Parliament Question: Action Plan for Drought Mitigation

O.I.H GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 393 TO BE ANSWERED ON THE 21ST JULY, 2026 ACTION PLAN FOR DROUGHT MITIGATION 393. SHRI MANSUKHBHAI DHANJIBHAI VASAVA: Will the Minister of AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE कृ िष एवं िकसान क(cid:670)ाण मं(cid:361)ी be pleased to state: (a) whether the Government propose to formulate concrete plan to tackle the drought situation in the country in the near future; and (b) if so, the details thereof and if not, the reasons therefor? ANSWER MINISTER OF STATE FOR AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE कृ िष एवं िकसान क(cid:670)ाण रा(cid:475) मं(cid:361)ी (SHRI RAMNATH THAKUR) (a) & (b): As per the National Policy on Disaster Management (NPDM), the State Government is primarily responsible for providing necessary relief measures on ground level in the wake of notified calamities including drought. The State Governments undertake relief measures in the wake of natural calamities from funds available in the form of the State Disaster Response Fund (SDRF) in accordance with the Government of India approved items and norms. Additional financial assistance, over and above SDRF, is considered from the National Disaster Response Fund (NDRF), as per laid down procedure, in case of disaster of ‘severe nature’, which includes an assessment based on the visit of an Inter-Ministerial Central Team (IMCT) and a memorandum for assistance under NDRF submitted by the State/ UT Government. The details of the fund allocated and released under SDRF/NDRF to the States are available on Disaster Management, MHA's website i.e. https://ndmindia.mha.gov.in . Department of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare is mandated to monitor and coordinate relief measures in the wake of drought in the country. Monitoring and management of drought is carried out as per the Manual for drought management which clearly delineates the roles and responsibilities of different agencies and guides coordination against them. The Manual covers institutional structure, key variables for monitoring drought, declaration of drought, drought response, relief and mitigation. To promote the use of modern technology, the Manual was revised / updated in 2020. The revised Drought Manual provides for use of modern technology in monitoring/determination of drought. New scientific indices and parameters was incorporated for a more accurate assessment and monitoring of drought. District Agriculture Contingency plan (DACPs) is prepared by ICAR-CRIDA for 651 districts in the Country which provides for contingency measures to cope with drought for rainfed and irrigated (ground water irrigated, tankfed and canal command areas), farming situations on account of delayed onset of monsoon ( 2/4/6/8 weeks delays) and (early/mid season/ terminal drought) for field and horticulture crops. The contingency measures include alternate crops/ crop varieties/agronomic practices/ other management options appropriate for drought scenarios.Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana (PMFBY) along with weather index based Restructured Weather Based Crop Insurance Scheme (RWBCIS) provide a comprehensive insurance cover against failure of the crop to farmers suffering crop loss/damage arising out of unforeseen natural calamities. PMFBY covers risks from prevented sowing to post harvest losses. Per Drop More Crop (PDMC) scheme improves water use efficiency through Micro Irrigation technologies i.e. drip and sprinkler irrigation systems. The focus of Rainfed Area Development (RAD) scheme is on Integrated Farming System (IFS) to enhance productivity and minimise risks associated with climatic variability. Under RAD, crops/ cropping system is integrated with activities like horticulture, livestock, fishery, agro-forestry, apiculture etc. to enable farmers, not only in maximize farm returns for sustainable livelihood but also to mitigate the impacts of drought, flood or other extreme weather events. Mission for Integrated Development of Horticulture (MIDH), Agroforestry & National Bamboo Mission also aim to increase climate resilience in agriculture. National Innovations in Climate Resilient Agriculture (NICRA) project implemented by the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) has developed and promoted climate resilient technologies in agriculture for vulnerable areas of the country. The outputs of the project help the regions to cope with extreme weather conditions like droughts, floods, frost, heat waves, etc. For enhancing the resilience and adaptive capacity of farmers to climate variability, the Concept of “Climate Resilient Villages” (CRVs) was initiated under NICRA. Location-specific climate resilient technologies are demonstrated in climatically vulnerable districts for adoption by farmers. Capacity building programmes are conducted to educate the farmers on various aspects of climate change for wider adoption of climate resilient technologies. *****