Droughts:
Any lack of water to satisfy the normal needs of agriculture, livestock, industry or human population may be termed as a drought.
Classifications of drought:
The drought could be classified into three major types.
They are:
1. Meteorological drought:
It is a situation where there is a reduction in rainfall for a specific period below ‘ a specific level.
2. Hydrological drought:
It is associated with reduction of water in streams, rivers and reservoirs. It is of two types.
- Surface water
- Ground water drought
3. Agricultural drought:
- It refers to the condition in which the agricultural crops get affected due to lack of rainfall.
- Droughts in India occur in the event of failure monsoon.
The Major areas highly prone to drought are:
- The arid and semi arid region from Ahmadabad to Kanpur on one side and from Kanpur to Jalandhar on the other.
- The dry region lying in the leeward side of the Western Ghats.