Kannan et al. (2025) Hydrological drought assessment using drought indices in semi arid zones of Vaippar river sub basins, Tamil Nadu, India

Identification

• Journal: Theoretical and Applied Climatology
• Year: 2025
• Date: 2025-09-17
• Authors: Pandiya Rajhan Govindasamy Kannan, G. Ravikumar, Vijay Aravinth Radhika Panchabikesan
• DOI: 10.1007/s00704-025-05766-8

Research Groups

• Department of Civil Engineering, Tagore Engineering College, Anna University, Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India
• Centre for Water Resources, College of Engineering, Anna University, Guindy, Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India

Short Summary

This study assessed hydrological drought in the semi-arid Vaippar river sub-basins of Tamil Nadu, India, using the Streamflow Drought Index (SDI) and Groundwater Resource Index (GRI). It found contrasting conditions, with groundwater experiencing mild to severe drought while surface water remained near-normal to wet, underscoring the critical need for integrated surface and groundwater management.

Objective

• To assess hydrological drought conditions in the semi-arid Vaippar river sub-basins of Tamil Nadu, India, by employing and comparing the Streamflow Drought Index (SDI) and Groundwater Resource Index (GRI).

Study Configuration

• Spatial Scale: Vaippar river sub-basins (specifically Arjunanadhi and Kousiganadhi sub-basins), covering Virudhunagar, Sivakasi, Sattur, Aruppokottai, and Kariyapatti blocks of Virudhunagar and Madurai districts, Tamil Nadu, India. The region is characterized as a semi-arid zone.
• Temporal Scale: Historical data, with specific drought proneness observations highlighted for 2014 and 2015. The exact start year of the data series is not specified in the abstract.

Methodology and Data

• Models used:
  • Streamflow Drought Index (SDI)
  • Groundwater Resource Index (GRI)
  • DrinC software (for SDI computation)
  • ArcMap 10.3 (for GRI-based drought severity map preparation)
• Data sources:
  • Streamflow data
  • Groundwater level data

Main Results

• All studied blocks experienced mild to severe drought conditions when assessed using the Groundwater Resource Index (GRI).
• The Streamflow Drought Index (SDI) indicated near-normal to wet conditions across the study area.
• The significant disparity between GRI and SDI values highlights an imbalance in resource use and missed opportunities for conjunctive surface and groundwater management.
• Drought proneness persisted in 2014 and 2015 despite available streamflow, suggesting underlying structural and policy gaps in water resource utilization.
• The study recommends medium-term drought-proofing measures and long-term strategies, such as interlinking nearby river basins, to enhance water security.

Contributions

• First attempt to combine Streamflow Drought Index (SDI) and Groundwater Resource Index (GRI) for hydrological drought assessment in a semi-arid zone of Tamil Nadu.
• Reveals critical disparities between surface water and groundwater drought conditions, emphasizing the need for integrated water management.
• Provides valuable insights for developing drought monitoring systems, formulating preparedness plans, and implementing sustainable water management practices.
• Identifies specific structural and policy gaps in existing water resource utilization within the study area.

Funding

• Not applicable.

Citation

@article{Kannan2025Hydrological,
  author = {Kannan, Pandiya Rajhan Govindasamy and Ravikumar, G. and Panchabikesan, Vijay Aravinth Radhika},
  title = {Hydrological drought assessment using drought indices in semi arid zones of Vaippar river sub basins, Tamil Nadu, India},
  journal = {Theoretical and Applied Climatology},
  year = {2025},
  doi = {10.1007/s00704-025-05766-8},
  url = {https://doi.org/10.1007/s00704-025-05766-8}
}