Barmer: Boom town in the desert

A sleepy tehsil town known for its salt pans is emerging as a driver of growth in the Thar desert as work on India's first integrated Rs 65,000 crore HRRL refinery and petrochemical complex proceeds apace

A decade ago, a blink-and-you-miss-it signboard is all that announced Pachpadra, located somewhere between Barmer and Jodhpur on desert highway NH-112. Half a dozen shops and two dhabas were the only things visible as the dust kicked up in the endless sprawl of the Thar. Today, there are at least 200 shops lined up on either side of the road. Every day is like a haat, as shoppers mill around and dozens of under construction multi-storey buildings create a new skyline.