Assessment of meteorological drought characteristics over Central India

Abstract

Employing the monthly precipitation data for the period of 113 years (1901–2013), the present study analyses the meteorological drought characteristics in 105 districts of Central India covering the states of Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Chhattisgarh and the southern part of Uttar Pradesh. The various drought characteristics are frequency, severity (i.e., magnitude of deficit) and persistence (i.e., the occurrence of an event for two or more consecutive years). The region has semiarid to subhumid climate with average annual rainfall ranging between 600 and 1500 mm. The percentage departures of annual and seasonal rainfall from the corresponding mean have been applied for identification of onset and termination, and quantification of severity of drought events. The analysis indicated that the average drought frequency varies from once in 5 years to once in 9 years in major part of the Central India. Korba and Raigarh in Chhattisgarh and Bhandara in Maharashtra are the three districts where the rainfall records indicate that the average frequency of drought had been once in 10 years. The region had also faced severe drought events with the maximum rainfall deficiency of 75% occurred in Dewas district of Madhya Pradesh in 1904. The estimates show that average frequency of severe droughts in the region is to be more than 10 years accept Sheopur and Mandsaur districts experienced the severe drought once in 10 years. The extreme events in this region are almost none. There have been numerous persistent drought events for two, three, and four consecutive years. It is hoped that the information reported in this study can help for effective drought risk management in Central India. © 2017, Springer International Publishing AG.