Context

Aggressive development of utility-scale solar plants in Rajasthan is leading to the mass felling of thousands of native Khejri trees and the enclosure of Orans (traditional sacred groves).

Khejri Tree (Prosopis cineraria)

  • Slow-growing, highly resilient tree with deep roots (up to 90 metres)
  • Vital for agro-forestry and culturally sacred to the Bishnoi community
  • Habitat: arid desert regions of Thar, notably Bikaner, Rajasthan

Orans — Sacred Groves of Rajasthan

  • Traditional community-managed lands serving as grazing lands, water catchments, and biodiversity hubs
  • Currently threatened by renewable energy projects
  • Local land revenue laws do not classify Orans strictly, making them easy targets for corporate acquisition

Why This Happens

  • Current environmental regulations exempt solar projects from Environmental Impact Assessments (EIAs), categorizing them as unconditionally “green”
  • Solar parks cause local temperature increases of 3-5 degrees C around installations
  • Massive groundwater exploitation for washing solar panels further stresses the arid Thar desert

Impact

  • Loss of crucial agro-forestry livelihoods (gum and fodder sales)
  • Displacement of pastoral communities
  • Wildlife depletion and local heating

Solutions Proposed

  • Solar projects must be subjected to mandatory EIAs
  • Land records must formally recognise and protect Orans
  • Solar infrastructure should be innovatively sited — e.g., over the Indira Gandhi Canal to prevent water evaporation and save productive land
  • State laws must heavily penalise felling of native trees

Khejri Trees vs Solar Parks in the Thar Desert

This article also covers the specific conflict between Khejri tree conservation and solar park expansion in the Thar Desert. The Khejri (Prosopis cineraria) is the state tree of Rajasthan and is sacred to the Bishnoi community, who historically laid down their lives to protect these trees (the Khejarli massacre of 1730). Today, thousands of Khejri trees are being uprooted for solar installations, repeating the same conflict between development and ecological heritage in a new form.

UPSC Angle

  • GS3: Environment, renewable energy vs biodiversity, land use conflict
  • GS2: Governance, environmental regulation gaps

Sources: Down to Earth, CSE