Stir against solar projects on pasture land from Tuesday

Jaisalmer: The district has been witnessing continuous protests against the allotment of pasture lands for solar power plants for many years. Once again, a new protest will be organized from June 6 to 9, where environmental enthusiasts will stage a symbolic dharna (sit-in) outside the collectorate and submit a memorandum to the district collector. Several environmentalists from different parts of the country will also participate in the protest. Previous efforts to save the pasture lands, including foot parikramas (circumambulation), have been organized, and numerous agitations have taken place.
Sumer Singh Bhati, a resident of Degrai, stated that despite years of agitations to protect the pasture land, the government has shown little attention. Although every village has pasture land, it is not registered in the revenue records. As a result, these lands are being destroyed and allocated to solar and wind energy companies, he said. These pasture lands serve as a lifeline for wildlife and cattle. To draw the government's attention and urge them to save these lands, a dharna will be staged from June 6 to 9.
Another environmentalist, Parth Jagani, highlighted that after independence, these pasture lands were not registered in the revenue records, and the government has become the sole owner, leading to their destruction and the loss of wildlife habitats and grazing areas.
Jagani further explained that numerous memorandums have been submitted to the government, and files have been sent to register the pasture lands in revenue records. However, the government has been returning the files with baseless reasons. The government's negative attitude, coupled with the insensitivity of public representatives and administrative officers, is deeply concerning and morally wrong, he said.
Vimal Gopa, a social activist, emphasized that people have been struggling for 20-40 years to have the pasture lands registered in revenue records. Despite sending countless documents to the secretariat and conducting surveys of the lands, pasture lands remain unregistered in government records.