Farmers living along the 3,670 sq km command area of the Indira Gandhi Canal have managed to reverse desertification in large chunks of land in Jaisalmer, the farthest district from the canal's source. They have dug small ponds, locally known as diggies to store the canal water during summer.
Many media reports have speculated that the birds might have died due to toxicity in the area. Some kind of avian disease too is being suspected. A clearer picture will emerge only when the lab test reports are out.
This photographer was one of the first journalists on the scene. Over 2,300 dead birds have been buried in mass graves in the area, he says. But the death toll is expected to cross 8,000, according to him.
Sambhar, India's largest inland saltwater lake is an important wetland and Ramsar site in Northern India. It plays host to various birds, both local and migratory. However, the tourists found large numbers of dead birds on that day, like this ruddy shelduck.