{"id":372521,"date":"2026-09-24T17:08:12","date_gmt":"2026-09-24T11:38:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/?p=372521"},"modified":"2026-09-24T17:08:12","modified_gmt":"2026-09-24T11:38:12","slug":"drought-in-india-causes-consequences-mitigation-measures-explained-pointwise","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/drought-in-india-causes-consequences-mitigation-measures-explained-pointwise\/","title":{"rendered":"Drought in India &#8211; Causes, Consequences &#038; Mitigation Measures &#8211; Explained Pointwise"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-372525\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/forumias.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/Gemini_Generated_Image_on9qifon9qifon9q.png?resize=750%2C409&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"Drought in India\" width=\"750\" height=\"409\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/forumias.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/Gemini_Generated_Image_on9qifon9qifon9q.png?w=1408&amp;ssl=1 1408w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/forumias.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/Gemini_Generated_Image_on9qifon9qifon9q.png?resize=300%2C164&amp;ssl=1 300w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/forumias.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/Gemini_Generated_Image_on9qifon9qifon9q.png?resize=1024%2C559&amp;ssl=1 1024w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/forumias.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/Gemini_Generated_Image_on9qifon9qifon9q.png?resize=768%2C419&amp;ssl=1 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 750px) 100vw, 750px\" \/><br \/>\nIn Maharashtra, demands for declaring drought have emerged amid concerns over rainfall deficiency, with El Ni\u00f1o-related weather conditions affecting the State\u2019s agriculture-dependent economy. Widespread water scarcity has further aggravated the situation, putting additional pressure on farming and rural livelihoods.<\/p>\n<table style=\"border-collapse: collapse; width: 100%;\">\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"width: 100%; text-align: center;\"><strong>Table of Content<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"width: 100%;\"><a href=\"#h1\">What is drought, and what are its major types?<\/a><br \/>\n<a href=\"#h3\">What are the major causes of drought in India?<\/a><br \/>\n<a href=\"#h3\">What are the socio-economic &amp; environmental consequences of drought in India?<\/a><br \/>\n<a href=\"#h4\">What is the procedure for declaring a drought in India?<\/a><br \/>\n<a href=\"#h5\">What are the major challenges in drought prediction and management in India?<\/a><br \/>\n<a href=\"#h6\">What are the major drought mitigation measures recommended in the NDMA guidelines?<\/a><br \/>\n<a href=\"#h7\">What measures can be adopted to improve drought resilience in India?<\/a><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<h2 class=\"blue-h2-box\"><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><strong><a id=\"h1\"><\/a>What is drought, and what are its major types?<\/strong><\/span><\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li>Drought is a prolonged period of abnormally low rainfall or water availability that results in water scarcity and adversely affects agriculture, ecosystems, livelihoods and human activities.<\/li>\n<li>Unlike sudden natural disasters like flash floods or earthquakes, a drought develops slowly over months or years, impacting ecosystems, agriculture, and human populations.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><strong>Major types of drought:<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<table style=\"width: 100%; border-collapse: collapse; border-style: solid; border-color: #000000; background-color: #f2f78b;\">\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"width: 1.02354%;\"><strong>Meteorological Drought<\/strong><\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 98.9765%;\">Occurs when <strong>rainfall in a region is significantly below its normal<\/strong> or expected level for a prolonged period.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"width: 1.02354%;\"><strong>Hydrological Drought<\/strong><\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 98.9765%;\">Occurs when <strong data-start=\"440\" data-end=\"477\">surface and groundwater resources<\/strong> such as rivers, reservoirs, lakes and aquifers fall significantly below normal levels.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"width: 1.02354%;\"><strong>Agricultural Drought<\/strong><\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 98.9765%;\">Occurs when <strong data-start=\"611\" data-end=\"687\">soil moisture becomes inadequate to meet the water requirements of crops<\/strong>, leading to crop stress and reduced yields.