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Essay on Drought | Drought Essay for Students and Children in English
February 13, 2024 by sastry
Essay on Drought: India is situated in the Northern Hemisphere extending from 8° 4′ N to 37° 17′ N latitude. The Tropic of Cancer passes through the middle of the country, thus the country falls into tropical as well as sub-tropical zones. The country gets two complete showers of seasonal rain, one during summer season called South-West monsoon and one in winters called the North-East monsoons.
The rest of the year is practically dry. The rain bearing winds are called monsoon winds which persistently flow in the same direction and get reversed only with the change of seasons.
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Long and Short Essays on Drought for Kids and Students in English
Given below are two essays in English for students and children about the topic of ‘Drought’ in both long and short form. The first essay is a long essay on Drought of 400-500 words. This long essay about Drought is suitable for students of class 7, 8, 9 and 10, and also for competitive exam aspirants. The second essay is a short essay on Drought of 150-200 words. These are suitable for students and children in class 6 and below.
Long Essay on Drought 500 Words in English
Below we have given a long essay on Drought of 500 words is helpful for classes 7, 8, 9 and 10 and Competitive Exam Aspirants. This long essay on the topic is suitable for students of class 7 to class 10, and also for competitive exam aspirants.
The agriculture in India is largely dependent upon the monsoon rain shower during the months of June to the middle of September and a few parts of the country gets rains during the retreating monsoon from October to December. Tamil Nadu, South of Andhra Pradesh, South-East of Karnataka and Kerala get the maximum showers during the time, about 75 cm.
The occurrence and quality of monsoons depends upon the intensity of winds blowing over the Arabian Sea, the Indian Ocean and the Bay of Bengal. Sometimes, the country receives intense rainfall and there are times when the monsoon gets weak and there are scanty rains here and there.
Moreover, there is the problem of unequal distribution of rainfall over the country where the monsoon is extremely active whereas the same monsoon is barely active in other parts of the country. In other words, by the time it reaches the higher regions, the winds have shed most of their moisture already or they weaken so much that nothing is left in them in terms of momentum and so they shed their moisture on the way.
This uncertain and uncontrolled character of monsoons in India causes the problem of droughts at some places. Droughts occur when rainfall during a particular year fails to reach even the average or normal level expected of the place at that time of the year. Droughts usually occur in places which have a high variability between low and heavy amount of rainfall.
The greater the difference, more are the chances of droughts. Thus droughts in India occur mainly when South-West monsoon is weak and ineffective. A weak monsoon results in scanty or no rainfall; hence leading to droughts. Many a times droughts occur due to untimely arrival of monsoon-either it is too late or too early. In either case, agriculture is most severely affected. Prolonged breaks between consecutive spells of rain, too, aggravates the problem.
In India, on an average, a drought affects about 16% of the total agricultural land and about 50 million population. The areas that are regularly affected by droughts are those which receive an annual rainfall below 75 cm or have a high variability of 40 cm or more. There are about 99 districts which receive annual rains below 75 cm. A total of 68% of sown area is subject to drought in varying degrees.
But surprisingly the severest droughts have occurred in comparatively humid and wet areas such as West Bengal, Bihar and Odisha. These regions usually get high rainfall but a slight failure of rainfall can cause severe droughts here simply because of high intensity of population and the near total dependence of agriculture on monsoon rains in these regions. A normal drought affects a huge part of the country’s population, hence making the drought into a severe one.
This leads to a vicious circle of misery, especially for that part of the population, which is practically hand to mouth. Even among these, the landless labourers are the ones who suffer the most because they are the first ones to lose their jobs due to failure of rains.
Less people are thus required to till the land and so they are the first ones to be pushed over the crevices of hunger, poverty, starvation and destitution. Lack of irrigation facilities and total dependence on monsoon rains leads to even more severe droughts in the remote parts of the country. Moreover, due to the ecological imbalance, the frequency of droughts is likely to increase.
The failure of rains in 2014, has led to the possibility of it being declared as a ‘drought year’. Till August, 2014, 36% of the nation’s meteorological regions faced moderate to severe drought. Punjab, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh, India’s ‘grain’ bearer belt, is reeling under severe drought. As a result, farmers are paying sky-high prices to protect their paddy crop.
Hopefully, due to great technological advances, irrigation facilities and developments in the transport system, with even the remotest villages getting connected to nearby towns and cities, the intensity with which the droughts can affect human population, agriculture and cattle can be reduced to some extent. The governments now prefers to keep surplus stocks of food grains as well as fodder to combat such recurrent crisis with the support of voluntary organisations, NGOs etc.
NASA scientists, including one scientist of Indian origin have developed a new satellite to predict the severity of droughts and help farmers maximise crop yield. At present, there is no ground or satellite-based global network for monitoring soil moisture at a local scale. It would be of great help to developing countries like India, if this technology gets introduced soon.
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Short Essay on Drought 200 Words in English
Below we have given a short essay on Drought is for Classes 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6. This short essay on the topic is suitable for students of class 6 and below.
The Government of India through Crisis Management Framework 2011, aims at identification of fundamental aspects of drought prone areas, phases of crisis, magnitude, outcome of crisis to trigger mechanism and strategic response matrix. The Central Research Institute for Dryland Agriculture (CRIDA), under ICAR has been assigned the task to prepare district-wise contingency plans in collaboration with State Agricultural Universities, Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) institutes and Krishi Vigyan Kendras (KVKs).
The programme also works toward long-term goals such as maintenance of ecological balance by developing, conserving and even harvesting all kinds of resources including land, water, livestock and human resources. It also aims at minimising the adverse effects of droughts on crops and livestock through use of appropriate technology and the naturally available resources.
The recent initiatives by Government were special assistance package and higher seed subsidy. It is also planning to extend subsidy on diesel to areas where there has been less than 50% rainfall. In case, drought is declared by any state, the government has proposed a ₹ 700 crore scheme for cultivation of horticultural crops and ₹ 100 crore for fodder production. Agricultural crop insurance scheme is also in the pipeline. It’s high time that India implements robust drought mitigation measures. The entire burden or blame shouldn’t be put on the farmers. They must be protected and fully prepared for natural calamities. Their prosperity is nation’s progress.
Drought Essay Word Meanings for Simple Understanding
- Persistent – constantly repeated, continued
- Scanty – barely sufficient
- Momentum – force or speed of movement, impetus, as of a physical object or course of events
- Variability – apt or liable to vary or change; changeable
- Consecutive – following one another in uninterrupted succession or order, successive
- Vicious circle – a sequence of reciprocal cause and effect in which two or more elements
- Intensify and aggravate each other, leading to a worsening of the situation
- Crevices – a crack forming an opening
- Destitution – lack of the means of subsistence, utter poverty
- Matrix – the cultural, social, or political environment in which something develops
- Subsidy – a grant or contribution of money
- Mitigation – the act of making a condition or consequence less severe
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Essay on Drought
Students are often asked to write an essay on Drought in their schools and colleges. And if you’re also looking for the same, we have created 100-word, 250-word, and 500-word essays on the topic.
Let’s take a look…
100 Words Essay on Drought
Understanding drought.
Drought is a natural event that happens when an area gets less rain than normal. It can last for months or even years.
Causes of Drought
Droughts often occur due to lack of rain. Sometimes, high temperatures can also cause drought by making water evaporate from soil and plants.
Effects of Drought
Drought can make it hard for plants and animals to survive. It can also lead to water shortages for people. In severe cases, drought can cause famine.
Dealing with Drought
People can deal with drought by conserving water, using it wisely, and planning for dry periods.
250 Words Essay on Drought
Introduction.
Drought is a natural disaster characterized by a prolonged period of abnormally low rainfall, leading to a shortage of water. It is a complex phenomenon that can have serious ecological, social, and economic impacts.
Droughts are primarily caused by irregularities in global weather patterns. Climate change has been identified as a significant factor, with increasing global temperatures leading to changes in rainfall patterns and increased evaporation rates. Human activities, such as deforestation and overuse of water resources, can also exacerbate drought conditions.
Impacts of Drought
Drought can have severe consequences for both the environment and human societies. It can lead to crop failure, livestock death, and water shortages, impacting food production and access to clean water. This can consequently lead to malnutrition, disease, and death, particularly in vulnerable populations. Economically, droughts can result in increased prices and job losses in agricultural sectors.
Drought Mitigation
Mitigation strategies for drought include water conservation, efficient irrigation techniques, and the development of drought-resistant crops. Additionally, improving climate forecasting can help societies prepare for and manage drought conditions. Policymakers must also prioritize sustainable water management to ensure that water resources are used efficiently and equitably.
Drought is a pressing global issue that requires concerted efforts to mitigate its impacts. By understanding its causes and consequences, we can develop effective strategies to manage drought and reduce its harmful effects on society and the environment.
500 Words Essay on Drought
Droughts occur when there is an extended period of below-average precipitation. This deficiency of water supply can last for months or even years. Droughts are categorized into three types: meteorological, agricultural, and hydrological. Meteorological droughts are associated with reduced rainfall, agricultural droughts with soil moisture deficits affecting crop production, and hydrological droughts with reduced water availability in streams, reservoirs, and aquifers.
The primary cause of drought is a lack of precipitation over an extended period. This can be due to natural climate variability, such as the El Niño Southern Oscillation, or changes in atmospheric conditions that suppress the formation of clouds and rainfall. Human activities, such as deforestation and overuse of water resources, can also contribute to the occurrence and severity of droughts.
Drought Management and Mitigation
Effective drought management requires a proactive approach, focusing on reducing vulnerability and enhancing resilience. Strategies can include improving water infrastructure, implementing water conservation practices, and developing drought-tolerant crops. At the policy level, it involves developing comprehensive drought management plans, early warning systems, and drought risk insurance. Climate change adaptation strategies also play a crucial role in drought mitigation.
Drought is a significant global challenge that requires concerted efforts to mitigate and adapt. While it is a natural phenomenon, human activities have exacerbated its occurrence and impacts. Therefore, understanding drought, its causes, impacts, and management strategies is essential for sustainable development and resilience. As we move forward, it is crucial that we continue to enhance our knowledge and strategies to better manage and mitigate the effects of droughts.
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Essay on Drought
List of essays on drought, essay on drought – short essay for kids and children (essay 1 – 100 words), essay on drought – 10 lines on drought written in english (essay 2 – 250 words), essay on drought – causes, effects and measures (essay 3 – 350 words), essay on drought (essay 4 – 400 words), essay on drought – in india (essay 5 – 500 words), essay on drought – for school students (class 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11 and 12 standard) (essay 6 – 600 words), essay on drought – for college and university students (essay 7 – 750 words), essay on drought – long essay on drought (essay 8 – 1000 words).
Drought is a disaster which affects many regions of India every year. A natural disaster which leads to a shortage of water for drinking, agriculture and other practices is called a drought. However, we are yet to come up with some concrete measure in order to avoid this adverse situation through which the people have to go through each year.
Audience: The below given essays are exclusively written for school students (Class 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11 and 12 Standard) and college students.
Drought is a severe condition in which some regions face a heavy shortage of water. There are some countries which are nowadays struggling with an insufficient amount of water. This situation occurs due to factors like climate change, deforestation or global warming.
In some areas, starvation as a result of drought, leads to the death of several people. Drought also affect the production of crops, causes forest fires and leads to insufficient electricity production.
It is important to adopt some solutions to tackle this issue. We can use methods like rainwater harvesting, seawater desalination or grow more plants and trees. The whole world is familiar with the misuse of water resources which needs to be overcome in order to prevent droughts.
The prolonged absence of rain or the lack of natural sources of water can bring about a drought. This natural phenomenon has been occurring all through the history of mankind and it has shaped many civilizations in the past. Droughts are something that people fear and it is also something that can be brought about by our actions towards our surrounding. One is compelled by practical reason to consider what actions can bring about potentially cataclysmic events like droughts and since I am still a student there is a lot I can do, further on as I go through life, to contribute to reasonable water usage.
The earth has its own principle of functioning and it changes our surrounding often and without warning, that’s why droughts sometimes happen even though we do nothing, in particular, to make them come about. When such events occur, people use different techniques to find alternative sources of water. The best we can do in such situations is to find tools that we can use to help us predict what the movement of water will be, or how much rain will fall.
On the other hand, we tend to misuse our natural resources and to drain them. That is why the recent decades have seen many rivers dry out due to our extensive agricultural needs. The lack of water brought about droughts in many regions that were previously famed for their natural wealth. Thankfully, people are becoming aware of how they are behaving and through this awareness, we are developing new methods for water use and distribution, it is up to us to implement those changes and make fear of the great drought a thing of the past.
“Drought” which results from the shortage of water due to lack of rainfall. The situation is challenging and can prove to be catastrophic for those living in the drought-affected areas.
Causes of Drought:
The Marathwada region of Maharashtra suffers from “drought” condition every year. There are various factors responsible for causing a “drought” like situation.
Some of these are discussed below:
1. Deforestation:
The main cause of “drought” is deforestation, which leads to a shortage of rainfall. Trees and shrubs hold the ground water, prevent it from evaporation and attracts rainfall. Deforestation is carried out to clear the land for farming, industrialization and urbanization. The soil in these areas loses its capacity to hold water, which also leads to “drought” condition. The devastating flood in the beautiful state of Kerala has become one of the biggest catastrophe in recent times.
2. Diminishing Water Bodies:
The usage of water bodies like rivers and lakes is done on a huge scale. During scorching summers these rivers and lakes are dried which result in dreadful “droughts”. Due to extreme climatic condition and various human activities, the water in these water bodies dries down which leads to “drought”. Wells are also a main sources of water in various regions in the country. Villages and towns in the states of Maharashtra and Gujarat are facing life threatening situation where water in the wells has dried up. People in these villages stand in long queues to purchase water for drinking and daily needs.
