Drought Management Overview

Department of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare (DA & FW) is mandated to coordinate relief measures necessitated by drought, hailstorm, pest attack and cold wave/frost. Spatial distribution and quantum of rainfall during South-West Monsoon (June-September) mainly determines the incidence of drought in the country, as South-West Monsoon accounts for more than 70% of annual rainfall. DA & FW monitors progress of South-West Monsoon in the country, in close coordination with India Meteorological Department (IMD) and keeps a watch over deficient/scarcity rainfall conditions.

Mahalanobis National Crop Forecast Centre (MNCFC), an attached office of the Department, also carries out drought assessment for 17 States of the country based on Drought Manual guidelines under National Agricultural Drought Assessment and Monitoring System (NADAMS) project, developed by National Remote Sensing Centre.

The Department also reviews and updates the Crisis Management Plan (CMP) for drought every year. The Plan defines roles and responsibilities of various agencies involved in crisis management during drought.

The State Governments initiate necessary relief measures in the wake of natural calamities from State Disaster Response Fund (SDRF), which is readily available with them. Contribution to SDRF is made by Central and State Governments in the ratio of 3:1 for 18 general category States (Andhra Pradesh, Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Goa, Gujarat, Haryana, Jharkhand, Karnataka, Kerala, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Odisha, Punjab, Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu, Telangana, Uttar Pradesh & West Bengal) and in the ratio of 9:1 for 10 special category States (8 North Eastern States, namely, Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, Tripura & Sikkim; and 2 Hilly States, namely, Himachal Pradesh & Uttarakhand). Government of India provides additional financial assistance from National Disaster Response Fund (NDRF), over and above SDRF, for natural calamities of severe nature as per established procedure and extant norms. Allocation under SDRF is made on the basis of recommendations of the Finance Commission.

Financial Assistance approved to the States from NDRF for natural calamities, (drought, hailstorm, pest attack & cold wave/frost) during the period from 2010-11 to 2021-22 at Annexure Please click below link to download:---

Assistance to the States from National Disaster Response Fund (NDRF) for Natural Calamities (Drought, Hailstorm, Pest Attack & Cold Wave/Frost) Download (209.64 KB) Publish Date: 01-01-2010