Barmer, Sept. 18 -- Hundreds of villagers and environmental activists in Jaisalmer marched five kilometres from the Swangiyan Mata temple near Gajrup Sagar to the district collectorate on Wednesday, where they submitted a memorandum to the sub-divisional magistrate addressed to the chief minister to protect Rajasthan's grasslands, Orans, and Gauchar lands - the sacred commons that sustain livestock, biodiversity, and culture. When the administration failed to provide assurances, they launched an indefinite sit-in protest outside the collectorate. The memorandum stressed that Oran and Gauchar lands are not just grazing grounds but also vital sanctuaries for water, wildlife, and heritage. Activist Sumer Singh demanded that traditional water bodies - ponds, wells, stepwells, khadins, and catchments - along with historical sites such as chhatris and paliyas be formally recorded in revenue documents. Protesters accused the administration of declaring Oran lands as "barren" and allocating them to private companies, ignoring 20 pending files on land registration. They warned that unless commons are secured in official records, they will remain vulnerable to encroachment and corporate takeover. The Orans and grasslands are central to Rajasthan's ecology, pastoral economy, and cultural heritage; they are now at the heart of a movement that bridges the grassroots and the policy arena gap. Even as local anger spilled onto Jaisalmer's streets, experts and policymakers gathered in Jodhpur on Wednesday for a state-level consultation on Open Natural Ecosystems (ONEs) convened by the Centre for Policy Design (CPD) at Ashoka Trust for Research in Ecology and the Environment (ATREE) and the Arid Forest Research Institute (AFRI) under the Indian Council of Forestry Research and Education. The meeting also saw the release of a policy brief titled "Sands and Grasses of 'Gold': Valuing Rajasthan's Open Natural Ecosystems for People, Climate and Biodiversity." The consultation emphasised that deserts, grasslands, Orans, and grazing lands - covering nearly 34% of Rajasthan - remain excluded from land-use policies, leaving them exposed to degradation and conversion. CAZRI director Dr. Suman Vyas described the Thar Desert as "a progressive ecosystem," stressing that conserving livestock, pastures, and Oran-Gauchar lands is key to sustainable growth. AFRI director Dr. Ashutosh Kumar Tripathi called for shared responsibility, while CPD-ATREE's Dr. Abi Tamin Vanak highlighted that science- and community-led governance can strengthen climate resilience and livelihoods. Civil society groups including the Desert Resource Centre, Camel Charisma, Foundation for Ecological Security, BNHS, and representatives of the Oran Bachao movement underlined the dependence of pastoralists and rural economies on these commons. Environmental activist Bhuvnesh Jain said, "For centuries, Orans have been the backbone of Rajasthan's ecology and culture. Declaring them barren land is an insult to our heritage and a threat to future generations. If we lose our commons, we lose not just grazing grounds but the very identity of our desert communities." Jain said both villagers and experts have converged on the same demand: formal recognition of Oran, Gauchar, and other open ecosystems in records, along with a clear roadmap for their protection. Without this, he warned, Rajasthan risks losing not only its fragile ecology and traditional water systems but also the last habitats of the Great Indian Bustard, Indian Wolf, Blackbuck, and Chinkara....