Effects of Drought:
The farming sector in India is the most vulnerable to the climatic condition. Most of the agriculture in India is dependent on rainfall and ground water. “Drought” like situation has tremendously affected the farming sector and animal husbandry in India. The scorching sun sucks the ground water and becomes fatal to the cattle.
Measures to Prevent Drought:
Droughts can be prevented by –
i. Planting more trees.
ii. Implementing water conservation techniques.
iii. Reducing wastage of water and water pollution.
Conclusion:
Although initiatives like the “Paani Foundation” are being taken to mitigate “drought” condition in India but not much is done till date. As a responsible citizen we must contribute to the efforts taken to combat “drought” condition so that our future generations will not face such crisis.
The problem of drought is very severe and there are plenty of different provinces in India which are being largely impacted. It is really important for people at large to understand that the time calls for taking some strict measures at the earliest.
We have exploited mother earth in a ruthless manner and owing to the anthropogenic exploitation; the natural balance of the ecosystem has been disturbed. This in turn has led to plenty of troubles which include drought.
Drought – Getting Familiar:
Drought mainly refers to the condition wherein the area receives almost negligible to nil rainfall making it a dry period. This can be really deadly for the farmers as most of the harvest won’t ripen and it has several adverse consequences. Granted there are artificial methods of irrigation and the option of water supply but not all farmers have access to these facilities. This infers that drought ends up wrecking havoc on their finances and the families of the farmers sometimes even end up committing suicide or dying because of starvation.
Remedial Measures:
This brings us to the question as to what can be done to remedy the situation of drought. The answerer lies in helping the environment. The environment has the power to heal itself, but we need to be supportive in our approach. It is extremely important to understand the grave concerns and the bleak future that awaits us.
Drought isn’t the only calamity which we are facing. The increased frequency of earthquakes, flash floods, depleting ice cover, striking change in climates are all symbolic of the piteous condition of our environment. Until and unless, we manage to educate the masses and enlighten them about the need to have a green cover and preserve the environment, the frequency of drought and other calamities will continue to be on the rise. More and more measures need to be taken and the ruthless exploitation of the environment needs to stop right away.
We know that it is easier said than done but the change needs to start from somewhere. You should make it a point to understand the possible areas wherein you can bring a change. Try by curtailing the cutting down of trees even if it is for development purpose. Use measures to combat pollution and stop the use of non bio-degradable products. It is the collective efforts which will end up making a huge difference.
Drought is a natural calamity which is an impending sign of the dark future which this planet might be enveloped in if we do not take the right action now!
What is a drought? As per the given definitions, it is a natural disaster resulting in scarcity of water for drinking, agriculture and industrial purposes. But, given the current scenario, is it actually a natural disaster. This may not be completely true as human activities over a period of time have resulted in altering of nature’s natural phenomenon and today we see droughts occurring at places which were once abundant with water resources. Hence there is a strong need to understand the causes of drought and what can be done to prevent or minimize it.
Drought Prone Regions in India:
Some states of India have been declared as drought-prone due to the frequent occurrence of drought year after year in these states. These states are Rajasthan, Andhra Pradesh, Orissa, Maharashtra and Northern Karnataka. Apart from these many regions, Gujarat, Uttar Pradesh and parts of other states are also affected by drought every year.
India is a land which is dependent on monsoon rainfall for adequacy of water. Hence inadequate rainfall is considered as the major reason for drought in most parts of the country. However, this is again a subject of debate as to why there has been insufficient rainfall for quite some years now. Another reason is the drip in the water table and consequently less water vapour in the atmosphere which is responsible for the formation of clouds.
Again global warming has led to changes in the normal climatic conditions and with the increase in temperatures; there has been a significant effect on the monsoon season in India as well. Moreover, high sea temperatures have led to the El Nino effect taking place which has further affected the onset of monsoon season. All these factors combined with improper agricultural practices and increase in pollution levels have contributed to the reduction in the monsoon rainfall which has led to drought each year in many areas in India.
What should be done?
There is an urgent need to have measures in place in order to save the regions of India from drought. One of the major plans of the Government in this regard is the linking of rivers. If we are able to link the rivers we can divert excess rivers from region to the drought-affected areas and save them from this disaster. Another important measure is to have proper irrigation methods in place so as to utilize water only as much as it is required. Moreover, extracting of water through tube wells and other sources should be checked into as this leads to drip in the water table which triggers the onset of drought.
Last, but not least, it is not the responsibility of the government alone to have measures in place to prevent regions from being affected by drought, we all should ensure that we save water to the maximum and follow the rules as laid down by the Government. We should do rainwater harvesting as well so that we store the water provided to us by nature which shall be helpful in difficult times. A collective effort by all can surely be helpful in minimizing if not preventing the situation as adverse as drought.
Introduction:
Drought is a miserable condition caused due to lack of water in a particular region or country or territory for a long period of time. Drought is a natural calamity in which there is scarcity of water everywhere even for the basic needs. People in many countries suffer due to drought and many lose their lives since lack of water leads to lack of food. The impact of drought is very horrible and sometimes it becomes difficult for the affected country to recover to a normal state.
The main reason for drought to occur is the absence of rain. When the normally falling rain fails for a few months then there arises water scarcity. Wells become dry and people and other living beings start to move from one place to another in search of water.
Although lack of rainfall is the main cause for drought , there are also other causes that lead to such a condition.
The various causes of drought are:
Now-a-days people are mis-treating the environment. Why there is no rain? What causes rain? Everyone should ask these questions to themselves to know the real cause of drought. Trees are the main source of rainfall. When we cut trees for constructing buildings, we are not only removing the vegetation and greenery but also removing the main source of rainfall from the Earth.
2. Draining of Surface Water:
Rivers, lakes, ponds are the natural ways by which water is stored in the Earth. Activities like excessive irrigation, excessive use of water for industrial purposes drains the surface water from these natural reservoirs and cause a condition known as drought. Rise in temperature due to global warming is also a cause for draining of water.
Impacts of Drought:
The impact caused by drought is so huge that many countries that faces drought year on year still remains as under-developed countries. The day-to-day activities of the people get stopped. The severity of drought can even take many lives. Let us look into some of the major impacts:
1. Heavy Loss to Farmers:
Agriculture is the source of living for the farmers. Periodic rainfall and the availability of ground water is very much important for agriculture. Drought impacts farmers the most because if there is no rainfall, agriculture fails. There is no yield, plants die, livestock suffers and farmers end up with no income. They get debts to try other ways and make their living but when everything goes out of control, they have no other way than to end their lives. Severe droughts lead to increase in the number of farmer suicides.
2. Loss of Wildlife:
It is during the time of drought, forest fires start occurring. Since everything is dry, fire catches up very easily. The life of wild animals is at huge risk; some get burnt in the forest fires and some lose their habitat and have to move to some other place.
3. Soil Degradation:
Continuous drought will make the soil lose its moisture and fertility. We can see at many places where there are no rains, the lands will have cracks on them. Some areas regain their fertile soil after many years of rain but some totally lose their nature to yield crops.
4. Safety is at Risk:
The scarcity of food leads to increase in prices of commodities. As the droughts might have taken the employment of some, no income would push people to commit crimes such as theft.
There are some ways that people can try to manage drought. Few important ones are listed below: –
People can use rain water harvesting method to save and store rain water and use it at emergency times like drought.
Waste water must be collected, purified and re-used. The water thus stored can be used for watering plants and can be used for irrigation also.
Afforestation techniques can be adopted.
Drought has huge consequences but it is not the end. If everyone of us contribute their share in preserving the environment, then many hazards like drought can be managed very easily.
Drought is a natural disaster that occurs in some regions of the globe. Some regions are more prone to drought while other regions are not. In India, drought has been experienced and a lot of people have died. Drought causes death of humans, animals and plants due to the adverse conditions that are harsh to the ecosystem and limits survival. In disaster management, drought is considered among the threats to human and animal life. Drought is defined as a prolonged period of inadequate water and food. The periods of drought vary but lack of water for over two weeks is considered drought.
During drought, the ecosystem is negatively affected that is why agriculture is compromised and it results in lack of food. The effects of drought are both to the animate and inanimate objects in the environment. Drought is handled by disaster management teams by provision of water and food to the affected people and prevention of further effects like fires on dry vegetation. Drought can occur naturally due to dry seasons or can result from human activities that causes a change in climate.
Lack of rainfall for long periods of time results in drought. Rain formation or precipitation processes require moisture accumulation in the atmosphere or on the ground as ice. Sunshine and winds can affect the precipitation processes as it affects the formation of water.
Another cue of drought is the natural dry seasons whereby low humidity is experienced. During the dry season, water sources dry up due to high temperatures that increase vaporization. In the high demand for vapor, extreme measures like drawing water from plants is reached which results in death of those plants.
Human activities could also result in drought. Agriculture and human settlements result in deforestation. Deforestations predispose the environment to erosion of soil and vegetation destruction. The lack of vegetation and forests causes decreased rainfall in the region and could cause drought occurrence.
Climatic changes also result in drought. Human activities like emission of greenhouse gases to the environment has caused global warming. In global warming, climate change is experienced such that the temperatures on the surface of the earth are raised. Raised temperatures result in increased vaporization and depletion of water from rivers, boreholes. Effects of global warming have been determined to be either extremes of rainfall or drought.
Consequences of Drought:
Drought causes adverse effect on the ecosystem. Interruption and loss of biodiversity is experienced during drought because animals of several species die due to lack of water and food. Also, the living things like trees and vegetation die. Diseases also arise during seasons of drought that affect living things and cause death. Extinction of rare species is common during seasons of drought.
The losses experienced in the economy during drought are substantial. Drought causes death and deterioration of plants thus decreasing the agricultural economical activities. There will be inflation of food production costs and diminished water economic activities like tourism and energy production.
Health of both animals and plants is greatly affected by drought. Drought effects cause diseases like dehydration and malnutrition that are debilitating to both humans and plants. Extreme hunger for humans and animals cause death.
Drought Management:
Once drought has occurred, the protection of people and animals should be done. In disaster management, the focus is on mitigating the consequences and providing life sustenance to those affected by the disaster. In agriculture, methods of irrigation and crop rotation have been implemented in arid areas so as to mitigate the consequences of drought. Water harvesting is also essential in preparation for drought. In water harvesting, construction of dams and boreholes in arid areas has been helpful during seasons of drought.
Erosion is minimized through crop rotation. Water conservation methods like recycling and outdoor use restrictions have been employed in arid areas.
In conclusion, drought is a natural disaster whose effects are adverse and cause loss of life. The management of drought generally involves the water conservation, storage and expansion of sources of water. The consequences of drought are deleterious and destruct the ecosystem and loss of biodiversity.
In order to reduce the consequences of drought, several measures have been put in place. Disaster management teams have conducted projects for water conservation for use during drought like by constructing dams. Mitigating the consequences of drought also involved the inhibition of causes of drought. Mitigation of erosion through planting enough vegetation to prevent erosion goes a long way in preventing drought. Human activities should also be controlled.
Drought can simply be defined as a form of natural disaster that is a result of the precipitation in a particular region below average which results in prolonged periods of water supply shortage, be it ground water, surface water or rainfall water. Droughts can go on for a lot of months or even years; it is most times declared and claimed after about just 15 days.
The agriculture and ecosystem of a particular region can be substantially impacted by drought and this can lead to a great deal of harm on the economy of the region. It has been discovered that the probability of a drought taking place and bush fires occurring is increased significantly by the dry seasons annually. Drought conditions are significantly worsened by long heat periods and this is as a result of the hastened evaporation of vapours of water.
There are a lot of species of plants like the Cactaceae family that have adaptations for the tolerance of drought (like a reduce area of leaf and cuticles that are waxy to help improve their drought tolerance ability). There are other species of plants that survive periods of droughts as seeds that are buried.
Grasslands and Deserts are examples of arid biomes that are produced by droughts that are semi-permanent. Humanitarian crisis and mass migrations are caused by prolonged droughts. Majority of ecosystems that are arid have very low productivity. The world experienced its longest period of drought in Atacama Desert of Chile and the drought lasted for about 400 years.
There are a lot of causes of drought.
A few out of the many causes will be discussed below:
1. Climate Changes:
Droughts are triggered by all the various activities that result in climate change globally and this can have a very strong effect on agriculture all over the world most especially in countries that are developing. Global warming and climate change will bring about an imbalance in the ecosystem.
There is going to be erosion and flooding in some regions and drought in other regions. Therefore, it is quite obvious that climate change and global are one of the leading causes of drought in the world today.
2. Deficiency in Precipitation:
Precipitation is produced through mechanisms including orographic rainfall, strati-form rainfall and convective rainfall. The processes of convective rainfall involve vertical motions that are strong and can lead to the atmosphere overturning in that particular location in about an hour, causing heavy precipitation. The processes of stratiform precipitation involve upward motions that are weaker, a little bit less intense and can last a duration that is longer.
We can divide precipitation into about three categories; this is based on if it falls in form of liquid water, water in liquid form that freezes when it comes in contact with a surface and ice. Droughts mainly occur in areas that the normal rainfall levels are quite low. If the factors in the region do not help the volume of precipitation in a way that they can get to the surface in time, drought occurs. Drought can also be triggered through a very high reflected sunlight level.
3. Dry Season:
In the tropic regions, we have distinct dry and wet seasons and this is as a result of the Monsoon trough. The occurrence of drought is greatly increased during dry seasons, this season is known by the very low humidity and rivers and watering holes drying up. As a result of the inadequacy of watering holes and rivers, a lot of animals that graze migrate because of the absence of water and move to areas that are more fertile. Some of the animals that do this include wildebeest, elephants, zebra and cattle.
