Almost half of India’s soil cover prone to floods, a third to droughts: Study

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Last Updated12/07/2024

With the severity of heatwaves intensifying and the rainfall pattern getting more erratic with every passing year, a new study has found that about 32.8 per cent of the total land area in India experienced a negative Soil Moisture Anomaly (SMA) in 2023.
This means that about 1.08 million square kilometres (sq. km) is vulnerable to drought stress.

Drought Risk: Over one-third (32.8%) of India's land, roughly 1.08 million sq km, faces drought threats due to below-average soil moisture (negative anomalies).
Flood Potential: Nearly half (47.7%) of the country experiences wetter-than-usual conditions (positive anomalies) across 1.57 million sq km, raising flood risks.

Monsoon (June-Sept):
- Punjab thrived with ample soil moisture, promoting healthy crop growth and potentially avoiding floods.
- Odisha's average moisture levels suggest potential for improved agricultural output by learning water management strategies from Punjab.
- Bihar and Jharkhand struggled with drier soils, highlighting the need for better irrigation and water conservation practices.

Punjab: Benefits from positive soil moisture anomalies, supporting robust agriculture.
Odisha: Faces challenges with negative SMA during specific periods, suggesting the adoption of efficient irrigation practices from other states.
Bihar, Jharkhand: Require improved water conservation and irrigation techniques to address drought impacts.
Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh: Showed variability in soil moisture levels, necessitating stable water management policies.
Andhra Pradesh, Kerala: Require customized water management plans due to varying soil moisture conditions.

There is a need to develop tailored water management policies based on regional soil moisture conditions.
The state must implement drought management plans in deficit areas and flood management strategies in surplus moisture areas.
Farmers should invest in advanced soil moisture monitoring systems using remote sensing and ground-based sensors for real-time data.
- Punjab continued to enjoy above-average moisture, while Odisha faced slight deficits. This suggests potential benefits from collaborative water management strategies between the two states.