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NEWS ALERTS | 2015 is likely to be a drought year
2015 is likely to be a drought year

2015 is likely to be a drought year

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published Published on Sep 17, 2015   modified Modified on Sep 26, 2015

Spectre of drought haunts the nation! More than 40 percent of districts are affected by drought this year. Drought is expected to affect the prospect of crop production and livelihood of agriculturalists.

According to an estimate made by the India Meteorological Department (IMD), 283 districts out of total 640 districts are affected by drought. In such districts, rainfall deficiency this year has been in the range of -20 percent to -90 percent. (Please click here to get an idea of the district-wise drought situation).  

Although 2015 has not yet been declared a drought year, 54 districts in Uttar Pradesh, 26 districts in Maharashtra, 18 districts each in Bihar and Haryana and 17 districts in Gujarat are affected by drought, among others.

According to a report published in Down to Earth, the frequency of drought has intensified in states like Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala, Maharashtra, among a few other states. The failure of south-west monsoon has caused drought in roughly 100 districts during the last 9 out of 15 years. (Please click here for more information).

Experts have been left clueless about the frequent occurrence of drought. For example, although the drought management division under the Ministry of Agriculture says that Assam will get a drought-like situation once in every 15 years, recent trend shows that the state witnessed three droughts (including this year) during the last nine years.   

Though drought occurrence for Bihar and Uttar Pradesh is once in every five years, the former has faced three drought-like situations in the last five years and Uttar Pradesh has seen two.

It is worth noting that in the years 2000 and 2001, 168 and 115 districts were affected by drought respectively, followed by a severe drought in 2002 that impacted 383 districts. The following two years also saw deficient rainfall. In the years 2003 and 2004, the number of districts affected by drought was 118 and 223 respectively. (Please click here to know more).

As per the IMD press release dated 10 September, during the time span 1 June 2015 - 9 September 2015, the country as a whole received rainfall 15 percent below the Long Period Average (LPA). During the same period, rainfall was deficient/ scanty in 294 districts, which as a result, underwent drought like situation.   

It is worth noting that the IMD predicted in June 2015 that monsoon season rainfall for the country as a whole was likely to be 88 percent of the LPA during June to September.  

As per the Ministry of Agriculture's first advance estimate of crop production in 2015-16, kharif foodgrain production is likely to be 124.05 million tonnes, which is 2.26 million tonnes less than the kharif foodgrain production of 126.31 million tonnes in 2014-15.
 
Seeing the adverse situation, the Government has approved an additional 50 days of unskilled manual work in the financial year over and above the 100 days assured to job card holders under the MGNREGA, in rural areas affected by drought or natural calamities.

References

About 100 districts have suffered drought conditions for 15 years –Jitendra, Down to Earth, 3 September, 2015, please click here to access
 
44% of India's districts face rain deficit –Jitendra, Down to Earth, 3 September, 2015, please click here to access

Deepening agrarian crisis endangers food security, please click here to access
 
Ex-post facto approval to additional employment of 50 days over and above 100 days per household under Mahatama Gandhi National Rural Employment Act (MGNREGA) in areas hit by drought or natural calamities, Press Information Bureau, Ministry of Rural Development, 16 September, 2015, please click here to access 
 
Image Courtesy: Himanshu Joshi


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