MUMBAI, November 2: Farmers could get up to four weeks’ warning of emerging agricultural drought under a new IIT Bombay portal, giving them and local agriculture officials more time to prepare for soil-moisture stress and reduce potential crop losses.
KrishiDrought.in was formally launched on October 28 during the Golden Jubilee celebrations of the institute’s Centre of Studies in Resources Engineering (CSRE). Developed by the Ecohydrology research group led by Prof. Karthikeyan Lanka at CSRE and the Centre for Climate Studies, the portal provides forecasts at an approximate spatial resolution of 9 km. Updates are released every Monday.
How the forecasts could help farmers
The portal aims to identify areas where soil moisture may deteriorate in the coming weeks. Farmers, particularly those in rain-fed areas, could use the warning to plan irrigation, prioritise limited water for vulnerable crops and seek local agricultural advice on whether sowing or other farm operations need to be adjusted.
Early information may also help farmers and extension workers prepare for dry spells before crop damage becomes widespread. The forecasts are district-level estimates, however, not field-specific predictions; decisions on irrigation, sowing and crop management must take account of local conditions and expert guidance.
How the system works
The forecasting system combines satellite observations of land and soil moisture with hydroclimatic data and dynamical weather and climate forecasts. Deep-learning models analyse these inputs to estimate how agricultural drought conditions may change over the following weeks. The portal is designed to show where drought risk may be emerging, rather than simply report rainfall deficits.
Its forecasts are issued at a roughly 9-km grid resolution. The supplied release does not specify the model’s validation statistics or uncertainty measures.
The information could also help state agriculture departments and district administrations plan drought responses, target extension services and coordinate water-conservation measures. Insurance agencies and financial institutions may use it to monitor emerging agricultural risks and plan field assessments.
The portal is an early-warning tool, not a guarantee of drought or crop loss. Forecasts should be considered alongside local weather updates, crop conditions and advice from agricultural extension officials.
The portal is available at https://krishidrought.in.
