The National Agricultural Drought Assessment and Monitoring System (NADAMS) is an innovative system designed to predict and monitor drought conditions. It provides comprehensive information on the prevalence, severity, and persistence of agricultural drought from the sub-district to the state level.
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To fully comprehend the significance of NADAMS, it's essential to understand the impact of droughts on India. Throughout history, droughts have claimed millions of lives in India from the 18th to the 20th century. Indian agriculture is largely dependent on monsoon rains. Any deviation from normal rainfall patterns can have disastrous consequences as the necessary water for irrigation becomes scarce. This can lead to reduced crop yields or even total crop failure, leading to widespread starvation. Areas prone to drought include southern and eastern Maharashtra, northern Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Odisha, and Rajasthan.
The advent of the National Agricultural Drought Assessment and Monitoring System has made it possible to predict monsoon weather patterns more accurately, as represented here.
This predictive capability allows for the creation of relief plans for areas likely to be affected by drought, reducing the potential human cost.
The NADAMS project was launched in late 1986, with the National Remote Sensing Agency, Department of Space, Government of India overseeing its implementation. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) and various state agriculture departments also provided support. NADAMS became operational in 1990, providing valuable information on the persistence, severity, and prevalence of drought at the state, district, and sub-district levels. Initially, the drought assessment relied primarily on a single satellite-derived index.
Since its inception, the NADAMS project has seen numerous improvements in methodology and technology. These advancements include the use of moderate resolution data for more detailed assessments, the use of multiple indices for drought evaluation, and the synchronization of ground observations with satellite-based interpretation. The system now provides user-friendly information through the following methods:
The system follows a logical modeling approach to classify districts into Alert, Watch, and Normal categories during June, July, and August and Severe, Moderate, and Mild drought conditions during September and October. The monthly Drought Assessment Reports are communicated to all relevant state and national agencies and are also available on the Mahalanobis National Crop Forecast Centre (MNCFC) website. NADAMS currently covers 14 Indian states that are primarily agriculture-based and prone to drought conditions.
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How do state governments utilize NADAMS data?
The data provided by NADAMS enables early assessment of potential drought situations. This allows state governments to enact measures that alleviate the stress on farmers caused by impending droughts.
Which Indian states are covered by the NADAMS project?
The NADAMS project currently covers the following Indian states:
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