Comparison of contrasts in rainfall and drought characteristics in the Chambal basin in Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan

Abstract

Abstract The availability of water resources is under stress due to its unsustainable exploitation. The Chambal basin is located in the water-scarce region in India with average annual rainfall varying between 687.1 mm in the Rajasthan (RJ) region and 938.2 mm in the Madhya Pradesh (MP) region. On average, there are 48 rainy days in the MP region and 39 rainy days in the RJ region of the Chambal basin. Fourteen drought years have been identified during the period spanning 34 years (1985–2018). 44% of basin area located in the MP region and 54% of basin area located in the RJ are found to be drought-prone. The Standardized Precipitation Index-based evaluation of drought characteristics indicated higher drought frequency in the RJ region varying between 1 in 3 years and 1 in 4 years and between 1 in 3 years and 1 in 5 years in the MP region, which has also been substantiated by the Relative Departure Index (RDI), namely average RDI for RJ (0.69) and MP (0.58). The understanding of the contrasts in rainfall and drought characteristics in upper reaches (MP region) and lower reaches (RJ region) of the Chambal basin will help in holistic management and sharing of water resources based on these contrasts and constraints.