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"width: 1.02354%;\"><strong>Socio-economic Drought<\/strong><\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 98.9765%;\">Occurs when water scarcity begins to affect the <strong data-start=\"816\" data-end=\"848\">supply of goods and services<\/strong>, including food, drinking water, energy and other economic activities.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"width: 1.02354%;\"><strong>Ecological Drought<\/strong><\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 98.9765%;\">Occurs when prolonged water scarcity causes <strong data-start=\"996\" data-end=\"1030\">stress or damage to ecosystems<\/strong>, affecting biodiversity and ecological functions.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<h2 class=\"blue-h2-box\"><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><strong><a id=\"h2\"><\/a>What are the major causes of drought in India?<\/strong><\/span><\/h2>\n<ol>\n<li><strong>Erratic Monsoon<\/strong>: The Indian monsoon is characterised by considerable spatial and temporal variability. Delayed onset, prolonged dry spells, uneven distribution of rainfall and early withdrawal can create significant water deficits in particular regions.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Monsoon Failure<\/strong>: As a large part of the country\u2019s rainfall is received during the southwest monsoon season. A delayed onset, prolonged breaks, early withdrawal or significant rainfall deficiency can reduce soil moisture, groundwater recharge and reservoir levels. This can adversely affect crop production, drinking-water availability, livestock and rural livelihoods, particularly in rain-fed and drought-prone regions.<\/li>\n<li><strong>El Ni\u00f1o Events<\/strong>: In India, El Ni\u00f1o conditions are generally associated with a higher probability of below-normal southwest monsoon rainfall, although the impact varies across regions and individual years. Reduced monsoon rainfall can lower soil moisture, reservoir levels and groundwater recharge, thereby increasing the risk of agricultural and hydrological drought.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Climate Change<\/strong>: Climate change can increase the frequency, duration and intensity of drought conditions by altering rainfall patterns and raising temperatures. Higher temperatures increase evaporation and evapotranspiration, reducing soil moisture and surface-water availability. Changes in monsoon behaviour, including longer dry spells between rainfall events, can further increase drought vulnerability.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Uneven Rainfall Distribution<\/strong>: India receives most of its annual rainfall during the southwest monsoon, but its spatial and temporal distribution is highly uneven. Some regions may receive adequate or even excess rainfall while others experience prolonged dry spells. Similarly, a long break in monsoon rainfall during the crop-growing season can cause soil-moisture deficiency and crop stress even when seasonal rainfall is close to normal.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Groundwater Over-extraction<\/strong>: Excessive withdrawal of groundwater can aggravate drought conditions by lowering the water table and reducing the availability of groundwater during dry periods. When extraction exceeds natural recharge, aquifers take longer to recover, reducing water security during prolonged rainfall deficits.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Poor Water Management<\/strong>: Poor water management can turn rainfall deficiency into a more severe drought situation. Inefficient irrigation methods, excessive groundwater extraction, inadequate rainwater harvesting, poor maintenance of water-storage structures and wastage of water reduce the availability of water during dry periods.<\/li>\n<li><strong>High Agricultural Dependence on Rainfall<\/strong>: A significant part of Indian agriculture remains dependent on rainfall, particularly the southwest monsoon, due to inadequate irrigation coverage in many regions. Consequently, delayed, deficient or uneven monsoon rainfall can cause soil-moisture stress, crop failure and reduced agricultural productivity. This dependence makes drought-prone regions especially vulnerable to rainfall variability and climate change.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Rapid Urbanisation and Industrialisation<\/strong>: Rapid urbanisation and industrialisation increase the demand for water for domestic, commercial and industrial purposes, putting immense pressure on already stressed water resources. Unplanned urban growth, groundwater over-extraction, industrial water consumption and the encroachment of lakes and wetlands reduce water availability and groundwater recharge.