Camel Herder Earns Global Rangeland Award for Thar Grassland Fight
Sumer Singh Bhati, a camel herder from Jaisalmer, led a campaign to safeguard roughly 10,000 hectares of Degrai Mata Oran. His efforts earned him a global Rangeland Award in 2026, highlighting the role of native grasses and community organizing in protecting the land and its wildlife.
Key takeaways
- Sumer Singh Bhati organized 20 communities to defend approximately 10,000 hectares of Degrai Mata Oran in the Thar.
- The area supports around 5,000 pastoral families and over 50,000 livestock, with habitat for wildlife including the Great Indian Bustard.
- Bhati’s work was recognized with a global Rangeland Award in 2026.
What Happened
In Rajasthan’s Thar region, Sumer Singh Bhati, a traditional camel herder from Jaisalmer, has campaigned to protect the Degrai Mata Oran, an area spanning about 10,000 hectares that supports thousands of livestock and hundreds of grazing families. His advocacy brought together nearly 20 communities, prompting campaigns and marches to raise awareness about threats to the grasslands, which include the native Sewan and Dhaman grasses that sustain camels and wildlife such as the Great Indian Bustard. Bhati’s work culminated in his recognition as a global awardee at the Rangeland Awards in 2026.
Historically, the Degrai Mata Oran has faced administrative classifications that left portions vulnerable to competing land uses. By 2004, only 5,817 hectares of the Oran were registered in the name of a temple trust, a situation Bhati described as problematic. By 2018, community members intensified their organizing, conducting awareness campaigns, parikramas (circuits) around threatened orans, and public marches to elevate concerns about grassland protection.
Central to Bhati’s message is the function of grass in the ecosystem. Sewan (Lasiurus sindicus) is a native grass adapted to the arid conditions of the Thar, with deep roots that help it endure drought. Dhaman (Cenchrus setigerus) is another native grass that provides forage for livestock even when green cover is scarce. Bhati emphasizes that the grasses supply nutrition for camels and wildlife, and that climate stress is contributing to degradation of these resources.
Throughout this period, Bhati moved from village to village, engaging communities, articulating their concerns beyond the desert, and advocating for the protection of the grasslands against encroaching development pressures, including solar and wind energy projects. His efforts have been associated with ecological improvements, including the return of native grasses and the revival of traditional water bodies as part of the landscape recovery.
Why It Matters
The case underscores how grassland health is tied to livelihoods for thousands of pastoral families and to wildlife conservation in the Thar. Protecting the Degrai Mata Oran is presented as safeguarding a source of nutrition for camels and habitat for species such as the Great Indian Bustard. Bhati’s recognition highlights the role of community-led stewardship in regions where land-use planning intersects with traditional grazing rights and wildlife protection.
Background
The Degrai Mata Oran sits at the heart of a broader debate over land use in western Rajasthan. The effort to formally register parts of the Oran and to push back against development encroachments has a history dating to at least 2004, when the registered area counted 5,817 hectares under temple trust stewardship. By 2018, grassroots organizing gathered momentum with campaigns and organized marches to bring attention to the status and management of this grassland.
Key Facts
- The Degrai Mata Oran covers approximately 10,000 hectares.
- About 5,000 pastoral families depend on the grazing grounds; more than 50,000 livestock rely on the area.
- The Oran provides habitat for wildlife, including the Great Indian Bustard.
- Bhati’s efforts led to him being named a global awardee in the Rangeland Awards 2026.
- In 2004, 5,817 hectares of the Deg Rai Mata Oran were registered in the name of a temple trust.
- By 2018, communities organized campaigns, parikramas, and marches to defend the Oran.
- Native grasses Sewan (Lasiurus sindicus) and Dhaman (Cenchrus setigerus) are central to the grassland’s forage value.
What Happens Next
The report does not specify scheduled next steps, but notes ongoing community-led advocacy and the aim of protecting grazing resources from competing land uses, including energy projects, while continuing to promote grassland restoration and water-body revival as part of the landscape’s resilience.
Sources reviewed
Project Chintan independently synthesized and analyzed information cross-checked across the sources listed above.
