Was the Thar Desert area of Rajasthan an area abundant in crops in Mahabharata period?

 According to Chapter-1 of Virata Parva of Mahabharata, Yudhisthira calls for the opinion, when the 12 years period of living in the Forest was about to be completed, of his brother Arjuna, as to where can the period of 1 year living incognito be spent by them.

Arjuna lists out names of some countries, which were prosperous and rich in crops, surrounding the Kuru Kingdom.

अर्जुन उवाच॥

तस्यैव वरदानेन धर्मस्य मनुजाधिप । अज्ञाता विचरिष्यामो नराणां भरतर्षभ ॥

किं तु वासाय राष्ट्राणि कीर्तयिष्यामि कानिचित् । रमणीयानि गुप्तानि तेषां किञ्चित्स्म रोचय ॥

सन्ति रम्या जनपदा बह्वन्नाः परितः कुरून् । पाञ्चालाश्चेदिमत्स्याश्च शूरसेनाः पटच्चराः ॥

दशार्णा नवराष्ट्रं च मल्लाः शाल्वा युगन्धराः । कुंतिराष्ट्रं च विपुलं सुराष्ट्रावंतय स्तथा॥

Arjuna replied, "Even by virtue of Dharma's boon, we shall, O lord of men, range about undiscovered by men. Still, for purposes of residence, I shall mention some spots that are both delightful and secluded. Do thou select some one of them. Surrounding the kingdom of the Kurus, are, many countries beautiful and abounding in corn, such as Panchala, Chedi, Matsya, Surasena, Pattachchara, Dasarna, Navarashtra, Malla, Salva, Yugandhara, Saurashtra, Avanti, and the spacious Kuntirashtra.

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The map showing the locations of Kingdoms mentioned in the epic Mahabharata and Ramayana, was exhibited below.

Please note that Matsya and Salva, as mentioned by Arjuna above, were indicated in the present day Rajasthan area and it was stated that they were beautiful and abounding in corn. It indicates that availability of water.

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According to Wikipedia, availability of water had been diminished over a period of time.

Between 10,000 and 8,000 years ago, a paleo channel of the Ghaggar-Hakra River – identified with the paleo Sarasvati River – after its confluence with the Sutlej flowed into the Nara river, a delta channel of the Indus River, but then changed its course. This left the Ghaggar-Hakra as a system of monsoon-fed rivers that no longer reached the sea and now ends in the Thar desert.

Around 5,000 years ago, when the monsoons that fed the rivers diminished further, the Indus Valley Civilisation (IVC) prospered in this area, with the rise of numerous IVC urban sites at Kalibangan (Rajasthan), Banawali and Rakhigarhi (Haryana), Dholavira and Lothal (Gujarat) along this course.

By 4,000 years ago, when monsoons diminished even further, the dried-up Hakra became an intermittent river, and the urban Harappan civilisation declined, becoming localized in smaller agricultural communities.

The present day Thar Desert, as per Wikipedia.

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So according to my understanding, the areas of Salva and Matsya, which were flourishing with scenic beauty and crops in Mahabharata period around 5,000 years ago, might have slowly lost their charm and descended to the present day form, due to availability of less water.