Thar Desert
Opportunities for development
Mineral extraction
Important Minerals
Gypsum (plaster and cement)
feldspar (ceramics)
phospherite (fertiliser)
kaolin (whitener in paper)
Valuable mineral reserves - exported across the world and used all over India
Valuable stone reserves - Jaisalmer - Sanu limestone - main source of limestone for India's steel industry
Tourism
Popular tourist destination
Desert safaris on camels, popular with foreigners and wealthy Indians.
Annual Desert Festival each winter - local people benefit from providing food, accommodation and acting as guides.
Energy
Coal
Lignite coal deposits, thermal energy plant at Giral
Oil
Large oil field in the Barmer district, could transform the local economy.
Wind
Jaisalmer Wind park, made in 2001, India's largest wind farm
Solar
Sunny, cloudless skies - ideal conditions, Bhaleri - solar power is used in water treatment
Farming
Subsistence farming, grazing animals on grassy areas, cultivating vegetables and fruit trees.
Commercial farming - possible because of irrigation
Indira Ghandi Canal in 1958
Revolutionised farming
Crops e.g. wheat and cotton thrive in a once desert area.
Challenge of development
Extreme temperatures
Working in heat is hard
High evaporation rates - water shortages - affect both people, and plants and animals.
Livestock, e.g. cattle need shade
Water supply
Low annual rainfall, high temps, strong wind - high evaporation rates.
Water sources
Ponds, some natural
A few rivers e.g. River Luni (these are intermittent, only flow after rainfall)
Underground sources (aquifers) using wells, not good quality water, salty
Indira Ghandi Canal
Source of fresh water
Drinking water
650km
Jodhpur and Jaisalmer both benefit greatly
Accessibilty
Extreme weather, limited road network, tarmac can melt, winds blow sand on roads.
Many places = only accessible by camel, public transport = overladen buses