Integrated Drought Monitoring using Mandatory and Impact Indicators: A Block Level Study of Bolangir District, Odisha, India

Abstract

Drought is a complex phenomenon characterized by slow manifestation, so it is difficult to predict its onset and termination. Careful monitoring of the symptoms of drought and early warning are the key for effective management of the calamity. As the complexity of drought cannot be captured with the aid of a single indicator, therefore many drought indices categorised as mandatory and impact indicator are used combinedly for monitoring purpose. The present study was carried out to monitor drought in Bolangir district of Odisha for the year 2018 taking each block as unit using mandatory indicators like Rainfall deviation (RFdev), dry spell and impact indicators like Vegetation Condition Index (VCI), Percent Available Soil Moisture (PASM) and Ground Water Drought Index (GWDI). Occurrence of drought in all the fourteen blocks during the period of study clearly indicated that the Bolangir district is a drought prone area district of Odisha. Based on the mandatory indictor matrix (RFdev/SPI and Dryspell) drought was seemed to be triggered in 11 out of 14 blocks of Bolangir. According to Drought Management Manual 2016, based on impact indicator matrix (crop sown area, NDVI, PASM, GWDI) severe drought like situation found in Bangomunda, Belpada, and Muribahal, whereas moderate drought situation is noticed in Agalpur, Titilagarh and Turekela block of Bolangir district. This indicates that real time drought monitoring may be supported by mandatory and impact indicator but field verification of cop conditions is very much essential by concerned government authority before final drought declaration.