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<h2 class=\"blue-h2-box\"><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><strong><a id=\"h3\"><\/a>What are the socio-economic &amp; environmental consequences of drought in India?<\/strong><\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><strong>Socio-Economic Consequences:<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<ol>\n<li><span class=\"w6asjq_TextBase _85PZeG_Text\" data-d-component=\"text\" data-d-default-strong=\"\" data-d-inline=\"\"><strong>Agricultural Losses<\/strong>:<\/span> Water shortages reduce crop yields, cause crop failures and affect livestock, particularly in rain-fed farming regions.<\/li>\n<li><span class=\"w6asjq_TextBase _85PZeG_Text\" data-d-component=\"text\" data-d-default-strong=\"\" data-d-inline=\"\"><strong>Food Insecurity<\/strong>:<\/span> Declining agricultural production can reduce food availability, increase food prices and worsen malnutrition among vulnerable households.<\/li>\n<li><span class=\"w6asjq_TextBase _85PZeG_Text\" data-d-component=\"text\" data-d-default-strong=\"\" data-d-inline=\"\"><strong>Rural Distress and Farmer Indebtedness<\/strong>:<\/span> Crop losses and declining farm incomes can force farmers to borrow, sell assets or rely on government assistance.<\/li>\n<li><span class=\"w6asjq_TextBase _85PZeG_Text\" data-d-component=\"text\" data-d-default-strong=\"\" data-d-inline=\"\"><strong>Loss of Livelihoods and Unemployment<\/strong>:<\/span> Drought reduces demand for agricultural labour and affects allied sectors, such as dairy, fisheries and agro-based industries.<\/li>\n<li><span class=\"w6asjq_TextBase _85PZeG_Text\" data-d-component=\"text\" data-d-default-strong=\"\" data-d-inline=\"\"><strong>Distress Migration<\/strong>:<\/span> Water scarcity and declining rural employment may compel people to migrate to cities in search of jobs and better livelihood opportunities.<\/li>\n<li><span class=\"w6asjq_TextBase _85PZeG_Text\" data-d-component=\"text\" data-d-default-strong=\"\" data-d-inline=\"\"><strong>Economic and Fiscal Burden<\/strong>:<\/span> Drought-related losses can reduce rural consumption and economic activity while increasing government expenditure on relief, compensation, water supply and employment programmes.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<p><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><strong>Environmental Consequences:<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<ol>\n<li><span class=\"w6asjq_TextBase _85PZeG_Text\" data-d-component=\"text\" data-d-default-strong=\"\" data-d-inline=\"\"><strong>Groundwater Depletion<\/strong>:<\/span> Reduced rainfall and excessive extraction of groundwater for irrigation and drinking purposes can lower water tables and dry up wells.<\/li>\n<li><span class=\"w6asjq_TextBase _85PZeG_Text\" data-d-component=\"text\" data-d-default-strong=\"\" data-d-inline=\"\"><strong>Degradation of Soil<\/strong>:<\/span> Prolonged moisture deficiency reduces soil fertility and biological activity, while dry and exposed soil becomes more vulnerable to erosion.<\/li>\n<li><span class=\"w6asjq_TextBase _85PZeG_Text\" data-d-component=\"text\" data-d-default-strong=\"\" data-d-inline=\"\"><strong>Desertification and Land Degradation<\/strong>:<\/span> Recurrent drought, especially when combined with unsustainable land use, can accelerate desertification and reduce the productive capacity of land.<\/li>\n<li><span class=\"w6asjq_TextBase _85PZeG_Text\" data-d-component=\"text\" data-d-default-strong=\"\" data-d-inline=\"\"><strong>Loss of Biodiversity<\/strong>:<\/span> Water scarcity and habitat degradation threaten terrestrial and aquatic species, disrupt food chains and reduce ecosystem resilience.<\/li>\n<li><span class=\"w6asjq_TextBase _85PZeG_Text\" data-d-component=\"text\" data-d-default-strong=\"\" data-d-inline=\"\"><strong>Forest Degradation and Wildfires<\/strong>:<\/span> Prolonged dry conditions increase vegetation stress and can raise the risk and intensity of forest fires.<\/li>\n<li><span class=\"w6asjq_TextBase _85PZeG_Text\" data-d-component=\"text\" data-d-default-strong=\"\" data-d-inline=\"\"><strong>Human-Wildlife Conflict<\/strong>:<\/span> Scarcity of water and food in natural habitats may drive wildlife closer to human settlements, increasing competition for resources and conflict.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<h2 class=\"blue-h2-box\"><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><strong><a id=\"h4\"><\/a>What is the procedure for declaring a drought in India?