Drought report: On southwest monsoon, drought in Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh

The Centre must help States once inter-ministerial (अंतर-मंत्रालयी) team gives finding (निष्कर्ष)

A substantial (पर्याप्त, महत्वपूर्ण) drought (सूखा) seems (प्रतीत होना, लगना) to be inflicting (cause something unpleasant or painful to be suffered by someone or something; impose, force, thrust) Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh after the crucial southwest monsoon (दक्षिण-पश्चिम मानसून) concluded with a significant deficiency (कमी, अभाव) in the most-affected regions. The national drought framework (a national-level system of policies, guidelines, and procedures for monitoring, assessing, declaring, managing, and mitigating drought conditions. In India, the official guiding document is the Manual for Drought Management, 2016, issued by the Government of India’s Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare) combines agricultural and hydrological indicators (संकेतक, सूचक) and ground-truthing (the process of gathering objective, real-world data at the specific location to verify remote sensing or theoretical models; field verification, physical verification, direct observation, on-site validation) studies, including before a distressed (संकटग्रस्त) State can access additional support from the NDRF. In June-September, Karnataka reportedly (कथित तौर पर) suffered (झेलना, कष्ट सहना) a close to 35% rainfall deficit (कमी, घाटा). The government has since declared 217 of 240 taluks to be drought-hit (सूखा प्रभावित) with extensive (व्यापक) damage to red gram, maize, cotton, and sugarcane cultivation (the process of growing crops on agricultural land, including preparing the soil, sowing seeds, and raising crops for harvest; farming, crop-growing, agriculture, tillage). Andhra Pradesh experienced a shortfall (a deficit of something required or expected; inadequacy, undersupply, paucity, scarcity) of 53% in June-August and 388 of 688 mandals (an administrative and revenue division in certain Indian states, functioning below the district level; block, taluka, tehsil, sub-district) have been declared drought-hit. Horticulture crops (फसल, कृषि उपज) over nearly (almost, practically, roughly, approximately) 18,000 hectares are now at risk (exposed to danger, harm, or loss; in danger, endangered, vulnerable, threatened). Karnataka has also petitioned (make or present a formal request to an authority; appeal, request, ask, urge) the Centre for ₹11,000 crore from the NDRF along with higher input subsidies (a sum of money granted by the state or a public body to help an industry or business keep the price of a commodity or service low; financial grant, financial support, assistance, subvention). Andhra Pradesh has set aside (save or keep something, typically money or time, for a particular purpose; allocate, earmark, reserve, dedicate) ₹190 crore to protect horticultural (relating to the art or practice of garden cultivation and management; gardening, floricultural) crops and has directed drinking water conservation (the careful utilization and preservation of a resource to prevent depletion; preservation, protection, saving, safeguarding). The summer monsoon had its poorest showing since 2015 this year. There have been warnings (caution, alert, notice, forewarning) of the effects of the strengthening (becoming stronger or more intense; intensifying, growing, escalating, increasing) El Niño (a climate pattern characterized by the unusual warming of surface waters in the eastern tropical Pacific Ocean, which can have significant impacts on global weather patterns including reducing monsoon rainfall in India), although (in spite of the fact that; even though, though, despite the fact that, notwithstanding that) an attribution study (a scientific investigation conducted to determine the extent to which a particular factor, such as climate change or El Niño, contributed to a specific event or its severity; causal analysis, cause-assessment study, climate attribution study) elucidating (make something clear; explain, clarify, illuminate, expound) the strength of causal relationships in the present instance is pending.

In a previous era (period, epoch, age, time), drought declarations were beset ((of a problem or difficulty) trouble or threaten persistently; plague, afflict, torment, trouble) by subjective (based on or influenced by personal feelings, tastes, or opinions rather than facts; biased, personal, prejudiced, opinionated) claims (assertion, declaration, allegation, contention), sometimes exaggerated to maximise (make as large or great as possible; increase, boost, optimize, expand) state support (financial or other forms of assistance provided by the government; government aid, public assistance, state aid, public funding). Since 2009, however (nevertheless, nonetheless, yet, though), the Manual for Drought Management (an official document issued by the Government of India’s Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare, providing scientific indicators, guidelines, and administrative procedures for monitoring drought, assessing its severity, declaring drought conditions, and coordinating relief, response, and mitigation measures, while outlining the roles and responsibilities of Central and State Governments) and updates to it and Finance Commission (a constitutional body constituted by the President of India under Article 280 of the Constitution to recommend the distribution of the net proceeds of divisible taxes between the Union and the States, the allocation of the States’ respective shares, the principles governing grants-in-aid to States, and measures to augment the resources of Panchayats and Municipalities) decisions have tightened (make stricter, toughen, strengthen, restrict) the process. While States still have some incentives to expand their declarations, the Centre has also resisted releasing NDRF assistance before, including with Karnataka in 2024, while also increasing their own relief obligations. The Centre must desist from frustrating States and release support as soon as the findings of the Inter-Ministerial Central Team have been publicly verified. In addition to mitigating indebtedness among farmers and expanding access to relief (financial or practical assistance; aid, help, assistance, support) beyond land ownership, the States also need more discipline vis-à-vis storing water and rationalising consumption. Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka have offered incentives (motivation, stimulus, encouragement, impetus) and advisories, including to adopt micro-irrigation and to cultivate less water-intensive crops, but have not imposed binding limits. The Centre may also consider incentives to resist (withstand the action or effect of; oppose, fight against, defy, withstand) drought, even in the face of a deficient monsoon, because the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change has been warning of expanding drought-like conditions in South Asia, and broadening agricultural insurance. It must certainly not use the prospect of the more protracted, more imprudent river-interlinking project as an excuse to overlook pro-resilience aims such as sustainably using groundwater and choosing crops based on local rainfall and aquifers and availability of income support.