As a result of the absence of water, bushfires are very common during this season. Because of the increased temperature, the water vapour tend to become more energetic, to increase the relative humidity to 100%, required water vapour is more. When it is warm, the rate of vegetable and fruit production is increased and this causes an increase in transpiration and evaporation from plants leading to drought conditions that are worse.
Types of Drought :
With the persistence of drought, all of the various conditions that surround it worsen gradually and the effect on the region increases gradually.
There are three major types of droughts:
i. Meteorological drought is a type of drought that occurs anytime we have a prolonged period of below average rainfall or precipitation. It is common for meteorological drought to precede other types of drought.
ii. Agricultural drought is a type of drought that affects the ecology and production of crops in a particular region. Agricultural drought can also happen independently as a result of a change in the levels of precipitation when erosion and soil conditions that are triggered by agricultural endeavours that are poorly planned lead to a drop in the amount of water that is available for crop use. However, traditional droughts are caused by a period of precipitation that is below average.
iii. Hydrological drought is a type of drought that occurs when the available water reserves in sources like reservoirs, lakes and aquifers drop below average. Hydrological drought takes a lot of time to manifest since it deals with water that has been stored and is used and not replenished.
The effects of water shortages can be grouped into three namely:
i. Social effects
ii. Economic effects
iii. Environmental effects
Droughts can also cause wars, wildfires, social unrest, and drop in electricity production, mass migration, hunger, famine and so many more.
Prevention Measures:
Prevention measures include:
i. Building of Dams
ii. Cloud seeding
iii. Desalination
iv. Proper Drought monitoring
v. Proper Land use
vi. Rainwater harvesting
vii. Restriction of water use outdoors
viii. Use of Recycled water
Drought can be very detrimental to the ecosystem and can also have a lot of effects. It is therefore extremely necessary that we do our possible best to battle drought and try to employ methods of drought relief, mitigation methods to prevent drought.
Disaster , Drought , Natural Disasters
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Essay on drought: top 9 essays | india | natural calamities | geography.
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Here is a compilation of essays on ‘Drought’ for class 6, 7, 8, 9 and 10. Find paragraphs, long and short essays on ‘Drought’ especially written for school students.
Essay on Drought
Essay Contents:
- Essay on the Drought Prone Areas Programme (DPAP)
Essay # 1. Introduction to Drought:
Since time immemorial, mankind has lived under the threat of natural disasters. Amongst various hazards of nature, drought is the most disastrous. In the past, India had been a frequent victim of disastrous droughts, which resulted in famine deaths of large members of human and livestock.
Drought, thus, is a precursor of famine and undoubtedly man’s worst natural enemy. Technological developments and natural efforts are in progress to ameliorate the impacts of drought and being about sustainability to agricultural productivity in the country.
Low rainfall or failure of monsoon rains is a recurring feature in India. This has been responsible for droughts and famines. The word drought, generally, denotes scarcity of water in a region.
Though, aridity and drought are due to insufficient water, aridity is a permanent climatic feature and is the culmination of a number of long term processes. However, drought is a temporary condition that occurs for a short period due to deficient precipitation for vegetation, river flow, water supply and human consumption. Drought is due to anomaly in atmospheric circulation.
Drought is a climatic anomaly, characterised by deficit supply of moisture resulting either from subnormal rainfall, uneven distribution, higher water need or a combination all the factors. Droughts lead to problems like widespread crop failure, unreplenished groundwater resources, depletion in lakes/reservoirs, shortage of drinking water, reduced fodder availability etc.
Essay # 2. Definition of Drought :
There is no universally accepted definition of drought:
Early workers defined drought as prolonged period without rainfall. According to Ramdas (1960), drought is a situation when the actual seasonal rainfall is deficient by more than twice the mean deviation. American Meteorological Society defined drought as a period of abnormally dry weather, sufficiently prolonged for lack of water to cause a severe hydrological imbalance in the area affected.
In general, drought means different things to different people. To a meteorologist it is the absence of rain while to the agriculturist it is the deficiency of soil moisture in the crop root zone to support optimum crop growth and productivity.
To the hydrologist it is the lowering of water levels in lakes, reservoirs etc. while for the city management it may mean the shortage of drinking water availability. Thus, it is unrealistic to expect a universal definition of drought for all fields of activity.
Prolonged deficiency of soil moisture adversely affect crop growth indicating incidence of agriculture drought. It is the result of imbalance between soil moisture and evapotranspiration needs of an area over a fairly long period as to cause damage to standing crops and to reduce the yields.
Essay # 3. Classification of Drought :
Drought can be classified based on duration and nature of users. In both the classifications, demarcation between the two is not well defined and many a time overlapping of the cause and effect of one on the other is seen.
Droughts are classified into eight kinds:
(i) Permanent Drought :
This is characteristic of the desert climate where sparse vegetation growing is adapted to drought and agriculture is possible only by irrigation during entire crop season.
(ii) Seasonal Drought :
This is found in climates with well-defined rainy and dry seasons. Most of the arid and semiarid zones fall in this category. Duration of the crop varieties and planting dates should be such that the growing season should fall within rainy season.
(iii) Contingent Drought :
This involves an abnormal failure of rainfall. It may occur almost anywhere especially in most parts of humid or sub-humid climates. It is usually brief, irregular and generally affects only a small area.
(iv) Invisible Drought :
This can occur even when there is frequent rain in an area. When rainfall is inadequate to meet the evapotranspiration losses, the result is borderline water deficiency in soil resulting in less than optimum yield. This occurs usually in humid regions. Droughts are also classified based on their relevance to the users.
(v) Meteorological Drought :
In India, the definition for meteorological drought adopted by IMD is a situation when the deficiency of rainfall at a meteorological sub-division level is 25 per cent or more of the long- term average (LTA) of that subdivision for a given period. Drought is considered moderate; if the deficiency is between 26 and 50 per cent and severe if it is more than 50 per cent.
In our country, a year is considered to be a drought year in case the area affected by moderate and severe drought, either individually or together, is 20 to 40 per cent of the total area of the country and seasonal rainfall deficiency during southwest monsoon season for the country as a whole is at least 10 per cent or more. When the spatial coverage of drought is more than 40 per cent, it will be called as all India severe drought year (IMD Technical Circular No 2/2007).
(vi) Atmospheric Drought :
It is due to low air humidity, frequently accompanied by hot dry winds. It may occur even under conditions of adequate available soil moisture. Plants growing under favourable soil moisture regime are usually susceptible to atmospheric drought.
(vii) Hydrological Drought :
Meteorological drought, when prolonged, results in hydrological drought with depletion of surface water and consequent drying of reservoirs, tanks etc. This is based on water balance and how it affects irrigation as a whole for bringing crops to maturity.
(viii) Agricultural Drought :
It is the result of soil moisture stress due to imbalance between available soil moisture and evapotranspiration of a crop. It is usually gradual and progressive. Plants can therefore, adjust at least partly, to the increased soil moisture stress. This situation arises as a consequence of scant precipitation or its uneven distribution both in space and time. It is also usually referred as soil drought.
When soil moisture and rainfall are inadequate during crop growing season to support healthy crop growth to maturity, which situation causes extreme crop stress and wilting is called agricultural drought. It is defined as a period of four consecutive weeks (of severe meteorological drought) with a rainfall deficiency of more than 50 per cent of the long-term average (LTA) or with a weekly rainfall of 5 cm or less during the period from mid-May to mid-October (kharif) when 80 per cent of the country’s total crop is planted, or six such consecutive weeks during the rest of the year.
Essay # 4. Criteria of Drought :
In India various states and official commission have adapted different criteria for classifying droughts.
Irrigation Commission, while adopting the IMD classification of Meteorological drought based on departure of annual rainfall from normal, considered those regions which experienced drought in 20 per cent of years as drought areas and those area which experienced drought in more than 40 per cent of the years as chronic drought areas.
National Commission on Agriculture (1976) considered agricultural drought as an occasion when at least four consecutive weeks receive rainfall half of the normal (normal rainfall being 5 mm or more) during the crop season (mid-May to mid-October) or six such weeks during other period.
The criteria adopted in different states also vary depending on the rainfall and crops grown in the region. Tamil Nadu considers region receiving less than 900 mm rainfall as drought affected, while Karnataka considers regions receiving rainfall less than 400 mm during kharif and less than 30 per cent during crop season and 20 per cent deficiency of rainfall during crucial stages of crop growth as drought affected areas.
Rajasthan on the other hand considers a year as scarcity year when the productivity decrease by 50 per cent compared to a good crop year. Many of the states also follow the “Annawary” system wherein the crop conditions are assessed through visual estimates.
The criterion followed is:
Production above 75 per cent of normal: No drought.
Production 50 to 75 per cent of normal: Moderate drought.
Production 25 to 50 per cent of normal: Severe drought.
Production less than 25 per cent normal: Disastrous drought.
Besides rainfall, various other climatic and soil factors have also been used for drought classification. These include the aridity index (la) anomaly and ratio of actual to potential evapotranspiration (AE/PE).
Studies at CAZRI categorised drought based on moisture stress during crop growing season using the following criteria:
Drought Free Period:
When cumulative AE curve is above cumulative PE/2 curve.
Moderate Drought Period:
When cumulative AE curve lies between cumulative PE/2 and PE/4 curves.
Severe Drought Period:
When cumulative AE curve is below cumulative PE/4 curve.
Impact of drought depends on the phonological state of crop growth. Hence, a novel method of classification of agricultural droughts was attempted at CAZRI, considering the values of AE/ PE during different phenophases of crop growth as indicated in Table 5.4.
Depending upon the values of AE/PE during different phenophase, drought code varies as S 1 V 3, R 2 , S 0 V 1 , R 1 etc.
This is a generalised classification without specification of any crop. At this state, crop factor can be introduced and drought code in three syllables can be unified into a single drought code (A) applicable to one particular crop for a specific region. Based on this criteria, the above two situations mentioned come under classification of A 2 (moderate) and A 1 (mild) respectively.
Apart from climatological parameters, physical parameters like canopy-air temperature differences have also been used for assessing stress degree days (SDD) to indicate the impact of drought. The SDD have been found to correlate well with yield fluctuations as a result of moisture stress. Also spectral ratios of infrared to red reflectance obtained from radiometers (satellite or ground based) can be used to monitor agricultural effects of drought based on observed rate of change of absorbed radiation expressed as a fraction of maximum rate.
Essay # 5. Impact of Droughts:
One of the sectors where immediate impact of drought is felt is agriculture. With increased intensity or extended duration of drought prevalence, a significant fall in food production is often noticed. Drought results in crop losses of different magnitude depending on their geographic-incidence, intensity and duration. Drought not only affects food production at farm level but also national economy and overall food security as well.
Besides shortage of food and drinking water, impact of drought is also felt due to:
a. Deficit groundwater recharge.
b. Non availability of quality seed.
c. Reduced draught power for agricultural operations due to distress sale of cattle.
d. Land degradation.
e. Fall in investment capacity of farmers for further investment in agriculture.
Essay # 6. Periodicity of Drought:
Drought prone areas in the country, classified on annual rainfall departure, fall either in arid, semiarid and dry sub-humid regions where droughts occur frequently.
Periodicity of drought in different meteorological subdivisions is given in Table 5.5 :
Historical rainfall data of the country suggests that the monsoon rainfall recorded in the country during drought year of 1918 was the lowest.
Severe drought years that occurred over the past 200 years (1801-2000) are shown in Table 5.6:
Administrative districts frequently affected by drought are given in Table 5.7:
Essay # 7. Plant Adaptations to Drought :
Plants can grow and survive in dry habitat by escaping drought and drought resistance.
Escaping Drought :
Many short duration desert plants (ephemerals) germinate with rains and mature in five to six weeks. They have no mechanism to overcome soil moisture stress and are not drought resistant. In cultivated crops, early maturity before soil moisture stress is the main adaptation to drought in dry regions.
Drought Resistance :
Plants can adapt to drought conditions in two ways: avoiding stress and tolerating stress. Stress avoidance is the ability to maintain favourable water balance and turgidity even when subjected to drought thereby avoiding stress and its consequences. Favourable water balance can be achieved either through conserving water by restricting transportation (water savers) or by accelerating water uptake (water spenders).
The mechanisms for conserving water are regulating stomatal opening, increased photosynthetic efficiency, low rates of cuticular respiration, decreasing transpiration by lipid deposition on leaves, reducing leaf area, stomatal frequency and location and presence of awns. Water uptake can be accelerated by efficient root system, high root to top ratio, differential osmotic potential of plants and change of water spenders to water savers.
Drought Tolerance :
Plants can tolerate drought either by mitigating the actual stress or by showing high degree of tolerance to stress. Mitigating the stress by resistance to dehydration and by preventing leaf collapse permit the plants to maintain a high internal water potential inspite of drought conditions.
Tolerating the stress by resistance to metabolic strain (starvation acid protein loss) and plastic strain (increased resistance to stress due to exposure to sublethal stress for long period) can increase the plant ability to resist and survive under conditions of soil moisture stress.
Essay # 8. Drought Prone Areas :
Out of the total geographical area of India, almost one-sixth area with 12 per cent of the population is drought prone; the areas that receive an annual rainfall up to 600 mm are the most prone. Irrigation Commission (1972) had identified 67 districts as drought prone.
These comprise 326 taluks located in 8 states, covering an area of 49.73 M ha. Subsequently, National Commission on Agriculture (MoA 1976) identified a few more drought prone areas with slightly different criteria. Later, based on detailed studies, 74 districts of the country have been identified as drought prone.
In the past, one or more of the following four criteria were used to identify drought prone areas:
(1) Meteorological data.
(2) Revenue remission.
(3) Frequency of famine or scarcity.
(4) Availability of irrigation facilities.
