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When I spoke to wildlife photographer Sharvan Patel over the phone from his village in western Rajasthan, his voice carried the quiet gravity of a man who has seen too much thirst. Through his lens, he had documented the stark beauty of the Thar—its dunes, its dusk, its fragile life—but also its slow desiccation. Blackbucks and chinkaras searching for water, birds collapsing near empty ponds, and the silence that followed. “The journey started five or six years back,” he said. “Whenever I saw the black birds suffering for lack of water in the ponds of my village.”
That moment set off what would become a remarkable citizen-led conservation effort—one that turned photographs of drought into a movement to restore life to Rajasthan’s arid heartland.
Patel began as a wildlife photographer documenting the region’s fauna. But the distress he witnessed during dry months pushed him to act. “I took pictures and shared them on social media,” he said. “Then we started making some khailis—small ponds for wild animals like the blackbuck, chinkara, and reptiles.”
The first pond was built by hand, dug out by local villagers and volunteers using traditional knowledge. It wasn’t fancy—just a shallow depression lined to prevent seepage—but when rainwater collected and the first herd of blackbucks arrived to drink, Patel knew he was onto something. “We posted a video of that pond being made, and it went viral,” he said.
The video inspired others. “People took it as an initiative,” he said. “Around a hundred plus ponds were made in their own villages across seven districts of western Rajasthan—Barmer, Jodhpur, Jaisalmer, Balotra, and others.”
Soon, what began as a personal act of compassion became a community movement.
Western Rajasthan has little forest cover. Much of its biodiversity depends on sacred “Oran” lands—community-protected groves that serve as vital catchment zones for rainwater. “Western Rajasthan has a lack of forest area,” Patel explained. “In my village, there is no forest land. The Oran lands are sacred, and they are the catchment area for rainwater harvesting. The blackbuck and wildlife mostly live there.”
But these Oran lands face an invasive threat—Prosopis juliflora, locally known as “zooli flora,” introduced decades ago to green the desert. “That species was brought from another country during Indira Gandhi’s time,” he said. “Now it’s a big problem for the local biodiversity of the Thar region. The government is also trying to remove it.” Patel’s group has been clearing Prosopis from Oran lands so that native grasses can grow again and wildlife can return.
The other crisis is man-made—pollution. “A big problem here is the polluted water of Jodhpur city,” Patel said gravely. “Sewage and industrial waste from textile and steel factories—around 800 units—flows into the river Jojari. This pollution has been a hazard for the local biodiversity for the last 15 to 17 years.”
He has documented the consequences through his camera. “Hundreds of trees have died in small areas, around 100 trees in just two hectares,” he said. “Blackbucks and chinkaras drink this polluted water. I recorded videos of them and shared them on social media. The ministry of environment came to make a report, but there was no response. Now, finally, the Supreme Court has taken suo motu notice of this pollution.”
The khailis, as Patel calls his ponds, have become sanctuaries for wildlife. “We started making some fresh water ponds on both sides of the river—three ponds on one side and three on the other—so wildlife can come, drink clean water, and go away,” he said.
The ponds are designed thoughtfully: shallow enough for small animals to reach, wide enough for birds to rest, and close enough to grazing areas to prevent dangerous journeys to polluted rivers. “The government made some ponds too, but they were built three feet high,” he said. “Small wildlife like chinkaras and the young blackbucks cannot drink from them.”
Patel’s design fixes that. Each pond costs around INR 30,000 to INR 40,000 to build, depending on distance and materials. “As per the market fare, the cost comes to thirty or thirty-five thousand rupees,” he said. “The first khaili we made with the help of an NGO called InTech cost around twenty-eight thousand.”
The team is small—three or four active members—but the movement has drawn hundreds of supporters. “All the villagers and youngsters of my village and from western Rajasthan support us,” he said. “We made a WhatsApp group called ‘One Rupee per Day for Wildlife.’ Around a thousand people joined.”
The idea is simple: each person contributes INR 1 a day, INR 365 a year. “We collected INR 45,000 in the first year,” he said. “All funds were used for the ponds. Last year, we received INR 50,000 from a donor in Gujarat after a report was published about us.”
The results have been remarkable. “Yes, there are a lot of changes,” Patel said when I asked if biodiversity had improved. “The wildlife does not go far anymore for water. Earlier, in the months from March to July, they had no water within 6 or 10 kilometres. They would go to polluted water and drink there—and die. Now, because of the ponds, they stay in the area. We always try to keep water in the ponds so they can drink there.”
His photographs capture herds of blackbucks bending to drink, chinkaras resting under the sparse shade, and flocks of birds hovering above the khailis. “We have many photographs, many videos—hundreds of wildlife drinking water from these ponds,” he said with quiet pride.
The effort has also helped raise awareness about conservation. “We tried to make the public aware of the polluted water through social media and ground work,” Patel said. “Now this has become a public movement. Even school children and local farmers help us maintain the ponds.”
But maintaining water levels in Rajasthan’s scorching summer remains the biggest challenge. “In summer, there is not enough water,” Patel admitted. “One tanker of 5,000 litres costs around two thousand rupees. The tanker comes from twenty-five kilometres away, from a government water point on the highway. We supply tankers every two or three days per pond. It’s very costly.”
Still, the team keeps going. “We always try, because we want to save the wildlife,” he said. “They should not go to the polluted river water.”
To make the system sustainable, Patel plans to install storage tanks with drip systems connected to the ponds. “I want to make water tanks at ground level so all wildlife can drink through a drip system,” he said. “You can save five thousand litres in one tank, and it can sustain wildlife for a long time.”
He also believes every village should take ownership of its natural heritage. “Every village has to protect its own wildlife,” he said. “Make a small forest in the sacred Oran land and make a water pond. That will help all species—from reptiles to camels.”
The khailis have begun attracting visitors too. “Some people reach out and we offer them to come and see the wildlife, even on a wildlife safari,” Patel said. “Many foreigners and travellers come as wildlife photographers. Around three to four hundred blackbucks can be seen here in flocks.”
Patel’s movement has shown how ordinary citizens can step in where systems fail. From a photographer who once captured drought and death through his lens, he has become a conservationist, building hope with cement, sweat, and community willpower.
“The mission is clear,” he said, summing it up. “To keep water flowing where animals need it most.”
1. What is a khaili and how does it help wildlife?
A khaili is a shallow man-made pond built to collect rainwater, providing a crucial water source for desert animals like blackbucks and chinkaras in arid regions.
2. How many khailis has Sharvan Patel built in Rajasthan?
As of now, more than 130 khailis have been constructed across western Rajasthan’s districts, including Barmer, Jodhpur, and Jaisalmer.
3. Which species have benefited from the khailis project?
Blackbucks, chinkaras, desert foxes, reptiles, and migratory birds have all returned to the region thanks to the availability of fresh water.
4. What are Oran lands in Rajasthan?
Oran lands are community-protected sacred groves that act as vital catchment areas for rainwater and biodiversity in desert ecosystems.
5. How can people support local wildlife conservation in Rajasthan?
People can donate to grassroots initiatives like Patel’s “One Rupee per Day for Wildlife,” volunteer in pond maintenance, or spread awareness on social media.
