{"id":126965,"date":"2026-09-30T17:40:10","date_gmt":"2026-09-30T12:10:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/?p=126965"},"modified":"2026-09-30T17:40:30","modified_gmt":"2026-09-30T12:10:30","slug":"drought-management-in-india","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/drought-management-in-india\/","title":{"rendered":"Drought Management in India, Causes, Impacts and Solutions"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Drought is a prolonged deficiency of water availability that affects agriculture, drinking water, livestock, ecosystems and rural livelihoods. In India, where the monsoon plays a critical role in replenishing water resources, drought management requires a shift from crisis relief to long-term drought resilience.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><b>Why in the News?<\/b><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The <\/span><b>Maharashtra Government has declared drought conditions in 265 out of 358 talukas following rainfall deficiency during the 2026 kharif season, bringing drought assessment and relief measures into focus.<\/b><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The declaration covers 265 talukas across 32 districts, with Trigger-1 under the Maharashtra Drought Management Code coming into force.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>District Collectors<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> have been directed to conduct panchnamas, involving field-level assessment of crop conditions with photographs and GPS coordinates.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The development highlights India&#8217;s wider vulnerability to rainfall variability, water stress, groundwater depletion and agricultural dependence on the monsoon.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><b>What is Drought?<\/b><\/h2>\n<p><b>Drought<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> is generally understood as a <\/span><b>prolonged deficiency of precipitation or water availability <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">that creates adverse impacts on agriculture, ecosystems, animals and human populations.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Drought is multidimensional because a rainfall deficit can gradually translate into soil-moisture stress, declining surface and groundwater availability, crop losses and livelihood distress.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><b>Types of Drought<\/b><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The<\/span><b> Manual for Drought Management, 2009<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> broadly identifies different dimensions of drought based on the nature of water stress.<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Meteorological drought:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> It occurs when precipitation remains significantly below the long-term average for a prolonged period and is often the first stage of drought.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Agricultural drought:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> It occurs when rainfall and soil moisture are inadequate to meet crop-water requirements, resulting in crop stress and reduced yields.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Hydrological drought:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> It occurs when prolonged water deficiency reduces the availability of surface water, groundwater, river flows and reservoir storage.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Socio-economic drought:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> It occurs when water scarcity begins to affect livelihoods, <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/food-security-in-india\/\" target=\"_blank\">food security<\/a><\/strong>, employment, prices and wider economic activity.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2><b>Drought Scenario in India<\/b><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Drought in India is not confined to traditionally arid regions. Rainfall variability, changing precipitation patterns, groundwater stress and unsustainable water use can create drought-like conditions even in relatively high-rainfall areas.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The <\/span><b>Drought Atlas of India (1901-2020) <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">highlights the geographical spread and recurring nature of drought across the country. Historical evidence also shows that major droughts have affected large parts of India simultaneously.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The changing nature of drought is particularly important because the amount of rainfall alone does not determine water security. Its timing, distribution, intensity, soil moisture, groundwater recharge and patterns of water consumption also matter.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><b>How is Drought Declared in India?<\/b><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Drought assessment has gradually moved from dependence on post-harvest crop-loss estimates towards multiple scientific indicators.<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Rainfall deficiency:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> The extent and duration of rainfall deficiency are assessed against long-term rainfall patterns.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Area under sowing:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> A substantial decline in cultivated area can indicate emerging agricultural distress.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI): <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Satellite-based vegetation data can help identify deviations in vegetation health.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Moisture Adequacy Index (MAI):<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> It assesses the availability of moisture for crop growth by comparing actual and potential evapotranspiration.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Crop condition:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Ground-level crop assessment provides evidence of actual agricultural losses.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Water availability:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Reservoir storage, river flows and groundwater conditions help identify hydrological stress.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The State Government is the final authority for declaring an area drought-affected, while the <\/span><b>Union Government&#8217;s Manual for Drought Management, 2009 <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">and the <\/span><b>National <a href=\"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/upsc-exam\/disaster-management-in-india\/\" target=\"_blank\">Disaster Management<\/a> Authority&#8217;s Guidelines for Management of Drought, 2010 <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">provide the principal national frameworks.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><b>Maharashtra Case: Drought Management Code and Trigger-1<\/b><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Maharashtra provides an example of how drought declaration can trigger a structured relief process.<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Drought Management Code, 2016:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> It provides the State&#8217;s framework for assessing drought conditions and determining relief measures.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Trigger-1:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> It represents the first alert stage and is activated when prescribed indicators, including rainfall deficiency and prolonged dry spells, are met.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Panchnamas:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> District-level teams document crop conditions through field surveys, photographs and <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/gps\/\" target=\"_blank\">GPS <\/a><\/strong>coordinates.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Crop-loss assistance: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Compensation is determined after the assessment process establishes the extent of crop damage.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Relief measures:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Drought declaration can activate support relating to agricultural loans, land revenue, electricity, drinking water, employment, foodgrains and fodder.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The Maharashtra case also demonstrates why early assessment matters: drought relief cannot depend only on waiting for final crop losses after the agricultural season has already been severely affected.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><b>What are the Causes of Drought in India?<\/b><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Drought results from an interaction between climatic variability and human-induced water stress.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><b>Climatic Causes<\/b><\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Erratic southwest monsoon:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Delayed onset, prolonged monsoon breaks or early withdrawal can create rainfall and soil-moisture deficits.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>El Nino:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Changes in Pacific Ocean conditions can influence atmospheric circulation and Indian monsoon rainfall.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Climate change: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Rising temperatures and changing rainfall patterns can increase evapotranspiration and intensify water stress.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Uneven rainfall distribution: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Even when seasonal rainfall is close to normal, prolonged dry spells between intense rainfall events can damage crops.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3><b>Human-Induced Causes<\/b><\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Unsustainable cropping patterns:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Cultivation of water-intensive crops in water-stressed regions can increase pressure on local water resources.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Groundwater over-extraction:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Excessive dependence on groundwater for irrigation can reduce aquifer reserves and weaken resilience to rainfall deficits.