India is highly vulnerable to drought, with 68% of its area prone to drought in varying degrees. Drought is classified as meteorological, hydrological, or agricultural based on impacts. India's drought management strategies include employment generation programs, social security programs, monitoring systems, institutional mechanisms, financial arrangements, and community participation. External assistance is accepted voluntarily to support nutrition, health, community capacity and water harvesting. The presentation emphasizes that drought can be prevented, mitigated and hardships reduced through coordinated management efforts across levels of government.

1. Presentation on Drought Mitigation 28-29th August, 2001 -Tehran MANAGEMENT OF DROUGHT IN INDIA By VASU

2. Country Profile Population : 1027.0 Million Rural Population: About 72% Population growth (1991-2001) : 21.34 % Area : 328.7 million hectares Net Area Sown : 142.2 million hectares Net Irrigated Area : 55.10 million hectares States/UTs : 28 States (provinces) and 7 Union Territories

3. Country’s Vulnerability to Drought 33 per cent area receives rainfall less than 750mm -chronically drought prone 35 per cent area receive rainfall between750-1125 mm- drought prone Total 68 % area of the country prone to drought in varying degrees

4. Rainfall distribution India receives its annual rainfall in four spells: Pre-Monsoon(March-May)----10.4 % SouthWest Monsoon(Jun-Sept)--73.3% NorthEast Monsoon(Oct-Dec)- 13.3% Winter Rains (January-Feb.)-- 3.0 %

5. Definition of Drought Many definitions of drought available “actual moisture supply at a given place consistently falls short of the climatically expected moisture supply” “ a period of dry weather of sufficient length and severity to cause at least partial crop failure “

6. Definition of Drought Common accepted definition is: “ a temporary reduction in water or moisture availability significantly below the normal or expected level for a specified period “ “ a creeping situation of scarcity without recharging of resources “

7. Drought Classification Meteorological--significant decrease from normal precipitation over an area Hydrological drought: marked depletion of surface water and fall in water tables Agricultural Drought:soil moisture and rainfall inadequate to support crops

10. Drought Management-India Employment Generation Programmes Food For Work Programme (FFWP) Employment Assurance Scheme (EAS) (Rs. 16.0 billion) Jawahar Gram Samridhi Yojana (JGSY) (Rs. 16.5 billion) * Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana (PMGSY) (Rs. 25.0 billion) Swaranjayanti Gram Swarozgar Yojana (SGSY) (Rs. 5.0 billion) *

11. Drought Management- India Social Security Programme Antyodaya Anna Yojana (AAY) National Old Age Programme (NOAP) Annapurna Scheme (Rs. 3.0 billion) Integrated Child Development Scheme (ICDS) Mid Day Meal - School children

12. Drought Management-Good Practices In place contingency action plan Monitoring of Rainfall and likely drought scenario from the beginning by Natural Disaster Management Division Timely declaration of drought and initiation of drought relief measures Effective coordination between Centre and States-Central Teams

13. Drought Management-Good Practices Monitoring by Group of Ministers and the Prime Minister at political level Constant Monitoring by Group of Secretaries under Cabinet Secretary National Crop Forecasting Centre (NCFC) and Crop Weather Watch Group Warning and forecasting by India Met Department (IMD)

14. Drought Management-Good Practices 1978 exploratory bore wells handed over by CGWB for augmenting water supply Free transportation of drinking water by Railways-19009 wagons and Fodder -386 wagons Guidelines relaxed under Accelerated Rural Water Supply Programme (ARWSP) At least one source of drinking water earmarked in each habitat

15. Drought Management-Good Practices 2.2 million MT Foodgrains free of cost for Food for Work Programme 440 million additional man-days generated for drought mitigation Advance release of funds under drought mitigation related schemes Expansion of social security schemes

16. Drought Management-Good Practices Special care of vulnerable sections like children, pregnant and lactating mothers, old and infirm Opening of cattle camps and subsidised fodder Association of NGOs and UN Agencies Use of Information Technology- web sites e-mail for communication

17. Management system Institutional mechanism Natural Disaster’s management responsibility of State Governments Union Government supplements the efforts of the State Governments by providing financial and logistic support Set up at the National Level Department of Agriculture & Cooperation (DAC) - Nodal Department

18. Management system Institutional mechanism National Crisis Management Committee (NCMC) under Cabinet Secretary Crisis Management Group under Central Relief Commissioner (CRC) in the DAC Krishi Control Room- to monitor the situation regularly Constitution of Ministerial-level Body for expeditious decision making

19. Financial arrangements Ready availability of funds with the State Governments in the form of Calamity Relief Fund(CRF) State wise allocation in CRF based on the recommendations of the Finance Commissions-Rs. 21 .0 billion for 2001-02 CRF sharing between Central and State Government in the ratio of 3:1

20. Financial arrangements Additional assistance provided in the wake of disaster of severe nature from National Calamity Contingency Fund (NCCF)-released Rs. 20.0 billion Funds are also available from many on-going Plan Schemes of the Central and State Governments

21. Community Participation Community participation is key to effectiveness of Governments efforts Gram Sabha/Panchayat recommend relief work Districts & Block level committees involved in sanctioning and monitoring of relief works NGOs play a significant role training and motivation

22. External Assistance-Policy No formal appeal is issued on behalf of the Government, directly or through any other agency, for assistance Relief offered on voluntary basis accepted and acknowledged as a sign of international solidarity Areas of assistance are Nutrition, Health, Community capacity, Water harvesting etc.

23. Drought a Management Issue Country experience is that- Drought can be prevented Drought can be mitigated Hardships can be minimised Sufferings can be reduced If we at all levels work together Drought is not a Disaster but a Management Issue

24. THANKS