Courtesy: The Hindu

Important Word List With Meaning

1.drought (noun)

Hindi Meaning - सूखा
English Meaning - a prolonged period of abnormally low rainfall, leading to a shortage of water; dry spell, dry period, lack of rain, aridity.

2.inter-ministerial (adjective)

Hindi Meaning - अंतर-मंत्रालयी
English Meaning - involving or taking place between two or more government ministries; inter-departmental, cross-ministry, multi-ministerial, inter-agency.

3.finding (noun)

Hindi Meaning - निष्कर्ष
English Meaning - a conclusion reached after examination or investigation; conclusion, result, discovery, outcome.

4.substantial (adjective)

Hindi Meaning - पर्याप्त, महत्वपूर्ण
English Meaning - significant, considerable, major, sizable.

5.seem (verb)

Hindi Meaning - प्रतीत होना, लगना
English Meaning - give the impression of being something or having a particular quality; appear, look, sound.

6.Southwest Monsoon (SWM) (noun)

Hindi Meaning - दक्षिण-पश्चिम मानसून
English Meaning - the seasonal southwesterly wind system that brings India’s principal rainy season from June to September, accounting for approximately 75–80% of the country’s annual rainfall. Its rainfall distribution varies across regions and over time due to geographical and atmospheric factors. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) specifies a Long Period Average (LPA) of 87 cm for the June–September season, based on rainfall data for 1971–2020.

7.deficiency (noun)

Hindi Meaning - कमी, अभाव
English Meaning - a lack or shortage of something; shortage, lack, deficit, insufficiency.

8.indicator (noun)

Hindi Meaning - संकेतक, सूचक
English Meaning - measure, sign, signal, index.

9.distressed (adjective)

Hindi Meaning - संकटग्रस्त
English Meaning - severely affected by drought or other adverse conditions and in need of urgent relief, financial assistance, or government support; drought-affected, stricken, severely affected, in need of assistance.

10.reportedly (adverb)

Hindi Meaning - कथित तौर पर
English Meaning - apparently, supposedly, allegedly, reputedly.

11.suffer (verb)

Hindi Meaning - झेलना, कष्ट सहना
English Meaning - experience or be subjected to something bad or unpleasant; undergo, experience, endure, face.

12.deficit (noun)

Hindi Meaning - कमी, घाटा
English Meaning - shortfall, shortage, deficiency, lack.

13.drought-hit (adjective)

Hindi Meaning - सूखा प्रभावित
English Meaning - severely affected by a prolonged period of abnormally low rainfall; drought-stricken, parched, dry, arid.

14.extensive (adjective)

Hindi Meaning - व्यापक
English Meaning - widespread, broad, comprehensive, large-scale.

15.crop (noun)

Hindi Meaning - फसल, कृषि उपज
English Meaning - a plant or plant product that is grown and harvested extensively for profit or subsistence; agricultural produce, harvest, yield, plant.

16.cultivation (noun)

English Meaning - the process of growing crops on agricultural land, including preparing the soil, sowing seeds, and raising crops for harvest; farming, crop-growing, agriculture, tillage.

17.National drought framework (noun)

English Meaning - a national-level system of policies, guidelines, and procedures for monitoring, assessing, declaring, managing, and mitigating drought conditions. In India, the official guiding document is the Manual for Drought Management, 2016, issued by the Government of India’s Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare.

18.National Disaster Response Fund (NDRF) (noun)

English Meaning - a fund constituted under Section 46 of the Disaster Management Act, 2005, to provide additional Central financial assistance for disaster management, particularly when a disaster of severe nature requires resources beyond those available in a State’s State Disaster Response Fund (SDRF).

19.inflict (verb)

English Meaning - cause something unpleasant or painful to be suffered by someone or something; impose, force, thrust.