Some states used other criteria also. Tamil Nadu identified 311 taluks in which rainfall was less than 900 mm or less than 35 per cent of the cultivable area irrigated as drought area. Rajasthan considered an area to be drought prone when the ratio of good crop year to scarcity year was 2: 1 or when not less than 50 per cent of the village of the area were affected by drought.
Karnataka considered those areas as drought areas which received less than 400 mm rainfall during kharif and less than 150 mm during rabi with a variability of more than 30 per cent during each season and rainfall deficiency of more than 20 per cent at the critical stages of crop growth. Thornthwaite used water balance approach for evaluating drought and proposed the aridity index.
The Irrigation Commission relied, on only two criteria: meteorological data and available irrigation facilities and demarked the areas as drought or chronic drought zones. Drought zones are areas with 25 per cent probability of rainfall departure from the normal. Chronic drought zones are areas with 40 per cent probability of rainfall departure or more than – 40 per cent from the normal.
Essay # 9. Drought Prone Areas Programme (DPAP):
It is the earliest area development programme launched by the Central Government in 1973- 74 to tackle the special problems faced by those fragile areas, which are constantly affected by severe drought conditions. These areas are characterised by large human and cattle populations which are continuously putting heavy pressure on the already degraded natural resources for food, fodder and fuel.
Basic objective of the programme is to minimise the adverse effects of drought on production of crops and livestock and productivity .of land, water and human resources, leading to drought proofing of affected areas.
The programme aims at promoting overall economic development and improving the socio-economic condition of resource poor and disadvantaged sections inhabiting the programme areas through creation, widening and equitable distribution of resource base and increased employment opportunities.
The objectives of the programme are being addressed, in general, by taking up development works through watershed approach for land development, water resource development and afforestation/pasture development.
Recent impact studies sponsored by the ministry have revealed that with the implementation of watershed projects under Drought Prone Areas Programme, overall productivity of land and water table have increased and there has been a significant impact in checking soil erosion by water and wind. The programme has also helped in overall economic development in the project areas.
Major problems are continuous depletion of vegetative cover, increase in soil erosion and fall in groundwater levels due to continuous exploitation without any effort to recharge the underground aquifers.
Though the programme had a positive impact in terms of creating durable public assets, its overall impact in effectively containing the adverse effects of drought was not found to be very encouraging. In addition, many of the states had also been demanding inclusion of additional areas under the programme.
With a view to identifying the infirmities in the programme and also for considering the case for inclusion of additional areas under the programme, a high level technical committee under the chairmanship of Prof CH Hanumantha Rao, Ex-Member Planning Commission was constituted in April 1993 to critically review the contents, methodology and implementation processes of all area development programmes and suggest suitable measures for improvement.
The Committee in its report submitted in April 1994 had attributed the unsatisfactory performance of the programmes to the following major factors:
1. Implementation of programme activities over vast areas in a sectoral and dispersed manner.
2. Inadequate allocations to the programme and programme expenditures thinly spread overlarge problem areas.
3. Programme implemented through government agencies with least or no participation of local people.
4. Taking up of a vast array of activities, which were neither properly integrated nor necessarily related to objectives of the programme.
Based on recommendations of the Hanumantha Rao Committee, comprehensive guidelines for watershed development, commonly applicable to Drought Prone Areas Programme, Desert Development Programme and Integrated Wastelands Development Programme were issued in October 1994 and were made applicable with effect from 1.4.1995. Subsequently, based on the feedback received from states, project implementation agencies and others concerned, guidelines were revised in September 2001.
Relevant definition of agricultural drought appears to be a period of dryness during the crop season, sufficiently prolonged to adversely effect the yield. The extent of yield loss depends on the crop growth stage and the degree of stress. It does not begin when the rain ceases, but actually commences only when the plant roots are not able to obtain the soil moisture rapidly enough to replace evapotranspiration losses.
Important causes for agricultural drought are:
a. Inadequate precipitation.
b. Erratic distribution.
c. Long dry spells in the monsoon.
d. Late onset of monsoon.
e. Early withdrawal of monsoon.
In India, seasonal rainfall (monsoon rains) over Indian subcontinent is a global phenomena associated with large scale hemispherical movement of air masses. As such, identification of major atmospheric phenomenon that influences the monsoons over Indian subcontinent is essential in drought management research.
Two such relationships are:
(i) Sea surface temperature anomaly around the Indian subcontinent in relation to atmospheric circulation.
(ii) Large scale pressure oscillation in atmosphere over southern Pacific Ocean.
The El Nino event is one such phenomenon, which has profound influence on the monsoon activity over Indian subcontinent, The Southern Oscillation Index (SOI) is one important parameter in the predictive sixteen parameters model used by IMD for long range forecasting purposes.
As per IMD studies, all the drought years are El Nino years where as all the El Nino years are not drought years indicating thereby that various other factors also equally influence the monsoon over the Indian subcontinent.
In this context, the winter circulation over the subcontinent, extended period of occurrence of western disturbances (late in the season), strengthening of heat low over N-W India in summer and shifts in zonal cells over India are some of the important parameters that influence monsoon system over the country.
Related Articles:
- The Identification and Distribution of Drought-Prone Areas in India
- Essay on Natural Hazards in India | Geography
- Natural Calamities: Essay on Natural Calamities | Geography
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Essay on Drought
Drought is a condition when there are no rains for a long period of time. The occurrence of drought is a common sight in many parts of the country. The consequences of this condition are drastic and many times irreversible. Drought is the condition when certain parts of the world are deprived of rain for months or at times the entire season. There are several reasons that cause drought-like situations in different parts and prove to be fatal.
Long and Short Essay on Drought in English
Here are some short and long essays on Drought of varying lengths to help you with the topic. You can choose any drought essay given below:
Drought Essay – 1 (200 words)
Drought which is marked by the absence of or low rain in a particular region for a long period of time occurs because of various reasons including global warming, deforestation and many other human activities. This climatic condition can cause disastrous impact on the environment as well as the living beings. Some of the effects of drought include failure of crops, financial loss, price rise and soil degradation.
Several Indian states have been hit by drought leading to mass destruction of crops and disruption of the normal functioning of the society. Many parts have even witnessed famine leading to the death of several people due to starvation. Looking at the adversities faced by people in such areas, the government of India has come up with various drought relief plans however a lot more needs to be done to control this problem and deal with its after effects.
Some of the solutions suggested in this direction are rainwater harvesting, recycling and reuse of water, controlling deforestation, sea water desalination, cloud seeding, growing more plants and trees, stopping overall waste of water. However, most of these cannot be achieved if the general public does not support the cause. Each one should thus take it as a responsibility to contribute his/ her bit to curb the problem.
Drought Essay – 2 (300 words)
Drought, which results in the shortage of water, is mainly caused due to lack of rainfall. The situation is problematic and can prove to be fatal for those living in the drought-affected areas. It is particularly a curse for the farmers as it destroys their crops. Continuous drought-like situation also leads to the soil becoming less fertile.
Causes of Drought
There are various factors that lead to drought. Here is a look at these causes in detail:
- Deforestation
Deforestation is said to be one of the main causes of shortage of rainfall that leads to drought. Adequate amount of trees and vegetation is required on land to limit evaporation of water, store enough water on land and attract rainfall. Deforestation and construction of concrete buildings in their place has caused a major misbalance in the environment. It lowers the capacity of the soil to hold water and increases evaporation. Both these are a cause of low rainfall.
- Low Surface Water Flow
Rivers and lakes are the main sources of surface water in various regions around the world. In extreme summers or because of usage of surface water for various human activities, the water in these sources dries down leading to drought.
- Global Warming
The negative impact of global warming on the environment is known to all. Among other issues, the emission of greenhouse gases that results in the rise in earth’s temperature has resulted in the rise in evaporation. High temperature is also a cause of wildfires that worsens the drought-condition.
Apart from these, excessive irrigation is also one of the causes of drought as it drains the surface water.
Though the causes of drought are largely known and are mostly the result of misuse of water resources and other non-environmental friendly human activities, nothing much is being done to curb this problem. It is time the governments of various countries should join hands to overcome this global issue.
Drought Essay – 3 (400 words)
Drought occurs when a region receives no or less than the average amount of rainfall leading to water shortage, failure of crops and disruption of normal activities. Various factors such as global warming, deforestation and construction of buildings have given rise to drought.
Types of Droughts
While some areas are marked by complete absence of rain for a long period of time, others receive less than the average amount of precipitation, yet others might face drought for some part of the year – So the severity and type of drought varies from place to place and from time to time. Here is a look at the different types of droughts:
- Meteorological Drought
When there is a reduction in rainfall in a region for a particular period – it can be for few days, months, seasons or year – it is said to be hit by meteorological drought. In India an area is said to be hit by meteorological drought when the annual rainfall is 75% less than the average rainfall.
- Hydrological Drought
This is basically associated with the reduction in water. Hydrological droughts are often a result of two successive meteorological droughts. These are divided into two categories:
- Surface Water Drought
- Ground Water Drought
- Soil Moisture Drought
As the name suggests, this situation involves inadequate soil moisture that hinders crop growth. This is an outcome of meteorological drought as it leads to lower water supply to soil and greater water loss due to evaporation.
- Agricultural Drought
When the meteorological or hydrological droughts lead to negative impacts on the crop yield in a region, it is said to be hit by agricultural drought.
This is said to be the most severe drought situation. People in such regions do not get any access to food and there is mass starvation and devastation. The government needs to intervene in such a situation and food is supplied to these places from other places.
- Socio-Economic Drought
This situation occurs when there is a decrease in the availability of food and loss of income due to the failure of crop and the social security and access to food for the people in such areas is at risk.
Drought is a difficult situation to deal with especially if the severity is high. Several people are affected due to drought each year. While the occurrence of drought is a natural phenomenon, we can certainly reduce the human activities that lead to such a situation. Government must also come up with effective measures to deal with its after effects.
Drought Essay – 4 (500 words)
Drought, a condition that occurs due to no or very low rainfall, has been classified into different categories including meteorological drought, famine, socio-economic drought, hydrological drought and agricultural drought. Whatever be the type of drought, it disturbs the normal functioning of the regions affected.
Impacts of Drought
The regions hit by drought take a good amount of time to recover from the disaster caused, particularly if the severity of the drought is high. Drought disrupts the day-to-day lives of the people and has a widespread impact on various sectors. Here is how this natural disaster impacts the lives of the people living in the affected region:
- Agricultural Loss
A major impact occurs on the agriculture and other related sectors as these are directly dependent on the ground and surface water. Loss of crop yields, low rate of livestock production, rise in plant disease and wind erosion are some of the major impacts of drought.
- Financial Loss for Farmers
Farmers are worst effected by drought. The crops in the drought hit areas do not yield and the farmers whose sole income is generated through farming are worst affected by this situation. In an attempt to make their ends meet, many farmers end up in debt. The cases of farmer suicides due to such situation are also common.
- Wildlife at Risk
The cases of forest fires increase during droughts and this puts the wildlife population at high risk. Forests get burnt down and many wild animals end up losing life while others lose their shelter.
The prices of various cereals, fruits, vegetables rise because of low supply and high demand. The prices of food items such as jams, sauces and drinks that are produced from those particular fruits and vegetables also increase. In certain cases, goods are imported from other places to meet the demands of the people and hence the prices levied on the same are high. The retailers who offer goods and services to the farmers also face financial loss due to reduced business.
- Degradation of Soil
The soil loses moisture due to continuous drought and its quality degrades. It takes a lot of time for some areas to regain the ability to yield crops.
- Overall Impact on Environment
Damage is caused to various species of plants and animals, there is degradation of landscape quality and biodiversity is impacted. The quality of air and water is also affected due to drought. While some of these conditions are temporary others may last long and might even turn permanent.
- Public Safety at Stake
Lack of food and increased prices of different commodities may give rise to crimes such as theft and this can put public safety at stake. Conflict may also occur between water users thereby causing tension among general public.
Drought Prone Countries
Some of the countries that are more prone to drought include Albania, Afghanistan, Armenia, Bahrain, Northeast parts of Brazil, Burma, Cuba, Morocco, Iran, China, Bangladesh, Botswana, Sudan, Uganda, Somalia, Eritrea and Ethiopia.
Drought is one of the most disastrous natural calamities. Famine, that is the most severe forms of drought, ends in major socio, economic and environmental loss for the regions affected.
Drought Essay – 5 (600 words)
Drought, a condition when certain regions are faced with scarcity of water due to low or no rainfall, has been the cause of several problems in India. There are many areas in the country that are hit by drought each year while others are faced with this condition occasionally. Drought is caused due to various factors such as deforestation, global warming and inadequate surface water and has severe impact on the lives of the people living in the affected areas as well as the general health of the environment.
Drought Prone Areas in India
Many regions in the country are hit by drought each year. Statistics reveal that approximately one-sixth of the total geographical area of the country that inhabits around 12% of the population is drought prone.
One of the most drought prone states in the country is Rajasthan. As many as eleven districts in this state are hit by drought. These regions receive scanty or no rainfall and have low level of ground water. Drought is also a common phenomenon in the state of Andhra Pradesh. Almost every district here is hit by drought each year.
Here is a look at some of the other regions in the country that face frequent drought:
- Saurashtra and Kutch, Gujarat
- Coimbatore in Kerala
- Mirzapur Plateau and Palamu, Uttar Pradesh
- Kalahandi, Orissa
- Purulia, West Bengal
- Tirunelveli District, South of Vaigai River, Tamil Nadu
Possible Solutions for Drought
- Rain Water Harvesting
This is the technique of collecting and storing rainwater in tanks and natural reservoirs to use it later. Rain water harvesting must be made mandatory for all. The idea behind this is to put the available water to use.
- Sea Water Desalination
Sea water desalination must be done so that the vast amount of water stored in the sea can be used for the purpose of irrigation and other agricultural activities. The government must make major investment in this direction.