<\/strong><\/span><\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li>Drought in India is officially declared by respective <strong>State Governments<\/strong> following the standardized protocols outlined in the Manual for Drought Management issued by the Ministry of Agriculture.<\/li>\n<li>As water management and disaster relief primarily fall within the purview of the States, India does not have a single, legally binding national definition of drought. Instead, states use a structured, 3-step framework to make the declaration scientific and objective down to the block, tehsil, or taluka level:<br \/>\n<table style=\"width: 100%; border-collapse: collapse; border-style: solid; border-color: #000000; background-color: #f5d3d3;\">\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"width: 1.07875%;\"><strong>Mandatory Indicators (Triggers)<\/strong><\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 98.9213%;\">The state checks two mandatory baseline criteria: <strong class=\"rQesXe MPyX\" data-sfc-cp=\"\" data-sfc-root=\"ep\" data-complete=\"true\" data-copy-service-computed-style=\"font-family: &quot;Google Sans&quot;, Arial, sans-serif, &quot;Noto Color Emoji&quot;; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 700; margin: 0px; text-decoration: none; border-bottom: 0px rgb(230, 232, 240);\">rainfall deviation<\/strong> (deficiency compared to normal averages) and the presence of a prolonged <strong class=\"rQesXe MPyX\" data-sfc-cp=\"\" data-sfc-root=\"ep\" data-complete=\"true\" data-copy-service-computed-style=\"font-family: &quot;Google Sans&quot;, Arial, sans-serif, &quot;Noto Color Emoji&quot;; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 700; margin: 0px; text-decoration: none; border-bottom: 0px rgb(230, 232, 240);\">dry spell.<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"width: 1.07875%;\"><strong> Impact Indicators<\/strong><\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 98.9213%;\">If the first trigger is met, the state evaluates four core impact categories:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Agriculture (crop condition\/sown area)<\/li>\n<li>Remote sensing vegetation indices (like NDVI)<\/li>\n<li>Soil moisture<\/li>\n<li>Hydrology (reservoir and groundwater levels)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>States select three of these four impact indicators (one from each chosen type). If all 3 show severe anomalies, it indicates a <strong class=\"rQesXe MPyX\" data-sfc-cp=\"\" data-sfc-root=\"ep\" data-complete=\"true\" data-copy-service-computed-style=\"font-family: &quot;Google Sans&quot;, Arial, sans-serif, &quot;Noto Color Emoji&quot;; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 700; margin: 0px; text-decoration: none; border-bottom: 0px rgb(230, 232, 240);\">severe drought<\/strong>; if 2 show moderate-to-severe levels, it indicates a <strong class=\"rQesXe MPyX\" data-sfc-cp=\"\" data-sfc-root=\"ep\" data-complete=\"true\" data-copy-service-computed-style=\"font-family: &quot;Google Sans&quot;, Arial, sans-serif, &quot;Noto Color Emoji&quot;; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 700; margin: 0px; text-decoration: none; border-bottom: 0px rgb(230, 232, 240);\">moderate drought.\u00a0<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"width: 1.07875%;\"><strong>Ground Verification\u00a0<\/strong><\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 98.9213%;\">After the initial triggers activate, state authorities conduct physical sample surveys on the ground to verify crop damage, fodder availability, and drinking water shortages. The final field report determines the official severity grade.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/li>\n<li>Once verified, the state government issues an official notification detailing the geographic boundaries of the affected areas, which generally remains valid for <strong class=\"rQesXe MPyX\" data-sfc-cp=\"\" data-sfc-root=\"ep\" data-complete=\"true\" data-copy-service-computed-style=\"font-family: &quot;Google Sans&quot;, Arial, sans-serif, &quot;Noto Color Emoji&quot;; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 700; margin: 0px; text-decoration: none; border-bottom: 0px rgb(230, 232, 240);\">6 months<\/strong> unless extended or withdrawn.<\/li>\n<li>Issuing the notification activates relief funds from the <b>State Disaster Response Fund (SDRF)<\/b>, triggers crop insurance claims (PMFBY), enables agricultural loan restructuring, and allows the state to submit a memorandum seeking additional assistance from the <b>National Disaster Response Fund (NDRF).<\/b><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2 class=\"blue-h2-box\"><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><strong><a id=\"h5\"><\/a>What are the major challenges in drought prediction and management in India?