What are the reasons for recurring droughts in the country? Explain how the long term effect of erroneous policies by the governments has led to such a situation. What are the features of this year's drought? What are the immediate and long-term solutions. Sarbatrik Brahma, Kolkata  India has been witnessing recurring droughts that have led to acute agrarian distress. Meteorological droughts occur because of deficiency in precipitation for prolonged period leading to shortages in atmospheric surface water. Hydrological drought occurs when we have depleting water tables and water reserves in water bodies like lakes, tanks, reservoirs and aquifers fall drastically as there is no replenishment. Agricultural drought occurs when soils are unable to retain moisture as organic matter is low, erosion caused by different factors, lack of trees and holding capacity is low due to absence of bunding. The cumulative effect of different kinds of drought can be witnessed in India at present. It is not merely a climatic feature but often is due to human activity like over-irrigation, deforestation, erosion and degradation of soil.  The frequency, duration and spread of droughts are increasing. This year the drought has affected more than three lakh villages spread across 300 districts and over 50 crores people of India are reeling under the worst drought since 1986-87 leading to acute water crisis and crop losses. There were no contingency plans to address the situation and the BJP government has totally failed to provide relief. A recent study showed that there has been negligible employment generation even in drought-hit states. Data shows that in 2015-16, of the households that were provided work under the scheme in these regions, merely 1.8 percent got full 150 days of employment. In BJP ruled Rajasthan, the proportion of such workers is 0.2 percent or less.  Governments have increasingly facilitated privatisation of water bodies and have withdrawn from public investment in water management, water harvesting and disseminating agronomic practices that will help conserve water. Exploitation of ground water resources, common property resources have also led to depleting water tables. Water bodies have been filled up to promote real estate speculation in the name of different developmental activities. Intensive high input based agriculture and excessive use of water has also led to creation of such a scenario.  Immediate steps could be more in the nature of mitigation of the water shortages by ensuring supply of water for drinking or cultivation, providing employment opportunities or food grains at subsidised rates to address the fall in incomes, purchasing power resulting in starvation and malnutrition. There should be aligning of short-term measures with medium-term and long-term measures like using MGNREGA to create assets for water harvesting etc. Water intensive crops in drought-prone areas also need to be reconsidered and other crops must be considered. Use of practices like the system of rice intensification that curtails water usage by around 75 percent compared to traditional paddy cultivation needs to be promoted. In the long-term, replenishment of aquifers, recharging of wells, ponds, lakes and reservoirs, rain-water harvesting, different methods of conservation, changes in cropping pattern, agro-forestry and such measures must be encouraged.