- Recycle Water
Waste water must be purified and recycled for reuse. This can be done in many ways. Small steps such as installing rain barrel, collecting the waste water from RO systems, usage of shower buckets, saving water from washing veggies and creating rain garden can help in this direction. The water collected by these means can be used to water the plants.
- Cloud Seeding
Cloud seeding is done to modify weather. It is a way to increase the amount of precipitation. Potassium iodide, silver iodide and dry ice are some of the chemicals used for the purpose of cloud seeding. The government should invest in cloud seeding to avoid drought in the areas prone to this condition.
- Plant More Trees
Deforestation and the building of concrete structures is one of the causes of scanty rainfall. Efforts must be made to plant more trees. This simple step can change the climatic conditions and also bring about other positive changes in the environment.
- Water Usage
Each one should take it as a responsibility to stop the wastage of water so that there is availability of enough water even when during times of low rainfall. Government must take steps to keep a check on the usage of water.
- Campaigns must be Run
The government must run campaigns stating the benefits of rain water harvesting, planting more trees and other measures that the general public can take to fight drought. This is a good way to spread awareness and control the problem.
Though the government has put certain drought relief plans in place however these are not enough to overcome the drastic problem of drought. It is important to take strong steps to avoid this problem. Everyone should contribute their bit to control this problem.
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Paragraph on Flood
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Essay on Drought for Children and Students
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Table of Contents
Drought is a condition when there are no rains for a long period of time. The occurrence of drought is a common sight in many parts of the country. The consequences of this condition are drastic and many times irreversible. Drought is the condition when certain parts of the world are deprived of rain for months or at times the entire season. There are several reasons that cause drought-like situations in different parts and prove to be fatal.
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Long and Short Essay on Drought in English
Here are some short and long essays on Drought of varying lengths to help you with the topic. You can choose any drought essay given below:
Drought Essay – 1 (200 words)
Drought which is marked by the absence of or low rain in a particular region for a long period of time occurs because of various reasons including global warming, deforestation and many other human activities. This climatic condition can cause disastrous impact on the environment as well as the living beings. Some of the effects of drought include failure of crops, financial loss, price rise and soil degradation.
Several Indian states have been hit by drought leading to mass destruction of crops and disruption of the normal functioning of the society. Many parts have even witnessed famine leading to the death of several people due to starvation. Looking at the adversities faced by people in such areas, the government of India has come up with various drought relief plans however a lot more needs to be done to control this problem and deal with its after effects.
Some of the solutions suggested in this direction are rainwater harvesting, recycling and reuse of water, controlling deforestation, sea water desalination, cloud seeding, growing more plants and trees, stopping overall waste of water. However, most of these cannot be achieved if the general public does not support the cause. Each one should thus take it as a responsibility to contribute his/ her bit to curb the problem.
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Drought Essay – 2 (300 words)
Drought, which results in the shortage of water, is mainly caused due to lack of rainfall. The situation is problematic and can prove to be fatal for those living in the drought-affected areas. It is particularly a curse for the farmers as it destroys their crops. Continuous drought-like situation also leads to the soil becoming less fertile.
Causes of Drought
There are various factors that lead to drought. Here is a look at these causes in detail:
- Deforestation
Deforestation is said to be one of the main causes of shortage of rainfall that leads to drought. Adequate amount of trees and vegetation is required on land to limit evaporation of water, store enough water on land and attract rainfall. Deforestation and construction of concrete buildings in their place has caused a major misbalance in the environment. It lowers the capacity of the soil to hold water and increases evaporation. Both these are a cause of low rainfall.
- Low Surface Water Flow
Rivers and lakes are the main sources of surface water in various regions around the world. In extreme summers or because of usage of surface water for various human activities, the water in these sources dries down leading to drought.
- Global Warming
The negative impact of global warming on the environment is known to all. Among other issues, the emission of greenhouse gases that results in the rise in earth’s temperature has resulted in the rise in evaporation. High temperature is also a cause of wildfires that worsens the drought-condition.
Apart from these, excessive irrigation is also one of the causes of drought as it drains the surface water.
Though the causes of drought are largely known and are mostly the result of misuse of water resources and other non-environmental friendly human activities, nothing much is being done to curb this problem. It is time the governments of various countries should join hands to overcome this global issue.
Drought Essay – 3 (400 words)
Drought occurs when a region receives no or less than the average amount of rainfall leading to water shortage, failure of crops and disruption of normal activities. Various factors such as global warming, deforestation and construction of buildings have given rise to drought.
Types of Droughts
While some areas are marked by complete absence of rain for a long period of time, others receive less than the average amount of precipitation, yet others might face drought for some part of the year – So the severity and type of drought varies from place to place and from time to time. Here is a look at the different types of droughts:
- Meteorological Drought
When there is a reduction in rainfall in a region for a particular period – it can be for few days, months, seasons or year – it is said to be hit by meteorological drought. In India an area is said to be hit by meteorological drought when the annual rainfall is 75% less than the average rainfall.
- Hydrological Drought
This is basically associated with the reduction in water. Hydrological droughts are often a result of two successive meteorological droughts. These are divided into two categories:
- Surface Water Drought
- Ground Water Drought
- Soil Moisture Drought
As the name suggests, this situation involves inadequate soil moisture that hinders crop growth. This is an outcome of meteorological drought as it leads to lower water supply to soil and greater water loss due to evaporation.
- Agricultural Drought
When the meteorological or hydrological droughts lead to negative impacts on the crop yield in a region, it is said to be hit by agricultural drought.
This is said to be the most severe drought situation. People in such regions do not get any access to food and there is mass starvation and devastation. The government needs to intervene in such a situation and food is supplied to these places from other places.
- Socio-Economic Drought
This situation occurs when there is a decrease in the availability of food and loss of income due to the failure of crop and the social security and access to food for the people in such areas is at risk.
Drought is a difficult situation to deal with especially if the severity is high. Several people are affected due to drought each year. While the occurrence of drought is a natural phenomenon, we can certainly reduce the human activities that lead to such a situation. Government must also come up with effective measures to deal with its after effects.
Drought Essay – 4 (500 words)
Drought, a condition that occurs due to no or very low rainfall, has been classified into different categories including meteorological drought, famine, socio-economic drought, hydrological drought and agricultural drought. Whatever be the type of drought, it disturbs the normal functioning of the regions affected.
Impacts of Drought
The regions hit by drought take a good amount of time to recover from the disaster caused, particularly if the severity of the drought is high. Drought disrupts the day-to-day lives of the people and has a widespread impact on various sectors. Here is how this natural disaster impacts the lives of the people living in the affected region:
- Agricultural Loss
A major impact occurs on the agriculture and other related sectors as these are directly dependent on the ground and surface water. Loss of crop yields, low rate of livestock production, rise in plant disease and wind erosion are some of the major impacts of drought.
- Financial Loss for Farmers
Farmers are worst effected by drought. The crops in the drought hit areas do not yield and the farmers whose sole income is generated through farming are worst affected by this situation. In an attempt to make their ends meet, many farmers end up in debt. The cases of farmer suicides due to such situation are also common.
- Wildlife at Risk
The cases of forest fires increase during droughts and this puts the wildlife population at high risk. Forests get burnt down and many wild animals end up losing life while others lose their shelter.
The prices of various cereals, fruits, vegetables rise because of low supply and high demand. The prices of food items such as jams, sauces and drinks that are produced from those particular fruits and vegetables also increase. In certain cases, goods are imported from other places to meet the demands of the people and hence the prices levied on the same are high. The retailers who offer goods and services to the farmers also face financial loss due to reduced business.
- Degradation of Soil
The soil loses moisture due to continuous drought and its quality degrades. It takes a lot of time for some areas to regain the ability to yield crops.
- Overall Impact on Environment
Damage is caused to various species of plants and animals, there is degradation of landscape quality and biodiversity is impacted. The quality of air and water is also affected due to drought. While some of these conditions are temporary others may last long and might even turn permanent.
- Public Safety at Stake
Lack of food and increased prices of different commodities may give rise to crimes such as theft and this can put public safety at stake. Conflict may also occur between water users thereby causing tension among general public.
Drought Prone Countries
Some of the countries that are more prone to drought include Albania, Afghanistan, Armenia, Bahrain, Northeast parts of Brazil, Burma, Cuba, Morocco, Iran, China, Bangladesh, Botswana, Sudan, Uganda, Somalia, Eritrea and Ethiopia.
Drought is one of the most disastrous natural calamities. Famine, that is the most severe forms of drought, ends in major socio, economic and environmental loss for the regions affected.
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Drought Essay – 5 (600 words)
Drought, a condition when certain regions are faced with scarcity of water due to low or no rainfall, has been the cause of several problems in India. There are many areas in the country that are hit by drought each year while others are faced with this condition occasionally. Drought is caused due to various factors such as deforestation, global warming and inadequate surface water and has severe impact on the lives of the people living in the affected areas as well as the general health of the environment.
Drought Prone Areas in India
Many regions in the country are hit by drought each year. Statistics reveal that approximately one-sixth of the total geographical area of the country that inhabits around 12% of the population is drought prone.
One of the most drought prone states in the country is Rajasthan. As many as eleven districts in this state are hit by drought. These regions receive scanty or no rainfall and have low level of ground water. Drought is also a common phenomenon in the state of Andhra Pradesh. Almost every district here is hit by drought each year.
Here is a look at some of the other regions in the country that face frequent drought:
- Saurashtra and Kutch, Gujarat
- Coimbatore in Kerala
- Mirzapur Plateau and Palamu, Uttar Pradesh
- Kalahandi, Orissa
- Purulia, West Bengal
- Tirunelveli District, South of Vaigai River, Tamil Nadu
Possible Solutions for Drought
- Rain Water Harvesting
This is the technique of collecting and storing rainwater in tanks and natural reservoirs to use it later. Rain water harvesting must be made mandatory for all. The idea behind this is to put the available water to use.
- Sea Water Desalination
Sea water desalination must be done so that the vast amount of water stored in the sea can be used for the purpose of irrigation and other agricultural activities. The government must make major investment in this direction.
- Recycle Water
Waste water must be purified and recycled for reuse. This can be done in many ways. Small steps such as installing rain barrel, collecting the waste water from RO systems, usage of shower buckets, saving water from washing veggies and creating rain garden can help in this direction. The water collected by these means can be used to water the plants.
- Cloud Seeding
Cloud seeding is done to modify weather. It is a way to increase the amount of precipitation. Potassium iodide, silver iodide and dry ice are some of the chemicals used for the purpose of cloud seeding. The government should invest in cloud seeding to avoid drought in the areas prone to this condition.
- Plant More Trees
Deforestation and the building of concrete structures is one of the causes of scanty rainfall. Efforts must be made to plant more trees. This simple step can change the climatic conditions and also bring about other positive changes in the environment.
- Water Usage
Each one should take it as a responsibility to stop the wastage of water so that there is availability of enough water even when during times of low rainfall. Government must take steps to keep a check on the usage of water.
- Campaigns must be Run
The government must run campaigns stating the benefits of rain water harvesting, planting more trees and other measures that the general public can take to fight drought. This is a good way to spread awareness and control the problem.
Though the government has put certain drought relief plans in place however these are not enough to overcome the drastic problem of drought. It is important to take strong steps to avoid this problem. Everyone should contribute their bit to control this problem.
Related Information:
- Essay on Flood
- Paragraph on Flood
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Drought Essay in English for Students
August 12, 2021 by Sandeep
Essay on Drought: It is a closely associated natural disaster caused due to scanty or no rainfall. They are life-risking and take a heavy toll on poultry, human, and wildlife. An extreme water shortage causes crops to dry, and farmers run helter-skelter for their livelihood. Soil loses its retention capacity, and huge plots of fertile land turn into barren fields where nothing can be cultivated. Global warming and greenhouse gases mainly cause the drought situation to occur.
Essay on Drought
Below we have provided Drought Essay in English, suitable for classes 6, 7, 8, 9 & 10. This detailed essay on drought of 200-250 words is greatly helpful for all school students to perform well in essay writing competitions.
Drought is a natural calamity where there is a water shortage everywhere, even for essential needs. People in many countries are suffering from drought, and others are losing their lives because of the lack of water that contributes to food shortages. The effect of drought is terrible, and the affected country often has trouble returning to a healthy state. In some areas, starvation, as a result of drought, leads to several people’s death. Drought also affects crops’ production, causes forest fires, and leads to insufficient electricity production.
Causes of Drought
The principal explanation for drought is the lack of rain. If the usually falling rain fails for a couple of months, then water shortage occurs. Wells get dry, and people and other living beings begin travelling in search of water from one location to another. Though the leading cause of drought is lack of rainfall, other factors also contribute to such a situation.
Trees are the principal source of rainfall. When we cut the trees to build houses, we kill vegetation and greenery and eliminate the Earth’s primary source of rain. The rivers, lakes, and ponds are the natural ways water is collected on Earth. Activities such as excessive irrigation and improper water use for agricultural purposes remove the surface water from these natural reservoirs and create a drought condition.
India is a land that is dependent on monsoon rainfall for water adequacy. Consequently, insufficient rain in most parts of the world is considered the primary cause of the drought. High sea temperatures have resulted in the El Nino impact that has further influenced the monsoon season’s onset. Together with unsuitable agricultural practices and increased pollution levels, all these factors have contributed to a decline in monsoon rainfall that has led to a drought.
Consequences of Drought
Biodiversity disruption and depletion occur during a drought when many species die from lack of water and food. Drought severely affects the health of both animals and plants. Drought effects cause dehydration and malnutrition, which weaken humans and plants alike. Extreme malnutrition of humans and animals leads to their death.