<\/strong><\/span><\/h2>\n<ol>\n<li><strong>Microclimate and Rainfall Variability:<\/strong> The Indian monsoon is highly erratic, making accurate localised forecasting challenging. While predictions may be relatively reliable at the national or state level, block- and district-level forecasts often struggle to capture microclimatic differences and localised dry spells.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Emergence of Flash Droughts:<\/strong> Flash droughts can develop rapidly within 2-3 weeks due to sudden heatwaves and increased evapotranspiration. Traditional meteorological early-warning systems often struggle to detect these rapid changes in soil moisture, limiting timely preparedness and response.<\/li>\n<li><b data-path-to-node=\"7,0,0\" data-index-in-node=\"0\">Political and Administrative Delays in Declaration:<\/b> State governments often delay formally declaring a drought due to political reluctance or bureaucratic hurdles in field level assessment. Such delays may postpone the release of emergency financial assistance, relief measures and crop compensation to affected farmers.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Institutional Fragmentation:<\/strong> Drought management involves multiple Central and State departments, including Agriculture, Jal Shakti, Disaster Management and Rural Development. Overlapping responsibilities and coordination gaps among these institutions can create administrative bottlenecks and affect the timely implementation of drought preparedness and mitigation measures.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Neglect of Traditional Water Storage:<\/strong> Encroachment, siltation and urbanisation have damaged many traditional water-harvesting systems such as tanks, johads and bawris. Their decline has reduced local water storage and increased vulnerability to prolonged dry spells.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<h2 class=\"blue-h2-box\"><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><strong><a id=\"h6\"><\/a>What are the major drought mitigation measures recommended in the NDMA guidelines?<\/strong><\/span><\/h2>\n<ol>\n<li><strong>Rainwater Harvesting and Water Conservation<\/strong>: Promote rooftop rainwater harvesting, farm ponds, check dams, percolation tanks and other local structures to capture and store rainwater.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Integrated Watershed Development<\/strong>: Adopt watershed-based approaches involving soil-moisture conservation, groundwater recharge, afforestation and treatment of degraded land.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Drought-Resilient Agriculture<\/strong>: Promote drought-resistant and short-duration crop varieties, crop diversification, mixed farming and climate-resilient agricultural practices.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Efficient Irrigation<\/strong>:<\/li>\n<li><strong>Groundwater Management<\/strong>: Implement artificial recharge techniques for depleted aquifers, promote community-based water budgeting, and mandate regulatory controls on deep borewells.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Restoration of Traditional Water Bodies<\/strong>: Restore and maintain tanks, ponds, johads, bawris and other traditional water-harvesting systems to increase local water-storage capacity.<\/li>\n<li><b data-path-to-node=\"13,0,0\" data-index-in-node=\"0\">State Drought Monitoring Cells (DMCs):<\/b> <span class=\"citation-407 citation-end-407\">Establish dedicated DMCs under State Disaster Management Authorities (SDMAs) to track real-time indicators like rainfall deficit, reservoir levels, and soil moisture.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li><strong>Drought Early-Warning Systems<\/strong>: Strengthen monitoring of rainfall, soil moisture, groundwater, reservoir levels and vegetation conditions to provide timely warnings and enable early action. NDMA&#8217;s current SACHET platform demonstrates the broader emphasis on geo-targeted, technology-enabled disaster warnings.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<h2 class=\"blue-h2-box\"><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><strong><a id=\"h7\"><\/a>What measures can be adopted to improve drought resilience in India?<\/strong><\/span><\/h2>\n<ol>\n<li><strong>Strengthen Water Conservation<\/strong>: India needs to strengthen decentralised and community-based water conservation to reduce vulnerability to drought. This includes expanding rainwater harvesting, farm ponds, check dams, percolation tanks and groundwater-recharge structures.