.jpg)
MOST POPULAR
- Man-made reasons for Uttarakhand disaster
- Pedestrian questions 9
- Rains over past three days extreme weather event: scientists 1
- Dhari Devi idol goes missing
- Gujarat pollution board gets a makeover in efficiency 33
- Transition failure 1
- The unseen invader
- Mirage of a river 5
- Monsoon arrives early; kills over 30 people in Uttarakhand
- Out of turn
- Environment ministry wants to restore night traffic through Bandipur tiger reserve 52
- A green facade 45
- Diesel: when bad policy makes for toxic hell 38
- Gujarat pollution board gets a makeover in efficiency 33
- What’s good insulation? 30
- How vulnerable are India's nuclear power plants to disaster 28
- Grand distraction called river interlinking 28
- Eat at your own risk 27
- Green energy takes toll on green cover 26
- Temporary solution, permanent jam 25
FOLLOW US ON
Factsheet
"All-India drought"
0 Comments
Jan 15, 2003 | From the print edition
-- • Since 1987, India has had 14 'consecutive' 'good' monsoons
• If the 'seasonal rainfall' (June-September) of the entire country is 'within 10 per cent' of the 'long term average', it is called 'normal' rainfall
• This year, 'seasonal rainfall' for the entire country was '19 per cent' 'below' the 'long term average'
| Earlier years of all-India drought |
| 1987, 1979, 1972 |
• The country as a whole may 'get' a 'normal monsoon' , but different 'meteorological districts' and 'sub-divisions' can 'get' 'rainfall' 'below normal' . The 'rainfall categories' for smaller areas are defined as: 'deviation from a meteorological area's normal rainfall'
Excess +20% of normal Normal +19% of normal Deficient -20% to -59% of normal Scanty -60% of normal
• There are 3 'types' of droughts
(i) Meteorological drought: 'Actual rainfall' in an area significantly less than 'climatological mean' of that area
(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'
| Deficient rainfall in smaller areas result in pockets of drought around the country |
|
| Rainfall (deviation from ‘normal’) |
‘Type’ of drought |
| –26% to –50% | ‘Moderate’ drought |
| More than –50% | ‘Severe’ drought |
• This year, 19 per cent of India's land area experienced 'moderate drought' ; 10 per cent suffered 'severe drought'
• Rainfall in July (most important for agriculture) was 49 per cent 'deficient'. The last time this figure fell below 45 per cent was in 1911
• When there is more than 10 per cent rainfall deficiency, and more than 20 per cent of the area is under drought, the situation is called "all-India drought"
• In 2002, rainfall deficiency was 19 per cent, and 29 per cent of India was under drought
| Meterological sub-division | Rainfall (per cent below normal) |
| SEVERE DROUGHT West Rajasthan East Rajasthan |
–71 –60 |
| MODERATE DROUGHT Haryana Chandigarh Delhi Punjab Coastal Andhra Pradesh Rayalseema North Interior Karnataka South Interior Karnataka Coastal Karnataka Tamil Nadu Kerala Lakshadweep |
–36 –36 –36 –36 –26 –33 –31 –44 –30 –45 –35 –45 |