The economic losses suffered during drought are also significant. Drought causes plants to die and deteriorate, reducing economic, agricultural production. Food production costs will increase, and water economic activities such as tourism and energy production will be reduced. India’s agriculture sector is the most vulnerable to climate conditions. Much of India’s agriculture relies on both rainfall and groundwater.
“Drought” like situation has tremendously affected India’s farming sector and animal husbandry. The scorching sun sucks the groundwater and becomes fatal to the cattle. Continuous drought can cause the soil to lose its humidity and fertility. There is no rain in many areas, so we can see that the lands would have cracks on them. After several years of rain, some areas recover their fertile soil, but some entirely lose their ability to produce crops.
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NCERT Solutions For Class 10 English First Flight Chapter 1 A Letter to God, Dust of Snow, Fire and Ice
Ncert solutions for class 10 english chapter 1 – download free pdf (updated for 2023-24).
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Chapter 1 of NCERT Solutions for Class 10 English First Flight provides students with both subjective and objective questions. Students can download the PDF and use them while answering the textbook questions to understand the topics. The NCERT Solutions PDF can be accessed anytime by the students in order to evaluate themselves before the 2023-24 board exams.
NCERT Solutions for Class 10 English Chapter 1
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Access Answers to NCERT Class 10 English Chapter 1 – A Letter to God
A Letter to God
Oral Comprehension Check (Page 5)
Question 1:
What did Lencho hope for?
Lencho had hoped for a downpour or at least a shower for his ripe corn fields as it was needed for a good harvest.
Question 2:
Why did Lencho say the raindrops were like ‘new coins’?
Lencho compared the raindrops to ‘new coins’ – the big drops as ten-cent pieces and the little ones as fives. As his crops were ready for harvest, he hoped that the rains would bring him prosperity; so he felt the raindrops were like ‘new coins’.
Question 3:
How did the rain change? What happened to Lencho’s fields?
The rain started pouring down. But suddenly a strong wind blew and very large hailstones, like frozen pearls, began to fall along with the rain. The hailstorm continued for an hour and destroyed Lencho’s corn fields and washed away the flowers from the plants too.
Question 4:
What were Lencho’s feelings when the hail stopped?
After the hailstones stopped, Lencho’s soul was filled with grief and dismay. He realised that everything was ruined by the hailstorm and nothing was left to feed his family for the entire year. He could visualize the bleak future of his family.
Oral Comprehension Check (Page 6)
Who or what did Lencho have faith in? What did he do?
Lencho had a strong faith in God. He believed that God’s eyes see everything, even what is deep in one’s conscience. Hence, he wrote a letter to God citing that he needed a hundred pesos to sow his field that was destroyed by the hailstorm.
Who read the letter?
The postmaster read Lencho’s letter addressed to God.
What did the postmaster do then?
Initially, the postmaster broke out into laughter but was soon moved by the seriousness of Lencho’s faith in God. He didn’t want to shake the writer’s faith in the Almighty, so he came up with an idea to collect money from his employees and friends, gave a part of his salary and sent it to Lencho.
Oral Comprehension Check (Page 7)
Was Lencho surprised to find a letter for him with money in it?
No, Lencho was not at all surprised to receive a letter from God with money in it. He was very confident and had firm faith in God that his request would definitely be taken care of by the Almighty.
What made him angry?
When Lencho counted the money, he found only seventy pesos, instead of the hundred pesos demanded by him from God. He was confident that God could neither make a mistake in sending him less money, nor could he have denied Lencho what he had requested. Therefore, he came to the conclusion that the post office employees must have taken the remaining thirty pesos from the envelope.
Thinking about the Text (Page 7-8)
Who does Lencho have complete faith in? Which sentences in the story tell you this?
Lencho had complete faith in God as he was instructed that God could see everything and helped whoever was in deep trouble. Given below are a few sentences which exhibit his faith in God:
- But in the hearts of all who lived in that solitary house in the middle of the valley, there was a single hope of help from God.
- All through the night, Lencho thought only of his one hope: the help of God, whose eyes, as he had been instructed, see everything, even what is deep in one’s conscience.
- “God”, he wrote, “if you don’t help me, my family and I will go hungry this year”.
- He wrote ‘To God’ on the envelope, put the letter inside and still troubled, went to town.
- God could not have made a mistake, nor could he have denied Lencho what he had requested.
- It said: “God: Of the money that I asked for, only seventy pesos reached me. Send me the rest, since I need it very much”.
Why does the postmaster send money to Lencho? Why does he sign the letter ‘God’?
The postmaster was deeply moved by Lencho’s faith in God. Hence, he decided to send some money to Lencho in order to avoid shaking the latter’s faith in God. So, he collected some money from his colleagues and friends and signed the letter as ‘God’. The postmaster felt it was an ideal ploy to convey a message to Lencho that God has sent him the money and that God himself signed it.
Did Lencho try to find out who had sent the money to him? Why/Why not?
No, Lencho did not try to find out who had sent him the money because he was confident that God had sent it to him. Not for a moment did he suspect that someone else other than God could have sent the money to him. His faith in the Almighty was so rock-solid that he knew that nothing escapes God’s eyes. Lencho felt that God was aware of the unfortunate incident faced by him and requested him to save him from this difficult situation.
Who does Lencho think has taken the rest of the money? What is the irony in the situation? (Remember that the irony of a situation is an unexpected aspect of it. An ironic situation is strange or amusing because it is the opposite of what is expected.)
Upon counting the money, when Lencho found only seventy pesos in the envelope instead of the hundred pesos that he had requested from God, he was confident that the Almighty couldn’t have made such a big mistake. From this situation, he suspected that the post office employees could have stolen the remaining thirty pesos from the envelope. Hence, he called them crooks.
The element of irony in this situation is that Lencho ends up suspecting those very people who helped him in his crisis, in order to avoid shaking his faith in God.
Question 5:
Are there people like Lencho in the real world? What kind of a person would you say he is? You may select appropriate words from the box to answer the question.
greedy | naive | stupid | ungrateful |
selfish | comical | unquestioning |
It is not easy to find people like Lencho in the real world as he has a naïve and unquestioning nature. From the story, we can conclude that he is not stupid. He is a literate person who wrote a letter to God without any address requesting for money. Lencho had deep faith in God and was confident that he would definitely receive some financial help from the Almighty.
Question 6:
There are two kinds of conflict in the story: between humans and nature, and between humans themselves. How are these conflicts illustrated?
The conflicts between humans and nature are shown in the story when Lencho’s crops are destroyed by the hailstorm. He had expected some good rain for a good harvest. However, when his crops were damaged by the hailstorm, he lost all hope and became sad at the sight of his destroyed field.
However, the story also depicts conflicts of humans between themselves. The postmaster collected some money from his colleagues and friends and gave a part of his salary to help Lencho so that the latter’s faith in God is not shaken. It was a beautiful act of selflessness and kindness on their part. Despite their noble act, when Lencho received the money, he blindly believed that God had sent him the money, and he blamed the post office employees for stealing some money from the envelope. This implies that man lacks faith in his fellow human beings, which gives rise to conflicts among themselves.
Thinking about Language (Page 8-11)
There are different names in different parts of the world for storms, depending on their nature. Can you match the names in the box with their descriptions below, and fill in the blanks? You may use a dictionary to help you.
gale, | whirlwind, | cyclone, |
hurricane, | tornado, | typhoon |
1. A violent tropical storm in which strong winds move in a circle: __ __ c __ __ __ __
2. An extremely strong wind: __ a __ __
3. A violent tropical storm with very strong winds: __ __ p __ __ __ __
4. A violent storm whose centre is a cloud in the shape of a funnel: __ __ __ n __ __ __
5. A violent storm with very strong winds, especially in the western Atlantic Ocean: __ __ r __ __ __ __ __ __
6. A very strong wind that moves very fast in a spinning movement and causes a lot of damage: __ __ __ __ l __ __ __ __
1. A violent tropical storm in which strong winds move in a circle: _c_ _y_ c _l_ _o_ _n_ _e_
2. An extremely strong wind: _g_ a _l_ _e_
3. A violent tropical storm with very strong winds: _t_ _y_ p _h_ _o_ _o_ _n_
4. A violent storm whose centre is a cloud in the shape of a funnel: _t_ _o_ _r_ n _a_ _d_ _o_
5. A violent storm with very strong winds, especially in the western Atlantic Ocean: _h_ _u_ r _r_ _i_ _c_ _a_ _n_ _e_
6. A very strong wind that moves very fast in a spinning movement and causes a lot of damage: _w_ _h_ _i_ _r_ l _w_ _i_ _n_ _d_
Match the sentences in Column A with the meanings of ‘hope’ in Column B.
1. Will you get the subjects you want to study in college? I hope so. | – a feeling that something good will probably happen |
2. I hope you don’t mind my saying this, but I don’t like the way you are arguing. | – thinking that this would happen (It may or may not have happened.) |
3. This discovery will give new hope to HIV/AIDS sufferers. | – stopped believing that this good thing would happen |
4. We were hoping against hope that the judges would not notice our mistakes. | – wanting something to happen (and thinking it quite possible) |
5. I called early in the hope of speaking to her before she went to school. | – showing concern that what you say should not offend or disturb the other person: a way of being polite |
6. Just when everybody had given up hope, the fishermen came back, seven days after the cyclone. | – wishing for something to happen, although this is very unlikely |
1. Will you get the subjects you want to study in college? I hope so. | – wanting something to happen (and thinking it quite possible) |
2. I hope you don’t mind my saying this, but I don’t like the way you are arguing. | – showing concern that what you say should not offend or disturb the other person: a way of being polite |
3. This discovery will give new hope to HIV/AIDS sufferers. | – a feeling that something good will probably happen |
4. We were hoping against hope that the judges would not notice our mistakes. | – wishing for something to happen, although this is very unlikely |
5. I called early in the hope of speaking to her before she went to school. | – thinking that this would happen (It may or may not have happened.) |
6. Just when everybody had given up hope, the fishermen came back, seven days after the cyclone. | – stopped believing that this good thing would happen |
Relative Clauses: Join the sentences given below using who, whom, whose, which, as suggested.
1. I often go to Mumbai. Mumbai is the commercial capital of India. (which)
2. My mother is going to host a TV show on cooking. She cooks very well. (who)
3. These sportspersons are going to meet the President. Their performance has been excellent. (whose)
4. Lencho prayed to God. His eyes see into our minds. (whose)
5. This man cheated me. I trusted him. (whom)
1. I often go to Mumbai, which is the commercial capital of India.
2. My mother, who cooks very well, is going to host a TV show on cooking.
3. These sportspersons, whose performance has been excellent, are going to meet the President.
4. Lencho prayed to God, whose eyes see into our minds.
5. This man, whom I trusted, cheated me.
Using Negatives for Emphasis: Find sentences in the story with negative words, which express the following ideas emphatically.
1. The trees lost all their leaves.
___________________________________________________________
2. The letter was addressed to God himself.
3. The postman saw this address for the first time in his career.
Not a leaf remained on the trees.
It was nothing less than a letter to God.
Never in his career as a postman had he seen that address.
Metaphors: In pairs, find metaphors from the story to complete the table below. Try to say what qualities are being compared. One has been done for you.
Cloud | Huge mountains of clouds | The mass or ‘hugeness’ of mountains |
Raindrops | ||
Hailstones | ||
Locusts | ||
An epidemic (a disease) that spreads very rapidly and leaves many people dead | ||
An ox of a man |
Cloud | Huge mountains of clouds | The mass or ‘hugeness’ of mountains |
Raindrops | Coins | The money that the good crops will bring when sold |
Hailstones | Frozen pearls | Resembles the colour, hardness and brightness of pearls |
Locusts | A plague of locusts | The destruction caused by plague and its consequences |
Locusts | A plague of locusts | An epidemic (a disease) that spreads very rapidly and leaves many people dead |
Lencho | An ox of a man | Strong and hardworking nature resembles the working of an ox in the fields |
Speaking (Page 11)
Have you ever been in great difficulty, and felt that only a miracle could help you? How was your problem solved? Speak about this in class with your teacher.
Activity to be done by yourself.
Listening (Page 12)
Listen to the letter (given under ‘In This Lesson’) read out by your teacher/on the audio tape. As you listen fill in the table given below.
The writer apologises (says sorry) because | |
The writer has sent this to the reader | |
The writer sent it in the month of | |
The reason for not writing earlier | |
Sarah goes to | |
Who is writing to whom? | |
Where and when were they last together? |
Writing (Page 12)
Lencho suffered first due to drought and then by floods. Our country is also facing such situations in the recent years. There is flood and there is drought. There is a need to save water through water harvesting. Design a poster for your area on how to save water during summer and when it is available in excess.
Access Answers to NCERT Class 10 English Chapter 1 Poem – Dust of Snow
Thinking about the Poem (Page 14)
What is a “dust of snow”? What does the poet say has changed his mood? How has the poet’s mood changed?
The ‘dust of snow’ refers to the snowflakes and its fine particles. The poet’s mood changed due to the sudden shower of snowflakes. He was dismayed earlier, but it changed to a happy and joyful mood as he felt refreshed and energized to enjoy the rest of the day.
How does Frost present nature in this poem? The following questions may help you to think of an answer.
(i) What are the birds that are usually named in poems? Do you think a crow is often mentioned in poems? What images come to your mind when you think of a crow?
(ii) Again, what is “a hemlock tree”? Why doesn’t the poet write about a more ‘beautiful’ tree such as a maple, or an oak, or a pine?
(iii) What do the ‘crow’ and ‘hemlock’ represent — joy or sorrow? What does the dust of snow that the crow shakes off a hemlock tree stand for?
In the poem, Frost presents nature in a very unconventional manner.
