ALERT: India Going Into Its Worst Ever Drought


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India is going into its worst ever drought this year.

Reports indicate that it will be far worse than what happened in 1918. This year the monsoons have not attained its expected average and wide spread Water shortage, Epidemics along with severe food shortage is on the anvil.

Please start doing whatever small things you can to make it through. Start conserving water and energy right now. Surviving this is not going to be easy.

The monsoon season leaves India not just with the worst drought in decades but a sombre forecast for future.

In terms of affected area, this year’s drought is the worst since 1918. Conditions surpass the one in 1972, considered the worst post-independence drought year.

The Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) reported deficient monsoon, with rain shortfall at 22%. Moreover, the area under deficient rainfall covers 56% of the country’s districts, the IMD said.

When there is more than 10% rainfall deficiency, and more than 20% of the area is under dry weather, it is an “all-India drought”. A “widespread drought” is when there is more than 10% deficiency, affecting more than 20% of the geographical area of the country. This year, there’s 20% rainfall deficiency which has affected more than 50% of the area.
In the past 123 years, there have been 25 years of widespread drought. In terms of spread, the one in 1918 was the most severe, affecting more than 70% of the area, followed by 1899 (68.4%), 1877 (59.4%), 1972 (52.6%) and 1987 (47.7%). In 2002, rainfall deficiency was 19%, and 29% of India was under drought.

Recent studies predict that rainfall will deteriorate in the coming years. The melting of glaciers in the Arctic circle seems too far away to cause concern to Indians, but according to BN Goswami, director of the Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology (IITM), Pune, freshwater melting from Greenland’s ice sheet could weaken the monsoon to the extent of threatening perpetual drought. The Greenland ice melt will add more freshwater to the north Atlantic Ocean, making it less saline. This could weaken the circulation of ocean waters and temperature variations over the Indian subcontinent — two key factors that could also weaken the summer monsoon, says Goswami.

Another study recently published in Nature said global warming may increase the frequency of a new breed of El Nino weather events, called El Nino Modoki, which would lead to rise in the frequency and intensity of droughts in India.

A study by Centre for Atmospheric Research at Indian Institute of Technology Delhi in May says the monsoon is weakening. Researchers found that long rainy spells — more than 2.5 millimetres of rain daily for more than four consecutive days — decreased across the country over the last 50 years while short and dry spells — less than 2.5 mm rain daily increased.

In March, an article in Down to Earth magazine said while parts of the country are receiving extreme rainfall, overall moderate rainfall that benefit crops, is decreasing. Another study in Current Science said the number of days of more than 12 mm rainfall have decreased by 78% in the past 53 years.

In March, a Purdue University found that climate change could influence monsoon dynamics and cause less summer precipitation, a delay in the start of monsoon season and longer breaks between rainy periods. The South Asian summer monsoon — critical to agriculture in Bangladesh, India, Nepal and Pakistan — could be weakened and delayed due to rising temperatures, it said.
Source:Worst drought, worse to come - India - DNA

Also refer:http://www.thenational.ae/news/worl...ught-expected-to-stunt-indias-economic-growth
 
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Today morning while coming to work in my car was listening to FM and one of the RJ said that there is Rs. 20,000 Crore ghotala for irrigation projection. [frustration][surprise]. God knopws what will happen to this country. If those money would have been used in palce where they meant to be then this situation would have been possible to tackle with. Bloody currpt Politicians.
 
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Guy's please save Water, don't leave the tap open when washing your car's if possible please go for RWH as govt is providing subsudies.
 
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Today morning while coming to work in my car was listening to FM and one of the RJ said that there is Rs. 20,000 Crore ghotala for irrigation projection. [frustration]. God knopws what will happen to this country. If those money would have been used in palce where they meant to be then this situation would have been possible to tackle with. Bloody currpt Politicians.
Politicians are busy, Looting the nation, Making laws to make them untouchable; People are busy with their work hard-play hard lives with no social responsibility and the least concern for what's happening around them. I guess we deserve this jointly[confused]. All the Money in the world is not going to help, Its all out of hand is what I beleive. Its a question of making it through somehow now[sad].
 
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Guy's please save Water, don't leave the tap open when washing your car's if possible please go for RWH as govt is providing subsudies.
The best method to wash the car for saving water is the bucket + cloth method. It uses minimal water, though needs a bit more efforts. [:)]

freakdude.
 
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Oh oh, i have already heard the grievances from the people in Malnad(the Western Ghats when i had been there last month)where the rains did not start yet it was July. They said power will be affected much if rains won't come eventually destroying many businesses, mainly crops.

Another reason is the trees where their presence are lessening. Absolutely Global Warming.
 
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Actually I do not know whether Iam right or wrong. This was in my mind for long time. Why this rivers are not yet linked up. you can see flood in north india and drought in south india. if the rivers of north is linked with south, south would have got the benifit of water and north could be safe from floods.
 
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if the rivers of north is linked with south, south would have got the benifit of water and north could be safe from floods.
This is one mega project which is talked about in our country for last several decades. Nehru thought about this. There was some talks during Vajpai's time also. But it seems nobody is interested.
 
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Its the politics which prevented the interlinking projects. Unless there is calamity , there wont be any packages , so Then the bureaucracy wont benefit .
 
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This thread seem to be turning lucky for the country.

Rainfall started picking up again.

May be because IMD has reported a shortfall.
 
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This thread seem to be turning lucky for the country.

Rainfall started picking up again.

May be because IMD has reported a shortfall.
It wont help, Light drizzles or too much rain in very short time wont help in any way. This is not a normal phenomenon, Monsoons are weakening with every year and cloud bursts are increasing in number.

Down South, More heavy rain is predicted for Kerala this week, Northern Kerala already has had a lot of landslides in the last two days, 8 people are dead, one is reported missing. Its created havoc around Kannur and Kozhikode districts. One dam almost failed after it over-topped. The gates could not be opened as they were stuck. Kerala: Landslide kills 8 in Kozhikode district - IBN South - IBN Kerala - ibnlive
 

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