Drought Declaration in India

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News: Calls to declare drought are rising in Maharashtra as rain deficit and water scarcity affect agriculture and crop prospects.

About Drought Declaration in India

Drought Declaration in India
Source – NDTV
  • Drought is generally considered as a deficiency in rainfall over a period, causing water shortage and adverse impacts on vegetation, animals or people.
  • Governing Framework:
    • Disaster Management Act, 2005: It provides the legal framework for disaster management.
    • Manual for Drought Management, 2009: It provides indicators and procedures for drought monitoring, declaration and preparation of proposals for central assistance.
    • Guidelines for Management of Drought, 2010: They provide guidance on drought management and recommend early identification of drought through different indicators.
    • Non-binding nature: The Manual and Guidelines are not mandatory.
  • Classification of Drought
Types of droughtMeaning / assessment parameters
Meteorological drought
  • It occurs when precipitation remains below the expected or normal level for an extended period.
  • In India, it occurs when seasonal rainfall is less than 75% of the long-term average.
  • A 26–50% deficit is classified as moderate drought, while a deficit of more than 50% is severe drought. 
Agricultural drought
  • It occurs when soil moisture and rainfall are inadequate during the crop-growing season, causing crop stress and wilting.
  • In India, it is linked with four consecutive weeks of severe meteorological drought during the kharif season or six such weeks during the rest of the year. 
Hydrological drought
  • It occurs when there are deficiencies in surface and sub-surface water supplies, resulting in inadequate water for normal and specific needs.
  • It can occur even when rainfall is average or above average if increased water use reduces available reserves. 
  • Drought declaration: India has no single legally accepted definition of drought.
    • The State Government is the final authority to declare drought in the State or its affected parts.
  • Drought declaration criteria: The 2009 Manual identifies four standard monitoring tools for drought declaration:
    • rainfall deficiency, area under sowing, Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) and Moisture Adequacy Index (MAI).
    • These indicators can be used in combination, with at least three indicators or index values adverse for drought declaration.
    • The State Government’s assessment should conform to parameters specified under NDRF norms.
  • Impact of Drought Declaration:
    • Relief measures: Relief and response measures begin after the drought notification is issued for the affected areas.
    • State-level assistance: Relief is initially provided through the Calamity Relief Fund (CRF)/State Disaster Response Fund (SDRF).
    • Central assistance: If State funds are inadequate, the State can submit a memorandum seeking assistance from the National Disaster Response Fund (NDRF).
    • Central assessment: A Central team visits the affected areas to assess the requirement for relief before Central assistance is released.
  • Supreme Court view:
    • Drought as a disaster: The Supreme Court held on 11 May 2016 that drought falls within the definition of “disaster” under the Disaster Management Act, 2005.
    • Specific-area declaration: Drought need not be declared for an entire State or district.
      • It can be declared where a drought or drought-like situation exists in a village, taluka, tehsil or block.
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