- Generally, poets consider birds and trees to represent beauty and positive qualities. They write about birds such as parrots, peacocks, cuckoos, etc., and trees with beautiful flowers and bearing tasty fruits. In this poem, Frost mentions a crow, which is often not used in poems. Generally, a crow is a black bird with a harsh voice and is considered a bad omen. Therefore, the word ‘crow’ in the poem brings foreboding and depressing pictures to our mind.
- Frost mentions “a hemlock tree”, which is a poisonous plant having small white flowers. The poet however, didn’t choose to use a maple, pine or oak tree that symbolize beauty and joyfulness. Instead, he chose the hemlock tree while leaving aside all the beautiful trees of nature to represent his sadness and regretful feelings.
- The ‘crow’ and ‘hemlock’ tree represent sorrow and depressing mood and feelings felt by the poet in this world. The dust of snow symbolized a sense of natural joy and energy in him. The dust of snow that the crow shakes off a hemlock tree refers to the sad and depressing moments experienced by the poet initially which were gone as he enters into a joyful and optimistic feeling.
Have there been times when you felt depressed or hopeless? Have you experienced a similar moment that changed your mood that day?
Yes, there have been innumerable times when I felt sad, depressed and hopeless due to some unavoidable circumstances in my life. Sometimes, such moments were caused due to indifferent behaviour and attitude of other people and sometimes due to my own conduct. On one occasion, I returned tired and upset from school. Upon reaching home, my puppy jumped and embraced me. This little joy literally changed my mood and I was overjoyed by such a nice gesture by the little creature. This uplifted my mood for the rest of the day. I played with my puppy for a while and caressed him with love and affection.
Access Answers to NCERT Class 10 English Chapter 1 Poem – Fire and Ice
Thinking about the Poem (Page 15)
There are many ideas about how the world will ‘end’. Do you think the world will end someday? Have you ever thought what would happen if the sun got so hot that it ‘burst’, or grew colder and colder?
There are multiple theories about how the world will ‘end’. Yes, I do believe that the world will end someday as we all know that every particular thing which begins also has an end to it. This holds true for the world too, that if the Sun got so hot and it bursts, the entire life on Earth would perish immediately as the planet would not be able to tolerate the intensity of heat. On the contrary, if the Sun grew colder and colder, it is obvious that life will come to an end without sunlight. We are aware of the fact that sunlight is a rich source of energy to all the planets in the solar system.
For Frost, what do ‘fire’ and ‘ice’ stand for? Here are some ideas:
greed | avarice | cruelty | lust |
conflict | fury | intolerance | rigidity |
insensitivity | coldness | indifference | hatred |
‘Fire’ stands for greed, avarice, lust, conflict and fury. ‘Ice’ stands for cruelty, intolerance, rigidity, insensitivity, coldness, indifference and hatred.
What is the rhyme scheme of the poem? How does it help in bringing out the contrasting ideas in the poem?
The rhyme scheme of the poem is: a, b, a, a, b, c, b, c, b.
This rhyme scheme helps in projecting the contrasting ideas of ‘fire’ and ‘ice’ that are presented in the poem. The poet Frost mentions both fire and ice as the probable ends of the planet Earth. He talks about how ‘fire’ represents desire and might be a possible cause of the end of the world. The poet also mentions ‘ice’ in the poem to symbolize the coldness and indifference that people might have towards one another, which will be a reason good enough to end the world. In the second stanza of the poem, the poet says that he knows enough about hate in this world and is sure that even destruction through hatred (ice) would be sufficient and adequate to bring about an end to the planet Earth.
You can download these NCERT Solutions for Class 10 English in PDF format through the links provided. Given below are some brief descriptions of the story and poems included under NCERT Solutions for Class 10 English Chapter 1 .
A Letter to God (Prose)
This story, written by G.L. Fuentes depicts a simple poor farmer named Lencho’s firm faith in God. Being an honest farmer, Lencho had hoped for a shower for a good harvest. However, his crops were destroyed due to a hailstorm and therefore, he wrote A letter to God seeking financial help of 100 pesos to sow his fields again and save his family from starvation. He placed his letter in a mailbox in town without an address. Upon seeing such a letter, the postmaster was deeply moved and decided to help the poor farmer so that his faith in God was not shaken.
Therefore, the postmaster contributed a decent amount himself and collected some money from his colleagues and friends and put it in the envelope. Soon Lencho visited the post office, the post office employees gave him the envelope containing money. When he opened the envelope, he was upset to find 70 pesos only, and he again wrote a letter to God criticizing the post office employees that they must have stolen the remaining 30 pesos from the envelope. This story is all about Lencho’s deep faith in the Almighty and how the post office employees helped him by collecting money anonymously in the name of God, to help him in his crisis.
Chapter 1 A Letter to God :
Dust of snow (poem).
In this poem, the poet Robert Frost writes about his experience of sitting under the hemlock tree as he is upset one day, since all isn’t going well in his life. However, his mood changes when the soft and cold snow touches him and he is filled with a sense of happiness and satisfaction. Students get to experience a variety of emotions while reading this poem as the poet presents a simple moment having a larger significance.
Chapter 1 Poem Dust of Snow:
Fire and ice (poem).
In this poem, Robert Frost the poet mentions the two different beliefs regarding the end of the world. He compares human desires to that of fire in nature and believes that the world will end in fire some day. He also believes that the world might also end in ice as there has been enough hate in the world that can destroy it.
Chapter 1 Poem Fire and Ice:
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10 Lines on Drought
Dry lands with huge cracks developed in it leaving no trace of single plant growing are known as drought situation. The scary picture of drought can be seen when farmers keeping their hand on their forehead, express their sorrow by looking to the deteriorated condition of their lands without a drop of water or a hope of rains.
Drought can be called as a seriously deteriorating condition of an agricultural land which is unable to produce any food grain due to scarcity of water. Drought ranges into a very huge area covering several districts of any state.
Ten Lines on Drought in English
We are providing 10 lines, 5 lines, 20 lines, few lines and sentences on drought in English for Class 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6. After reading these lines you will be able to know everything about drought, how drought occurs, how people are responsible for drought, what damage drought does, how famine occurs, what are the after effects of drought, who are worst sufferers of drought, which countries are frequently affected of drought etc.
You can add these lines in your essays and paragraph writing in your exam as well as in the school competition. You can use these lines if you have to write few lines on drought, essay on drought or essay on effects of drought.
1) Drought is the continuous period of dry weather which extends up to few months or few years.
2) Drought is a natural event which is caused due to change in climatic conditions like “El-Niño” and other changes in weather.
3) Mostly drought is generated by man-made activities like deforestation, global warming, climatic change etc.
4) Trees, crops and plants need water to grow but water scarcity prevents their growth and they eventually die which results into drought.
5) Droughts can be dangerous resulting in deaths of both, people as well as animals.
6) Drought can cause famine by converting that place into a desert resulting in a huge loss of lives.
7) Drought affects a place very slowly and it becomes difficult to decide when it will start and when it will come to an end.
8) Drought reduces the crop production and results in food shortage leading to price rise.
9) Farmers are highly affected by drought when rain doesn’t occur resulting in huge loss of crop production.
10) The countries which are worst affected by drought are Afghanistan, Brazil, Cuba, Morocco, Iran, China, Bangladesh etc.
10 Lines and Sentences on Drought
1) Drought is a serious condition of an area where there is no rain for a continuous period of time.
2) India also has been worst affected by drought resulting in millions of deaths in 18 th , 19 th and 20 th century.
3) One of the worst famines which occurred in India was “The Bengal Famine” in which one-third of the population died.
4) Indian agriculture highly depends on climate where a good rainfall results into good crop production.
5) When scanty or no rainfall occurs in any part of the country that results into drought which lowers the crop production.
6) There are different parts of India which are drought prone viz, Maharashtra, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Orissa, Gujarat, Rajasthan etc.
7) A major effect of drought occurs on the people who are engaged in agriculture and allied activities.
8) Farmers commit suicide due to huge loss in the agriculture produce and inability to pay back the loans.
9) For tackling drought, we should adopt “Rainwater Harvesting”, which is the process of collecting rainwater and using it later.
10) Waste water must be treated and purified which can be used for cleaning, washing irrigating the field etc.
5 Lines on Drought
1) Drought means a lack of precipitation.
2) It raises the lack of clean water.
3) It results in low crop yield.
4) Thus, it generates a shortage of food.
5) It impacts all the lives on Earth.
20 Lines on Drought
1) Drought is a condition when parts of the world are deprived of rain for months or sometimes throughout the season.
2) The occurrence of drought is a common sight in many parts of the world.
3) Some of the effects of drought include crop failure, financial loss; price rise and soil erosion.
4) Many people and animals have also died due to starvation in many parts of the world.
5) Drought, resulting in water scarcity, is mainly due to lack of rainfall.
6) It is especially a curse for farmers because it destroys their crops.
7) Constant drought-like conditions also make the soil less fertile.
8) Deforestation is one of the main causes of rain deficiency that leads to drought.
9) This reduces the ability of the soil to hold water and increases evaporation; both these are the cause of low rainfall.
10) Drought disrupts the day-to-day life of the people and has a wide impact on various areas.
11) When there is less or less than normal rainfall in a particular region, a drought situation arises in that area.
12) Although drought is a natural disaster, but human activities are also responsible for its occurrence.
13) The result of forest destruction and unnecessary tampering with nature is that drought arises somewhere.
14) Crops dry up due to drought and lack of food, fruits, milk and vegetables can be seen.
15) Clean drinking water is not available for humans and animals.
16) People become victims of starvation and the scarcity of food.
17) Animals die due to lack of fodder and water.
18) The severity of a drought depends on its duration, lack of moisture and the size of the affected area.
19) The loss in agriculture due to drought affects the income of farmers and their purchasing power and makes them unemployed.
20) Climate changes such as rainfall amounts and patterns in India from the southwest monsoon are mainly responsible for the drought.
We all know that drought is a serious concern for any country and nowadays it has become a global concern as many countries are facing the menace of drought. But drought is not a big deal which can’t be handled. All we have to do is to save water and reduce the wastage of water; we must recycle the waste water and adopt rainwater harvesting. Ground water recharge is also a major technique which can bring water levels up. Government must adopt laws against deforestation and promote the increase of natural vegetation. By these ways we can defeat drought and can bring back prosperity among farmers.
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Essay on Drought | Drought Essay for Students and Children in English
Essay on Drought: India is situated in the Northern Hemisphere extending from 8° 4′ N to 37° 17′ N latitude. The Tropic of Cancer passes through the middle of the country, thus the country falls into tropical as well as sub-tropical zones. The country gets two complete showers of seasonal rain, one during summer season called South-West monsoon and one in winters called the North-East monsoons.
The rest of the year is practically dry. The rain bearing winds are called monsoon winds which persistently flow in the same direction and get reversed only with the change of seasons.
You can read more Essay Writing about articles, events, people, sports, technology many more.
Long and Short Essays on Drought for Kids and Students in English
Given below are two essays in English for students and children about the topic of ‘Drought’ in both long and short form. The first essay is a long essay on Drought of 400-500 words. This long essay about Drought is suitable for students of class 7, 8, 9 and 10, and also for competitive exam aspirants. The second essay is a short essay on Drought of 150-200 words. These are suitable for students and children in class 6 and below.
Long Essay on Drought 500 Words in English
Below we have given a long essay on Drought of 500 words is helpful for classes 7, 8, 9 and 10 and Competitive Exam Aspirants. This long essay on the topic is suitable for students of class 7 to class 10, and also for competitive exam aspirants.
The agriculture in India is largely dependent upon the monsoon rain shower during the months of June to the middle of September and a few parts of the country gets rains during the retreating monsoon from October to December. Tamil Nadu, South of Andhra Pradesh, South-East of Karnataka and Kerala get the maximum showers during the time, about 75 cm.
The occurrence and quality of monsoons depends upon the intensity of winds blowing over the Arabian Sea, the Indian Ocean and the Bay of Bengal. Sometimes, the country receives intense rainfall and there are times when the monsoon gets weak and there are scanty rains here and there.
Moreover, there is the problem of unequal distribution of rainfall over the country where the monsoon is extremely active whereas the same monsoon is barely active in other parts of the country. In other words, by the time it reaches the higher regions, the winds have shed most of their moisture already or they weaken so much that nothing is left in them in terms of momentum and so they shed their moisture on the way.
This uncertain and uncontrolled character of monsoons in India causes the problem of droughts at some places. Droughts occur when rainfall during a particular year fails to reach even the average or normal level expected of the place at that time of the year. Droughts usually occur in places which have a high variability between low and heavy amount of rainfall.
The greater the difference, more are the chances of droughts. Thus droughts in India occur mainly when South-West monsoon is weak and ineffective. A weak monsoon results in scanty or no rainfall; hence leading to droughts. Many a times droughts occur due to untimely arrival of monsoon-either it is too late or too early. In either case, agriculture is most severely affected. Prolonged breaks between consecutive spells of rain, too, aggravates the problem.
In India, on an average, a drought affects about 16% of the total agricultural land and about 50 million population. The areas that are regularly affected by droughts are those which receive an annual rainfall below 75 cm or have a high variability of 40 cm or more. There are about 99 districts which receive annual rains below 75 cm. A total of 68% of sown area is subject to drought in varying degrees.
But surprisingly the severest droughts have occurred in comparatively humid and wet areas such as West Bengal, Bihar and Odisha. These regions usually get high rainfall but a slight failure of rainfall can cause severe droughts here simply because of high intensity of population and the near total dependence of agriculture on monsoon rains in these regions. A normal drought affects a huge part of the country’s population, hence making the drought into a severe one.
This leads to a vicious circle of misery, especially for that part of the population, which is practically hand to mouth. Even among these, the landless labourers are the ones who suffer the most because they are the first ones to lose their jobs due to failure of rains.
