The shape of water

Inspired by the idea of low-lying ponds at a sanctuary in the Thar, a Jodhpur environmentalist builds waterbodies in his village to allow the smallest of animals access to clean water

- MADHAV SHARMA

IN OCTOBER 2022, Shravan Patel visited the Tal Chhapar Wildlife Sanctuary in Churu, Rajasthan. Located in the Thar desert, the sanctuary is home to species like blackbuck, chinkara, desert fox and migratory birds. But what struck Patel, an environmentalist and social worker from Melwa village in Jodhpur district, were the specially designed khailis or low-lying ponds. "They were low enough for even small animals to drink from," he recalls. In comparison, he says, "The government-built water structures in Melwa had high walls. As water levels dropped, smaller animals and birds could not reach it.