Drought Amid Monsoon and Cross Border Flood Risk: Marathwada and the Gandak
Context
Parts of drought affected Marathwada required water tankers even before the monsoon had completely withdrawn. At the same time, intense rainfall in Nepal led to the breach of a Gandak embankment, causing flooding in downstream districts of Bihar.
Key Highlights
- Seasonal rainfall figures can mask prolonged dry periods, uneven rainfall distribution and intense rainfall events that do not necessarily contribute adequately to groundwater recharge.
- Water intensive agriculture, declining aquifers, siltation of local water-storage structures and inadequate demand management can turn meteorological drought into agricultural and drinking water stress.
- The Gandak situation highlights the interdependence of river basins. Rainfall and reservoir releases in upstream Nepal can influence embankments and settlements located downstream in Bihar.
- Relying only on embankments for flood management can shift risks to other areas. Regular maintenance, floodplain zoning, adequate drainage and real time sharing of transboundary hydrological information are also important.
Key Concepts
Meteorological Drought; Agricultural Drought; Hydrological Drought; Rain Shadow; Flash Flood; Embankment Breach; Integrated River Basin Management
Way Forward
- Promote watershed-based groundwater recharge and crop diversification.
- Assess and reduce excessive dependence on water tankers.
- Restore traditional water tanks and recharge aquifers.
- Strengthen real time hydrological data sharing between Nepal and India.
- Combine embankment safety measures with scientific floodplain planning.