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Degradation of water bodies:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Encroachment and neglect of traditional tanks, ponds and wetlands reduce local water-storage and recharge capacity.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Deforestation and land degradation:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Loss of vegetation can reduce infiltration, soil-moisture retention and groundwater recharge.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Inefficient irrigation:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Flood irrigation and other inefficient practices increase water consumption in agriculture.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2><b>What are the Impacts of Drought?<\/b><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Drought has consequences beyond agricultural production because rural economies are closely linked to water availability.<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Agriculture:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Crop failure, reduced yields and livestock losses can reduce farm incomes.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Food security: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Lower agricultural production can affect food availability and prices.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Rural employment:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Reduced farm activity can increase unemployment and distress migration.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Groundwater stress:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Falling water tables can increase dependence on deeper and more expensive sources.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Livestock distress: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Shortages of drinking water and fodder can lead to livestock losses.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Debt burden:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Crop losses combined with input costs and existing loans can deepen farmer indebtedness.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Human development: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Water scarcity can affect nutrition, health, education and household expenditure.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2><b>What are the Key Challenges in Drought Management?<\/b><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">India&#8217;s drought response continues to face several institutional and structural challenges.<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Delayed drought declaration:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Dependence on conventional crop-loss assessment can delay relief when distress begins during the agricultural season.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Fragmented water governance: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Surface water and groundwater are often managed through separate institutional structures despite being part of the same hydrological system.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Relief-centric approach: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Tankers, fodder and financial assistance address immediate distress but do not necessarily reduce future vulnerability.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Groundwater depletion: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Subsidised or poorly regulated extraction can encourage continued depletion even in drought-prone regions.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Low water-use efficiency:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Limited adoption of micro-irrigation and water-efficient agricultural practices increases pressure on scarce resources.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Regional mismatch:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Crop choices do not always correspond with local agro-climatic and water-resource conditions.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Weak local participation: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Water conservation is more sustainable when local communities participate in planning, monitoring and maintenance.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2><b>What Measures are Needed?<\/b><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">India needs to move from drought relief to drought-proofing, combining scientific monitoring with local <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/upsc-exam\/watershed-management\/\" target=\"_blank\">water management<\/a><\/strong> and climate-resilient agriculture.<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Early-warning systems: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Integrate rainfall, soil moisture, satellite vegetation data, groundwater levels and reservoir storage for timely identification of drought risk.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Climate-resilient agriculture: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Promote drought-resistant varieties, contingency crop planning and climate-resilient farming practices.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Crop diversification:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Encourage millets, pulses and oilseeds in suitable water-stressed regions while aligning incentives with local water availability.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Micro-irrigation: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Expand drip and sprinkler systems under the Per Drop More Crop component of the Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchayee Yojana (PMKSY).<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Groundwater budgeting: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Enable local institutions to assess groundwater availability and regulate extraction according to recharge potential.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Watershed development: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Expand check dams, farm ponds, contour measures, recharge structures and soil-moisture conservation.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Traditional water systems:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Restore tanks, ponds, johads, baolis and eris to improve local water storage and recharge.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Integrated water governance:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Move towards coordinated management of surface water and groundwater at the basin and aquifer level.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Community participation:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Strengthen Gram Panchayats and local water-user institutions in water budgeting, conservation and monitoring.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Risk-based disaster management: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Use drought early-warning systems to initiate preventive action before severe crop and livelihood losses occur.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2><b>Drought Management and Disaster Governance<\/b><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The Supreme Court&#8217;s intervention in <\/span><b>Swaraj Abhiyan v. Union of India (2016)<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> highlighted the constitutional and welfare dimensions of drought. The Court dealt with drought within the framework of disaster management and emphasised the importance of timely implementation of food-security measures for drought-affected populations.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">This establishes an important governance principle: drought management is not merely an agricultural issue; it also concerns food security, livelihood protection and human dignity.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><b>Institutional Framework<\/b><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Drought management involves multiple institutions working across different stages of the disaster cycle.<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>State Governments<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">: Primarily responsible for drought declaration, assessment and implementation of relief measures.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers&#8217; Welfare: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Nodal Union ministry for drought-related agricultural management.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA):<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Provides national-level guidance on disaster risk reduction and drought management.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>State Disaster Response Fund (SDRF): <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Provides the first level of financial assistance for notified disasters.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>National Disaster Response Fund (NDRF):<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Provides additional central assistance when the scale of disaster exceeds the state&#8217;s available SDRF resources and prescribed conditions are met.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Local governments:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Play a crucial role in drinking-water management, local conservation, groundwater monitoring and implementation of relief.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Drought Management in India covers drought types, causes, impacts, declaration, Maharashtra\u2019s 2026 case, relief measures, disaster governance and long-term water resilience.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":30,"featured_media":126927,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[786],"tags":[10594,10593],"class_list":["post-126965","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-general-studies","tag-drought-management","tag-drought-management-in-india","no-featured-image-padding"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/126965","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/30"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=126965"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/126965\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":126976,"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/126965\/revisions\/126976"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/126927"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=126965"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=126965"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=126965"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}