The Government wants to prepare a plan for drought prone areas of the country. Which one of the following regions will be predominantly focused ?

The Kutch region is predominantly focused for drought planning as it falls within the arid and semi-arid tracts of India, which are highly vulnerable to chronic water scarcity [3]. The northern arid regions, specifically the Rann of Kutch and the desert of Rajasthan, are characterized by low and erratic rainfall (100-400 mm), high variability, and extreme temperatures. While the Ganga plains and North-eastern regions generally receive higher rainfall, the Kutch peninsula faces prolonged and continuous water scarcity problems due to its arid climate. In contrast, Coastal Andhra Pradesh is more prone to cyclones, whereas the interior parts of the state (like Rayalaseema) are the ones classified as drought-prone [4]. Therefore, for a national drought plan, the Kutch region represents a primary focus area due to its inherent ecological vulnerability and high probability of drought years [3].

Sources

1. [2] Geography of India ,Majid Husain, (McGrawHill 9th ed.) > Chapter 4: Climate of India > DROUGHTS > p. 43
2. [3] Geography of India ,Majid Husain, (McGrawHill 9th ed.) > Chapter 4: Climate of India > DROUGHTS > p. 42
3. [1] INDIA PHYSICAL ENVIRONMENT, Geography Class XI (NCERT 2025 ed.) > Chapter 6: Natural Hazards and Disasters > Drought Prone Areas in India > p. 64
4. [4] https://www.mha.gov.in/MHA1/Par2017/pdfs/par2015-pdfs/ls-030315/1238.pdf