20.Northeast Monsoon (NEM) (noun)

English Meaning - the seasonal monsoon system that affects parts of southern peninsular India from October to December, characterised by northeasterly winds that develop following the withdrawal of the southwest monsoon. These winds acquire moisture over the Bay of Bengal and bring rainfall to Tamil Nadu, Puducherry and Karaikal, coastal Andhra Pradesh, Rayalaseema, Kerala, and South Interior Karnataka. It is the principal rainy season for Tamil Nadu, accounting for approximately 48% of the State’s annual rainfall, and contributes roughly 11% of India’s total annual rainfall.

21.ground-truthing (noun)

English Meaning - the process of gathering objective, real-world data at the specific location to verify remote sensing or theoretical models; field verification, physical verification, direct observation, on-site validation.

22.shortfall (noun)

English Meaning - a deficit of something required or expected; inadequacy, undersupply, paucity, scarcity.

23.mandal (noun)

English Meaning - an administrative and revenue division in certain Indian states, functioning below the district level; block, taluka, tehsil, sub-district.

24.nearly (adverb)

English Meaning - almost, practically, roughly, approximately.

25.at risk (phrase)

English Meaning - exposed to danger, harm, or loss; in danger, endangered, vulnerable, threatened.

26.petition (verb)

English Meaning - make or present a formal request to an authority; appeal, request, ask, urge.

27.subsidy (noun)

English Meaning - a sum of money granted by the state or a public body to help an industry or business keep the price of a commodity or service low; financial grant, financial support, assistance, subvention.

28.set aside (phrasal verb)

English Meaning - save or keep something, typically money or time, for a particular purpose; allocate, earmark, reserve, dedicate.

29.horticultural (adjective)

English Meaning - relating to the art or practice of garden cultivation and management; gardening, floricultural.

30.conservation (noun)

English Meaning - the careful utilization and preservation of a resource to prevent depletion; preservation, protection, saving, safeguarding.

31.warning (noun)

English Meaning - caution, alert, notice, forewarning.

32.strengthening (adjective)

English Meaning - becoming stronger or more intense; intensifying, growing, escalating, increasing.

33.El Niño (noun)

English Meaning - a climate pattern characterized by the unusual warming of surface waters in the eastern tropical Pacific Ocean, which can have significant impacts on global weather patterns including reducing monsoon rainfall in India.

34.La Niña (noun)

English Meaning - a climate pattern characterized by the unusual cooling of surface ocean waters in the eastern tropical Pacific Ocean, typically associated with stronger and above-normal monsoon rainfall in India.

35.although (conjunction)

English Meaning - in spite of the fact that; even though, though, despite the fact that, notwithstanding that.

36.attribution study (noun)

English Meaning - a scientific investigation conducted to determine the extent to which a particular factor, such as climate change or El Niño, contributed to a specific event or its severity; causal analysis, cause-assessment study, climate attribution study.

37.elucidate (verb)

English Meaning - make something clear; explain, clarify, illuminate, expound.

38.era (noun)

English Meaning - period, epoch, age, time.

39.beset (verb)

English Meaning - (of a problem or difficulty) trouble or threaten persistently; plague, afflict, torment, trouble.

40.subjective (adjective)

English Meaning - based on or influenced by personal feelings, tastes, or opinions rather than facts; biased, personal, prejudiced, opinionated.

41.claim (noun)

English Meaning - assertion, declaration, allegation, contention.

42.maximise (verb)

English Meaning - make as large or great as possible; increase, boost, optimize, expand.

43.state support (noun)

English Meaning - financial or other forms of assistance provided by the government; government aid, public assistance, state aid, public funding.

44.however (adverb)

English Meaning - nevertheless, nonetheless, yet, though.

45.Manual for Drought Management (noun)

English Meaning - an official document issued by the Government of India’s Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare, providing scientific indicators, guidelines, and administrative procedures for monitoring drought, assessing its severity, declaring drought conditions, and coordinating relief, response, and mitigation measures, while outlining the roles and responsibilities of Central and State Governments.

46.Finance Commission (noun)

English Meaning - a constitutional body constituted by the President of India under Article 280 of the Constitution to recommend the distribution of the net proceeds of divisible taxes between the Union and the States, the allocation of the States’ respective shares, the principles governing grants-in-aid to States, and measures to augment the resources of Panchayats and Municipalities.

47.tighten (verb)

English Meaning - make stricter, toughen, strengthen, restrict.

48.incentive (noun)

English Meaning - motivation, stimulus, encouragement, impetus.

49.resist (verb)

English Meaning - withstand the action or effect of; oppose, fight against, defy, withstand.

50.relief (noun)

English Meaning - financial or practical assistance; aid, help, assistance, support.