ABSTRACT

This chapter describes some of the worst droughts in India and their impact on agriculture. It presents the policy decisions of the government which may have played an important role in eliminating famines. The India Meteorology Department uses two measures—the first describes rainfall conditions while the second represents drought severity. The spatial characteristics, intensity, and frequency of a drought in a given meteorological subdivision are important from the point of view of the agriculture and economy of the country. Drought affects the recharge of ground water, reducing irrigation potential and even the availability of drinking water in wells. The Drought Code outlines for each agroecological region a list of anticipatory measures and alternative cropping strategies that should be adopted when there is evidence of drought. The experience of the 1979 drought can be considered a major step in drought management for India. Being a large country, India has the advantage of never having experienced drought over the entire country.