Question

Despite being close to Arabian Sea, why does Rajasthan remain dry?

Answer 1

Hint: In the northwestern part of the Indian subcontinent, the Thar Desert, also known as the Great Indian Desert, is a broad arid region that covers an area of 200,000 km and forms a natural border between India and Pakistan. It is the 17th-largest desert in the world and the 9th-largest hot subtropical desert in the world.

Complete answer:
The Rajasthan area has to face acute water shortage and very few lakes and rivers due to very low rainfall, which is the explanation for its scarce vegetal cover. The natural vegetation is known as the Northern Desert Thorn Forest of the Rajasthan plain. The vegetal cover is very thin and there are only a few small trees, as the entire area is mostly sandy and bare rocks are exposed. After the rise in rainfall, the density and size of patches increased from west to east. Because of the sandy and rocky nature of the soil cover, Rajasthan remains dry despite being close to the Arabian Sea.
 The Rajasthan Desert's natural vegetation is made up of species of trees, shrubs and herbs. Due to scanty rainfall, the shrubs are thorny and have stunted growth. Khip bush is popular in sandy soils with long needle-shape branches without leaves. In some areas, evergreen bushes such as Khair, phog, beri, khejri and cactus are found. Babul is one of the region 's best fodder trees and grows even in arid weather and sandy conditions.
There are a few local tree species suitable for planting in the desert area and these are slow-growing. In the Rajasthan Desert, several exotic tree species have been tested: Eucalyptus, Acacia and Cassia. Israel's economically important Babul and Jojoba trees are ideal for planting in these regions.

Note: Unlike the other deserts of the planet, the vegetation, human culture and animal life in this arid area are very rich because of the diversified climate and ecosystem.