Carving Drought Impact Over Purulia District, West Bengal, India

Abstract

Purulia was the westernmost district of West Bengal (from 1956) and is drought-prone due to deficient rainfall, its undulating topography with rugged hilly terrains and its positioning near the Tropic of Cancer, the spatial evaluation of vulnerable and risk-prone places. The various impacts of drought, such as meteorological, hydrological, and agricultural, are assessed by considering the meteorological parameters, vulnerability, and risk levels. The fundamental factors impacting susceptibility and risk are recognised, and the drought years are analysed. The methodologies applied GIS technology, EREDAS, and secondary data were collected to analyse the type of drought. The intensities and types of droughts: a spatial analysis and relative vulnerability assessment of the Kashipur/ Purulia block by Remote Sensing and GIS. Analysis of pre- and post-monsoon meteorological and Agricultural drought. Agriculture is a climate-sensitive activity. The mechanism is to know the farmers, what crops to grow, when suitable, the climatic parameters, temperature, rainfall concentration, and seasonal hazards. A well-planned agriculture practice has been proposed, and an adequately calculated water budget, catchment treatment plan, and implementation of a perfect crop plan, seeds, manures, and pesticides are the weapons of the drought-hit Purulia/Kashipur farmers.