon is called 'kallar'.

Before independence, the state of Jaisalmer had the worst department of revenue records, thus depriving thousands of owners of their lands when the government of Rajasthan came into being. Ismael is a case in point, and so he goes without water from the canal since he can't show the ownership deed. But even with water available his future is far from secure. It really is a case of damned if you do, and damned if you don't.

v

SOMETHING like this happened just the other day in the district when two men crossed the border fencing and came into India. According to the footprint experts, they stayed for a few hours and then went back. And the experts, called 'khojis', also say that they weren't carrying any load since the footprints did not go deep into the sand. They came to the grave of a local saint to pay homage. And then went back, as a result of which the security services are in a tizzy.How they managed to evade the guards is a matter of concern to many. But this movement has been going on for centuries, even when Jaisalmer and Bhawalpur states were not on the friendliest of terms. "But how can you stop such movement of faith?" I asked Ismael when he told me about the incident. Despite the fencing, there is to-and-fro movement. And most of it not for reasons of faith.

Three men of the area were arrested near Gurgaon last year with 70 kg of heroin that had come across the fence. All that the fencing has done is to stop visa-less marriages. Till not long ago, families used to move for a couple of nights, get their boys or girls married and then move back with the new bride, and sometimes even with the groom. Now they have to go by passports, get visas, and then cross from Attari. A bigger chore, and that is why some cross over even if it is just a pilgrimage. Hindus and Muslims cross over, since both have divided families. But then some have to cross out of exigencies. I know a retired subedar of the army who, while in service, went across to Rahimyar Khan in Pakistani Punjab to retrieve his stolen camels. He would never have gotten a visa even if he had tried and he certainly couldn't afford to lose his camels, worth lakhs as far as he was concerned. He tracked down the camels to Rahimyar Khan and brought them back. But this was of course before the fencing came up. And part of the woes of living on the borders.

(The writer stood for elections as the bjp candidate in Barmer, Rajasthan. He now works full-time in the constituency and is writing a column on life and development issues in Barmer.)