Thar Desert

Why in news?

• The Pakistan army is holding a month-long exercise codenamed ‘Jidar-ul-Hadeed'. in the Thar Desert in Sindh province to prepare for conflict in an extreme desert environment.

About Thar desert:

• The Thar Desert, also known as the Great Indian Desert, is a large arid region in the north western part of the Indian subcontinent.
• It covers an area of 200,000 km2 and forms a natural boundary between India and Pakistan.
• It is the world's 17th largest desert, and the world's 9th largest hot subtropical desert.
• About 85% of the Thar Desert is located within India and the remaining 15% in Pakistan.
• The Thar Desert forms approximately 5% (c. 4.56%) of the total geographic area of India.
• More than 60% of the desert lies in the Indian state of Rajasthan, and it extends into the states of Gujarat, Punjab and Haryana, and the Pakistani province of Sindh.
• Within Pakistan's Punjab province, the Thar continues as the Cholistan Desert.
• The desert comprises a very dry part, the Marusthali region in the west, and a semidesert region in the east with fewer sand dunes and slightly more precipitation.
• The Indira Gandhi Canal, the longest canal of India starts from the Harike Barrage in Punjab and terminates in irrigation facilities in the Thar Desert.

PRELIMS QUESTION

Consider the following statements:
1.The Indira Gandhi Canal irrigates parts of Thar desert for agricultural purposes.
2.Thar desert is the largest desert in Asia after Gobi desert.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
(a)1 only
(b)2 only
(c)Both 1 and 2
(d)Neither 1 nor 2

Answer to Prelims Question