Drought-prone areas in India are regions that experience insufficient rainfall and frequent crop failures, leading to socio-economic problems such as malnutrition, migration, and land degradation. To address the issues faced by these vulnerable areas, the Indian government launched the Drought Prone Area Development Program (DPAP) in 1973-74. This article explores the characteristics of drought-prone areas, the objectives and strategies of the DPAP, its outcomes, and the challenges in implementation.
What are Drought-Prone Areas?
A drought-prone area is defined as a region where the probability of experiencing a drought year is greater than 20%. In some cases, this probability exceeds 40%, especially in chronic drought-prone areas. These regions suffer from less than 75% of normal annual rainfall and less than 60% of normal monthly rainfall, making them highly vulnerable to drought conditions.
Key Characteristics of Drought-Prone Areas
- Water scarcity: Over-exploitation of groundwater and insufficient rainfall lead to acute water shortages.
- Depletion of vegetation: Overgrazing and deforestation cause a reduction in vegetation, leading to soil erosion.
- Desertification: Continuous exposure to drought conditions accelerates desertification, worsening land degradation.
- Low agricultural productivity: Crop failures are common, leading to hunger, malnutrition, and economic loss.
- Forced migration: Drought-induced hardships force many families to migrate in search of better livelihoods.
Drought-Prone Areas in India
India has a vast area prone to drought, with nearly one-sixth of the country’s geographical area and 12% of its population living in drought-affected regions. These regions are primarily located in the arid, semi-arid, and sub-humid zones of the country. The drought-affected areas can be divided into two major tracts:
- First tract:
- Covers the desert and semi-arid regions, spanning an area of 0.6 million sq km.
- The area extends from Ahmedabad to Kanpur on one side and from Kanpur to Jullundur on the other.
- Rainfall is less than 750 mm annually, with some places receiving even less than 400 mm.
- Second tract:
- Known as the rain shadow area of the Western Ghats, this tract lies in the dry region on the lee side of the Western Ghats.
- The region receives less than 750 mm of erratic rainfall.
Outside these two main regions, there are isolated pockets that experience frequent droughts, including:
- Saurashtra and Kachchh in Gujarat
- Coimbatore and Nellai Kottabomman districts in Tamil Nadu
- Jhansi and Lalitpur in Uttar Pradesh
- Kalahandi in Odisha
- Purulia in West Bengal (see images).
Drought Prone Area Development Program (DPAP)
The Drought Prone Area Development Program (DPAP) is one of the earliest area development programs launched by the Indian government in 1973-74. It was created to tackle the special challenges faced by regions that are continuously affected by severe drought conditions. These areas typically have large populations of both humans and livestock, placing immense pressure on already fragile natural resources.
Objectives of the DPAP
- Minimize the adverse effects of drought: The program aims to reduce the impact of drought on crop and livestock production and improve the productivity of land, water, and human resources.
- Ecological restoration: Focuses on sustainable management of natural resources to prevent desertification and improve ecological balance.
- Overall socio-economic development: Enhance the living standards of the rural population by promoting income-generating activities and improving agricultural practices.
Key Strategies for Achieving Objectives
- Dryland farming: Promoting farming techniques that are resilient to low rainfall, such as crop rotation and drought-resistant crops.
- Water resource management: Using traditional methods like check dams and rainwater harvesting to conserve and store water.
- Soil conservation: Practices like stubble mulching help reduce soil erosion and maintain soil fertility.
- Afforestation: Programs such as social forestry and agroforestry aim to restore vegetation cover and protect against soil degradation.
- Livestock and pasture development: Initiatives to improve fodder availability, encourage dairy farming, and develop pastures for livestock.
Implementation and Coverage
- The DPAP covers 972 blocks across 182 districts in 16 states.
- Initially, the funding for DPAP was shared equally between the Center and State (50:50), but since March 1999, the funding ratio changed to 75:25 in favor of the Center.
- The program has evolved over time, incorporating a watershed approach for land development, water resource management, and afforestation.
Outcomes of the DPAP
The DPAP has shown positive impacts in terms of creating durable public assets like water harvesting structures and soil conservation works. However, its overall success in mitigating the adverse effects of drought has been limited. Some of the reasons for this are:
- Sectoral and spatial dispersion of activities, which hampers holistic development.
- Inadequate funding allocation and poor utilization of available resources.
- Lukewarm public participation, which limits the effectiveness of the program.
In 1993, a high-level technical committee under Prof. Hanumantha Rao reviewed the program and recommended the adoption of a watershed development approach. This approach focuses on the active participation of local people, which is critical for sustainable development.
Major Components of the DPAP
The DPAP addresses the problems of drought-prone areas through a variety of integrated strategies, including:
- Soil and water conservation: Practices like contour bunding, furrow bunding, and mulching.
- Water resource development: Building water harvesting structures, check dams, and irrigation canals.
- Afforestation and pasture development: Increasing vegetation cover to improve soil quality and provide fodder for livestock.
- Technological innovations: Introducing new farming techniques such as simultaneous cropping and agroforestry to increase productivity.
- Livestock and dairy farming: Encouraging sheep husbandry and dairy farming to diversify income sources for rural populations.
- Restructuring of cropping patterns: Introducing drought-resistant crops and adjusting cropping schedules based on water availability.
Problems Faced by the DPAP
Despite the positive aspects of the DPAP, several challenges continue to affect its implementation:
- Sectoral and spatial dispersion: Projects under the DPAP are often fragmented, leading to uneven development.
- Inadequate funding: The allocation of funds has been insufficient to meet the program’s goals.
- Low public participation: The lack of active involvement from local communities is a major hurdle in the program’s success.
- Lopsided implementation: Some areas receive more attention and resources than others, leading to unequal development outcomes.
Way Forward: Integrated Watershed Development
In 2000, the Drought Prone Area Development, Desert Area Development, and Integrated Watershed Development Programs were merged into a unified initiative called the Integrated Watershed Management Program (IWMP). The IWMP seeks to address the issues of drought and desertification holistically by rejuvenating the natural resource base of drought-prone areas. The program’s key objectives include:
- Minimizing the adverse effects of drought through resource conservation.
- Ecological balance: Achieving long-term sustainability through better land and water management.
- Economic development: Promoting diverse agro-based activities to improve livelihoods.
Conclusion
The Drought Prone Area Development Program (DPAP) plays a vital role in mitigating the adverse effects of drought in India’s most vulnerable regions. While it has had some success in improving water conservation, soil quality, and public assets, there is much work to be done in terms of funding, community participation, and integrated planning. The watershed development approach, with local involvement, holds promise for the sustainable development of these regions. Moving forward, the IWMP and similar programs will need to focus on holistic, community-driven solutions to ensure lasting impact.
- Discuss the objectives and challenges of the Drought Prone Area Development Program (DPAP) in addressing drought-related issues in India. (250 words)
- Analyze the role of watershed development in drought-prone areas and its impact on sustainable land and water management. (250 words)
- Evaluate the effectiveness of public participation in the implementation of drought development programs like DPAP and IWMP. (250 words)
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