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Promote Watershed Development<\/strong>: Watershed development should be strengthened as a long-term drought-resilience strategy, particularly in rain-fed and drought-prone regions. It involves soil and water conservation, rainwater harvesting, groundwater recharge, afforestation and restoration of degraded land within a watershed.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Promote Climate-Resilient Agriculture<\/strong>: Promoting climate-resilient agriculture is essential for reducing farmers\u2019 vulnerability to drought and erratic rainfall. This includes adopting drought-resistant and short-duration crop varieties, crop diversification, millets, mixed and intercropping systems, micro-irrigation and improved soil-moisture conservation.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Restore Traditional Water Systems<\/strong>: Reviving traditional water-harvesting structures such as tanks, ponds, johads, bawris and ahars can strengthen local water security in drought-prone regions. These systems capture rainwater, support groundwater recharge and provide water during dry periods.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Improve Drought Forecasting<\/strong>: India should strengthen high-resolution, location-specific drought forecasting by integrating rainfall forecasts with satellite imagery, soil-moisture data, groundwater levels, reservoir storage and crop-condition indicators. Advanced technologies such as remote sensing, GIS, artificial intelligence and machine learning can help identify emerging drought conditions and flash droughts at the district and block levels.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Strengthen Drought Contingency Planning<\/strong>: Drought contingency plans should be district-specific, regularly updated and action-oriented, rather than prepared only after drought conditions emerge. They should identify vulnerable areas, water sources and high-risk crops in advance and provide clear measures such as alternative crop planning, changes in sowing schedules, livestock protection, drinking-water arrangements, fodder availability and employment support.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Improve Centre\u2013State Coordination<\/strong>: Drought management requires effective coordination among the Central Government, State Governments, district administrations and local bodies. A common framework for drought assessment, real-time sharing of rainfall, groundwater and crop data, and clearly defined responsibilities can reduce delays in declaring drought and providing relief.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<p><strong>Conclusion<\/strong>: Drought management in India needs to move beyond a relief-centric approach towards a long-term resilience-based strategy.<\/p>\n<table style=\"border-collapse: collapse; width: 100%;\">\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"width: 100%;\">UPSC GS-3: Disaster Management; GS-1: Geography<br \/>\nRead More: <a href=\"https:\/\/indianexpress.com\/article\/explained\/explained-sci-tech\/maharashtra-drought-how-is-it-declared-10890981\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Indian Express<\/a><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>In Maharashtra, demands for declaring drought have emerged amid concerns over rainfall deficiency, with El Ni\u00f1o-related weather conditions affecting the State\u2019s agriculture-dependent economy. Widespread water scarcity has further aggravated the situation, putting additional pressure on farming and rural livelihoods. Table of Content What is drought, and what are its major types? What are the major&hellip; <a class=\"more-link\" href=\"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/drought-in-india-causes-consequences-mitigation-measures-explained-pointwise\/\">Continue reading <span class=\"screen-reader-text\">Drought in India &#8211; Causes, Consequences &#038; Mitigation Measures &#8211; Explained Pointwise<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":10391,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[130],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-372521","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-7-pm","entry"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","views":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/372521","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/10391"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=372521"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/372521\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=372521"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=372521"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=372521"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}