U.S. AGENCY FOR INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT
BUREAU FOR HUMANITARIAN RESPONSE (BHR)
OFFICE OF U.S. FOREIGN DISASTER ASSISTANCE (OFDA)
INDIA - Drought
Fact Sheet #1, Fiscal Year (FY) 2001    June 7, 2001


Background 

- Drought is a periodic phenomenon in India.  Almost 70 percent of the
country is considered drought-prone due to weak or irregular monsoon
seasons.  For the third consecutive year, India is experiencing extreme
regional drought conditions.  The drought of 1987-88 was known as the
drought of the century.  The current drought, which began after a 10-year
period of sufficient monsoons, may be equally severe.  It is part of the
regional drought extending through Pakistan, Afghanistan, and across India
from Rajasthan and Gujarat, in the west, to Orissa, on the Bay of Bengal.

- Over 90 percent of the population in India is dependant on ground water
for household supply.  Agriculture accounts for 90 percent of ground water
use, while industry accounts for an additional 4 percent.  Government of
India (GOI) strategies to avert famine through increased, irrigated
agricultural production have lowered water tables throughout the country.  
Access to drinking water has become a problem for many people, especially
the at-risk populations in the drought-affected states.  The drought in
India has created a severe drinking water shortage and a loss of
livelihoods for at-risk populations in the drought-affected states.

- In response to the drought during FY 2000, USAID/OFDA provided
$1,027,539 to World Vision, CARE, and Catholic Relief Services for drought
relief programs.  The NGOs’ widely recognized and successful cash-for-
work programs addressed the short-term emergency needs of at-risk
populations and increased drought resistance through the construction of
water harvesting and retention structures.


Numbers Affected

- According to the GOI, inadequate rainfall last year has led to the
drought conditions in the states of Andhra Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Gujarat,
Himachal Pradesh, Madhya Pradhesh, Maharashtra, Orissa, and Rajasthan.  
Rajasthan and Gujarat, a state still recovering from a massive earthquake
on January 26, are the hardest hit.

- The GOI reports that over 125 million people in about 1.1 million
villages across 152 districts in eight states are affected.  Some
unofficial sources place the figure closer to 200 million people.


Current Situation

- Access to drinking water is the most acute problem associated with the
drought, affecting the poor and disenfranchised most acutely.  The GOI has
responded by distributing potable water to the affected populations by
tanker trucks and railways.  Providing water for the large number of
people affected is a daunting task, and some people have not and will not
be reached.  No increase in disease has been noted, but the lack of water
for sanitation and hygiene raises the potential risk.

- GOI supported water-mining and irrigation strategies have accelerated
agricultural production and have filled central grain warehouses.  
However, the current agricultural practices are depleting aquifers at an
alarming rate, resulting in decreased ground water storage capacity and
increased water pollution (including fluoride, arsenic, and salt-water
incursion).  Efforts to curb irrigation have reduced the acreage of
cultivated land, resulting in fewer agricultural jobs and the loss of
livelihoods for vulnerable wage laborers.

- According to GOI reports, Rajasthan (30,583 affected villages; 31 of 32
districts) and Gujarat (12,240 affected villages; 22 of 25 districts) are
the most severely affected states.  The drought is affecting people in
these two states differently.  Rajasthan is a more rural state, and is
poorer than Gujarat.  Seventy percent of its 54 million residents live in
rural communities.  While 46 % of the land in Rajasthan is under
cultivation, 80 % of that farmland is dependant on rainfall.  Due to
inadequate monsoon seasons, the vast majority of the agricultural
community has lost or suffered reductions in two consecutive annual
harvests.

- The most at-risk populations are living in remote areas, including small
and subsistence farmers who typically have no access to irrigation.  The
landless and those living on the margins of society, including lower
castes and tribal groups, are also vulnerable.

- The GOI has responded to the drought by providing emergency food rations
and potable water.  The GOI has activated the National Crisis Management
Committee to monitor and coordinate drought mitigation activities,
including the distribution of drought contingency plans to the affected
states.  During 2000 and 2001, the GOI’s National Calamity Contingency
Fund for Drought Mitigation Measures has provided approximately $61.6
million.  In addition, the Indian Railway system is providing free
transport of potable water and animal fodder to the drought affected
states.  The GOI has established a food-for-work program, creating 320
million workdays until June 2001 and supplying 500,000 MT of food grains
and 170,000 MT of animal fodder to support these programs.



U.S. Government Assistance

- During April and early May 2001, a BHR/OFDA’s Regional Advisor (RA)
traveled throughout India to assess the humanitarian needs of the affected
populations and determine the most appropriate form of humanitarian
assistance.  In his assessment report, the RA recommended targeting the
most vulnerable communities by implementing cash-for-work programs similar
to those that proved successful last year.  These programs would generate
purchasing power for critical items such as potable water, sanitation,
animal fodder, and food commodities.

- On May 15, 2001, U.S. Charge d’ Affaires Albert A. Thibault declared a
natural disaster in response to the needs of the drought-affected
populations in India.  On May 16, USAID/OFDA provided $25,000 in disaster
assistance through USAID/New Delhi to the Prime Minister’s Disaster Relief
Fund.  USAID/OFDA is also considering specific NGO proposals for
cash-for-work programs in the most vulnerable areas of Rajasthan and
Gujarat, based upon the recommendations of the RA's assessment.


Total USAID/OFDA Assistance in FY 2001 $25,000
Total USAID/OFDA Assistance in FY 2000 $1,027,539



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