Less people are thus required to till the land and so they are the first ones to be pushed over the crevices of hunger, poverty, starvation and destitution. Lack of irrigation facilities and total dependence on monsoon rains leads to even more severe droughts in the remote parts of the country. Moreover, due to the ecological imbalance, the frequency of droughts is likely to increase.
The failure of rains in 2014, has led to the possibility of it being declared as a ‘drought year’. Till August, 2014, 36% of the nation’s meteorological regions faced moderate to severe drought. Punjab, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh, India’s ‘grain’ bearer belt, is reeling under severe drought. As a result, farmers are paying sky-high prices to protect their paddy crop.
Hopefully, due to great technological advances, irrigation facilities and developments in the transport system, with even the remotest villages getting connected to nearby towns and cities, the intensity with which the droughts can affect human population, agriculture and cattle can be reduced to some extent. The governments now prefers to keep surplus stocks of food grains as well as fodder to combat such recurrent crisis with the support of voluntary organisations, NGOs etc.
NASA scientists, including one scientist of Indian origin have developed a new satellite to predict the severity of droughts and help farmers maximise crop yield. At present, there is no ground or satellite-based global network for monitoring soil moisture at a local scale. It would be of great help to developing countries like India, if this technology gets introduced soon.
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Short Essay on Drought 200 Words in English
Below we have given a short essay on Drought is for Classes 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6. This short essay on the topic is suitable for students of class 6 and below.
The Government of India through Crisis Management Framework 2011, aims at identification of fundamental aspects of drought prone areas, phases of crisis, magnitude, outcome of crisis to trigger mechanism and strategic response matrix. The Central Research Institute for Dryland Agriculture (CRIDA), under ICAR has been assigned the task to prepare district-wise contingency plans in collaboration with State Agricultural Universities, Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) institutes and Krishi Vigyan Kendras (KVKs).
The programme also works toward long-term goals such as maintenance of ecological balance by developing, conserving and even harvesting all kinds of resources including land, water, livestock and human resources. It also aims at minimising the adverse effects of droughts on crops and livestock through use of appropriate technology and the naturally available resources.
The recent initiatives by Government were special assistance package and higher seed subsidy. It is also planning to extend subsidy on diesel to areas where there has been less than 50% rainfall. In case, drought is declared by any state, the government has proposed a ₹ 700 crore scheme for cultivation of horticultural crops and ₹ 100 crore for fodder production. Agricultural crop insurance scheme is also in the pipeline. It’s high time that India implements robust drought mitigation measures. The entire burden or blame shouldn’t be put on the farmers. They must be protected and fully prepared for natural calamities. Their prosperity is nation’s progress.
Drought Essay Word Meanings for Simple Understanding
- Persistent – constantly repeated, continued
- Scanty – barely sufficient
- Momentum – force or speed of movement, impetus, as of a physical object or course of events
- Variability – apt or liable to vary or change; changeable
- Consecutive – following one another in uninterrupted succession or order, successive
- Vicious circle – a sequence of reciprocal cause and effect in which two or more elements
- Intensify and aggravate each other, leading to a worsening of the situation
- Crevices – a crack forming an opening
- Destitution – lack of the means of subsistence, utter poverty
- Matrix – the cultural, social, or political environment in which something develops
- Subsidy – a grant or contribution of money
- Mitigation – the act of making a condition or consequence less severe
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CBSE 2025: Class 10, 12 Sample Papers Expected Soon, Major Changes In Exam Pattern Unveiled
The Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) is expected to release the sample papers for the Class 10 and 12 Board Exams 2024-25 soon. The board exams for this academic year are scheduled to commence on February 15, 2025.
These sample papers are crucial as they provide insights into the type of questions that students might encounter, as well as the overall paper pattern for the exams. With the recent changes in the paper pattern for Class 12, many students, parents, and teachers are eagerly anticipating the release of the official sample papers.
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In previous years, CBSE has typically released the sample papers for both Class 10 and 12 by July. However, this year, the delay has caused some anxiety among teachers and parents who are keen to help students prepare effectively. According to Times Now, the board is expected to release the sample papers shortly. While waiting, here's a brief overview of the expected paper patterns for the 2025 board exams for Classes 10 and 12.
CBSE Class 10 Sample Papers - Exam Pattern
For the Class 10 Board Examinations 2025, the paper pattern remains unchanged from the previous year. The syllabus has also not been revised, which means that the 2024 sample papers can still serve as a reference for students. Despite some rumours about an increase in multiple-choice questions (MCQs) to 50 per cent, the official paper pattern clarifies that only 20 per cent of the questions will be MCQs. Additionally, 50 per cent of the questions will be competency-based, which may include MCQs as well as other formats.
Since there have been no changes to the paper pattern, the structure of the questions is expected to remain consistent. Based on the 2024 sample papers, students can anticipate approximately 20 MCQs per subject. For those seeking further guidance, previous years' sample papers are available on the official CBSE academic website at cbseacademic.nic.in.
It's important to note that while the basic structure of the paper has not changed, the total number of questions may vary. Therefore, it's advisable for students to wait for the official 2025 sample papers before investing in any new study materials.
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CBSE Class 12 Sample Papers - Exam Pattern
The paper pattern for the Class 12 Board Examinations 2025 has undergone significant changes, as announced in a circular released by CBSE on April 3, 2024. The most notable change is the increase in competency-based questions, which will now account for 50 per cent of the paper's weightage, up from 40 per cent in the previous year. While the proportion of MCQs will remain unchanged, the percentage of short and long-answer-type questions will decrease from 40 per cent to 30 per cent.
These changes are likely to affect the overall structure of the question papers. Although the CBSE has not yet provided an official release date for the sample papers, they are expected to be available by the first week of September.
The topic-wise weightage will remain the same, ensuring continuity in the areas of focus for students. Parents and students are advised to keep a close watch on the official CBSE website and cbseacademic.nic.in for the latest updates.
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PSEB Punjab Board Class 10 Model Test Papers 2025: Download FREE PDF for All Subjects
Class 10 model paper punjab board 2025: this article will provide you with the latest pseb class 10 model sample papers 2024-25 for the upcoming board examination. check and download the free pdf for all the subject..
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PSEB Punjab Board Class 10th Model Test Paper 2025: The Punjab Board of School Education (PSEB) has released the Class 10 sample papers for all the subjects. These sample or model papers are released for the 2024–25 academic year students to prepare for the 2025 PSEB 10th board examinations. The sample papers comprise question paper format, mark distribution, and typology of questions. The students must solve these question papers before the exam to get ready for the final examination.
PSEB Class 10 Model Paper 2024-25
How to Download Punjab Board Class 10 Sample Paper 2024-25?
The PSEB model papers are essential to have and thus students must download them and solve them for the final examination. Check out the steps to download the 2025 PSEB Class 10 Sample Papers.
Step 1: Go to the Punjab School Education Board (PSEB) official website at www.pseb.ac.in.
Step 2: On the homepage, look for the "Examination" or "Academics" section.
Step 3: Within the Examination or Academics section, search for a link that mentions "Sample Papers," "Model Papers," or "Question Papers" for 2024-25.
Step 4: Once you are in the Sample Papers section, choose the option for "Class 10."
Step 5: A list of subjects will be displayed. Select the subject for which you want to download the sample paper.
Step 6 : Click on it to download the PDF file to your device.
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500+ Words Essay on Drought. Drought is a dangerous condition which decreases the quality of life. It is termed as a natural disaster with harmful effects. A drought usually occurs when a region faces a shortage of water. This is mainly due to lesser rainfalls. In addition, droughts have proven to be fatal for mankind and wildlife as well.
Answer 1: Drought affects the environment in a lot of different ways. We all know that plants and animals depend on water, just like humans. When a drought happens, their food supply shrinks and their habitat can be damaged. As a result, an increase in disease in wild animals happens because of reduced food and water supplies.
The first essay is a long essay on Drought of 400-500 words. This long essay about Drought is suitable for students of class 7, 8, 9 and 10, and also for competitive exam aspirants. The second essay is a short essay on Drought of 150-200 words. These are suitable for students and children in class 6 and below.
Understanding Drought. Droughts occur when there is an extended period of below-average precipitation. This deficiency of water supply can last for months or even years. Droughts are categorized into three types: meteorological, agricultural, and hydrological. Meteorological droughts are associated with reduced rainfall, agricultural droughts ...
It is an event of shortages in the water supply, surface water, or groundwater. A drought can last for years, months or days. Shortage of water, Dry and hot winds, rise in temperature, and consequent evaporation of moisture from the ground contribute to conditions of drought. Droughts also result in crop failure too.
Essay on Drought - For College and University Students (Essay 7 - 750 Words) Essay on Drought - Long Essay on Drought (Essay 8 - 1000 Words) Drought is a disaster which affects many regions of India every year. A natural disaster which leads to a shortage of water for drinking, agriculture and other practices is called a drought.
Essay on Plant Adaptations to Drought. Essay on the Drought Prone Areas. Essay on the Drought Prone Areas Programme (DPAP) Essay # 1. Introduction to Drought: Since time immemorial, mankind has lived under the threat of natural disasters. Amongst various hazards of nature, drought is the most disastrous.
Drought is being classified-. On the basis of Source of Water availability. Under this we have three types of drought: 1. Meteorological Drought. Meteorological Drought is again classified as: Slight Drought - When the rainfall is 11 to 25%. Moderate Drought - Rainfall here is 26 to 50%. Severe Drought - In this, the rainfall is more than 50%.
Drought Essay - 1 (200 words) Drought which is marked by the absence of or low rain in a particular region for a long period of time occurs because of various reasons including global warming, deforestation and many other human activities. This climatic condition can cause disastrous impact on the environment as well as the living beings.
Essay on Drought for Children and Students. Drought is a condition when there are no rains for a long period of time. The occurrence of drought is a common sight in many parts of the country. The consequences of this condition are drastic and many times irreversible. Drought is the condition when certain parts of the world are deprived of rain ...
August 12, 2021 by Sandeep. Essay on Drought: It is a closely associated natural disaster caused due to scanty or no rainfall. They are life-risking and take a heavy toll on poultry, human, and wildlife. An extreme water shortage causes crops to dry, and farmers run helter-skelter for their livelihood. Soil loses its retention capacity, and ...
From wildfires in the US to locusts attack in India and back-to-back cyclones in India, there are many natural disasters in 2020. According to the Global Catastrophe Recap's First Half of 2020 report, there were more than 207 natural disasters in just the first six months of 2020, causing \ [$\]75 billion loss globally. 3.
Natural disasters like floods, drought, landslides, earthquakes, and cyclones frequently occur all throughout the world. Often, natural disasters leave mass effects and it can take years to control the damage. However, the negative effects and damages caused by these natural disasters can be reduced significantly if proper warning systems or ...
Drought can be defined as a relatively long time where there is not enough water than there usually is, as a result of dry weather, to support human, animal and plant life. Droughts become an issue only when it begins to affect water supply for irrigation, municipal, industrial, energy, and ecosystem function.
500+ Words Essay on Save Water Save Life. Water has become a highly necessary part of human being's existence on Earth. Thus, the importance of water can be compared to the importance of air. All living organisms whether it is human, animals, or plants. Everyone is completely depending on fresh and potable water.
Answer: When the availability of water is less than 1000 cubic metre per person per day, it is known as water scarcity. Main causes for water scarcity are: (a) Variations in seasonal and annual precipitation. (b) Rapid growth of population. (c) Polluted water and unequal access to the population. (d) Over-exploitation to expand irrigated area.
NCERT Solutions for Class 10 English Chapter 1 - Download Free PDF (Updated for 2023-24) NCERT Solutions for Class 10 English Chapter 1 comprises one prose lesson - "A Letter to God" and two poems - "Dust of Snow" and "Fire and Ice", designed by the experts at BYJU'S. These solutions, which are reliable and accurate, are written using simple English that will help students ...
10 Lines on Drought. 1) Drought is the continuous period of dry weather which extends up to few months or few years. 2) Drought is a natural event which is caused due to change in climatic conditions like "El-Niño" and other changes in weather. 3) Mostly drought is generated by man-made activities like deforestation, global warming ...
The first essay is a long essay on Drought of 400-500 words. This long essay about Drought is suitable for students of class 7, 8, 9 and 10, and also for competitive exam aspirants. The second essay is a short essay on Drought of 150-200 words. These are suitable for students and children in class 6 and below.
The Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) is responsible for conducting the Class 10 exams. CBSE has also released the CBSE 10th class question papers 2023-24 on its official website, cbse.gov.in. Students can download subject-wise question papers and their solutions. There are direct links provided in this article.
500+ Words Essay on Natural Disasters. A Natural disaster is an unforeseen occurrence of an event that causes harm to society. There are many Natural disasters that damage the environment and the people living in it. Some of them are earthquakes, cyclones, floods, Tsunami, landslides, volcanic eruption, and avalanches.Spatial extent measures the degree or severity of the disaster.
CBSE 2025 sample papers for Classes 10 and 12 are expected soon. Class 10 pattern remains unchanged, while Class 12 sees a shift with 50 per cent competency-based questions. Stay tuned for ...
Class 10 Model Paper Punjab Board 2025: This article will provide you with the latest PSEB Class 10 model sample papers 2024-25 for the upcoming board examination. Check and download the free PDF ...
500+ Words Essay on Deforestation. Deforestation is the cutting down of trees in the forest in a large number. Deforestation has always been a threat to our environment. But still many humans are continuing this ill practice. Moreover, Deforestation is causing ecological imbalance. Yet, some selfish people have to fill their pockets.
500+ words Essay on Flood. Flood is one of the most dangerous natural disasters. It happens when excessive water is collected in any area. It usually happens due to heavy rainfall. India is highly prone to flood. There are many regions in the country that face this natural disaster because of the overflowing of rivers.