1. Drought is an extended period of months or years when
a region notes a deficiency in its water supply whether
surface or underground water. Generally, this occurs
when a region receives consistently below average
precipitation. It can have a substantial impact on the
ecosystem and agriculture of the affected region.
Although droughts can persist for several years, even a
short, intense drought can cause significant damage
and harm the local economy.
Many plant species, such as cacti, have adaptations
such as reduced leaf area and waxy cuticles to
enhance their ability to tolerate drought. Some others
survive dry periods as buried seeds. Semi-permanent
drought produces arid biomes such as deserts and
grasslands. Most arid ecosystems have inherently low
productivity.
2. (i) Meteorological drought: This happens when
the actual rainfall in an area is significantly less
than the climatological
mean of that area. The
country as a whole may have a normal monsoon,
but different meteorological districts and sub-divisions
can have below normal rainfall. The
rainfall categories for smaller areas are defined
by their deviation from a meteorological area's
normal rainfall -
Excess: 20 per cent or more above normal
Normal: 19 per cent above normal - 19 per cent
below normal
Deficient: 20 per cent below normal - 59 per cent
below normal
Scanty: 60 per cent or more below normal
(ii) Hydrological drought: A marked depletion of
surface water causing very low stream flow and
drying of lakes, rivers and reservoirs
(iii) Agricultural drought: Inadequate soil moisture
resulting in acute crop stress and fall in
agricultural productivity
3. DROUGHTS IN INDIA
Drought in India has resulted in tens of millions of deaths over the course of
the 18th, 19th, and 20th centuries. Indian agriculture is heavily dependent
on the climate of India: a favorable southwest summer monsoon is critical in
securing water for irrigating Indian crops. In some parts of India, the failure
of the monsoons result in water shortages, resulting in below-average crop
yields. This is particularly true of major drought-prone regions such as
southern and eastern Maharashtra, Karnataka, Haryana , Gujarat, and
Rajasthan.
In the past, droughts have periodically led to major Indian famines,
including the Bengal famine of 1770, in which up to one third of the
population in affected areas died; the 1876–1877 famine, in which over five
million people died; and the 1899 famine, in which over 4.5 million died.
4.
5. KARNATAKA
I. KARNATAKA 139 152163.33 42 57645.54
34. Bangalore 11 7949.50 - -
35. Belgaum 10 13460.80 1 1996.00
36. Bellary 8 9548.50 3 3994.30
37. Bijapur 11 17092.83 7 12477.44
38. Chikmangalur 7 7222.00 1 804.80
39. Chitradurga 9 10754.50 5 7477.50
40. Dharwar 17 13480.10 3 2772.32
41. Gulbarga 10 16167.80 5 8131.00
42. Hasan 8 6833.30 1 1277.80
43. Kolar 11 8215.20 4 3444.70
44. Mandya 7 4961.00 1 1034.28
45. Mysore 11 11947.00 1 1235.90
46. Raichur 9 13972.40 4 6347.60
47. Tumkur 10 10557.70 6 6651.90
S.
No.
State / District No. ofTalukas Area of the District
( km2)
As per CWC 's Study
No. of Talukasaffected by
drought
Area
affect
ed by
droug
ht (
km2)
14. Area Affected in India by Drought
1600000
1400000
1200000
1000000
800000
600000
400000
200000
0
1979 1982 1983 1987 2013
Area Affected in (Km sq.)
15. People affected in India by Drought
300000000
250000000
200000000
150000000
100000000
50000000
0
1979 1982 1983 1987 2013
People affected