Why in news
The Kerala government will seek timely revisions in the norms governing the declaration of drought and Central aid in the light of the heavy losses sustained by the agriculture sector this summer
The parameters set years ago scarcely match present needs.
Climate change and global warming are presenting new challenges and a timely revision is needed
Drought Declaration in India
State Governments have the authority to declare drought-affected regions
The first step involves examining two mandatory indicators: Rainfall deviation & Dry spell
The second step involves evaluating four impact indicators: agriculture, vegetation indices (remote sensing), soil moisture, and hydrology.
States may choose any three of the four impact indicators (one from each) to assess drought intensity and categorize it as severe or moderate.
If all three chosen impact indicators are in the ‘severe’ category, it indicates severe drought.
If two of the three chosen impact indicators are in the ‘moderate’ or ‘severe’ category, it indicates moderate drought.
After the previous triggers are set off, States conduct a sample survey on the ground to determine the final intensity of drought.
Field verification findings determine if the drought is ‘severe’ or ‘moderate’.
Once the intensity of the drought is determined, the state government issues a notification specifying the geographical extent of the drought-affected area.
The notification is valid for six months unless de-notified earlier.
State Government is the final authority when it comes to declaring a region as drought affected.
Government of India has published two important documents in respect of managing a drought.
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