What is the Thar Desert?
The Thar Desert is the 7th largest desert in the world, located in the middle of Rajasthan, India. Known for its inhospitable living conditions, the Thar Desert has some of the most extreme conditions in India. According to the Encyclopedia of Earth, the climate in Thar Desert ranges from below 0° celsius during the winter, to over 50° celsius during the summer. About 10% of this desert is composed of sand dunes, while the rest is comprised of ragged rocky forms and salt-lake bottoms. While there are terrible living conditions, many oil companies in India invest resources into the Thar Desert due to its abundance of oil. According to a BBC article named “Oil India Found in India’s Desert State,” Cairn Energy reported that there was around 8.21 billion gallons of oil present in Thar Desert. During the 1950’s-1980’s when Surajit worked at Thar Desert, he would have to take a 3 hour bus ride from Jodhpur to Thar everyday, and work there for 7 hours a day in the harsh conditions (Chaliha, M). Today, the Thar Desert remains as one of the most essential oil reserves in India, while also being one of the most extreme ecoregions in the world.