ISSN 2348-2524 INDIAN JOURNAL OF RESEARCH IN MULTIDISCIPLINARY STUDIES Published by Garhbeta College, Paschim Medinipur, W.B., India Website: www.garhbetacollege.in IDENTIFYING THRESHOLD RAINFALL LIMIT BY USING THREE DROUGHT INDICES (DI) OF BANKURA DISTRICT Prasenjit Bhunia 1 Dr. Ramkrishna Maiti2 2 1 P.T.T., Dept. of Geography, S.B.S.S.Mahavidyalaya, Goaltore, Paschim Medinipur. 2 Associate Professor, Dept. of Geography and EM, Vidyasagar University, Midnapore. ABSTRUCT: DROUGHT is a kind of natural disaster occurring over all regions of the world and causing serious socioeconomic damages in terms of agricultural losses, shortage of drinking water, soil moisture deficiency and sometime deaths. Officially Bankura recognized as a drought prone district along with Purulia and Paschim Medinipur district. In present study incidences of meteorological droughts in Bankura district have been studied following the annual rainfall data of Bankura weather station for the 129- years period from 1885-2013 by using three drought indices (DI): Dependable Rainfall Index (DRI) and Standardized Precipitation Index (SPI) and Per cent to Normal Precipitation Index (PNPI). The objective of my study is to identify the rainfall threshold limit of Bankura district in an attempt to provide sufficient decisive tool for agricultural planning and water resource management. SPI is found more suitable drought indices in our on-going study. Keywords: Drought, DI, DRI, SPI, PNPI. Introduction: DROUGHT is the natural and temporary climatic extreme over a region and is usually characterized in terms of its spatial extension, intensity and duration (Gourabi, B. R., 2010). It is a recurring natural disaster, which starts from lack of precipitation and brings significant economic losses. It is impossible to avoid drought, but efficient drought preparedness can minimize its impacts. Such success depends on how the droughts are defined and drought characteristics are quantified (IWMI, 2004). Therefore, identifying dry (drought) and humid years (wet year), their prediction and a proper and comprehensive planning would results in reducing the effects and losses caused by drought on man and his surrounding environment (Kordovani, 2001). Drought is a normal, recurrent feature of climate and is observed in all the climatic zones. It is a temporary condition caused by significantly less (deficient) rainfall for an extended period of time, usually during a season when substantial rainfall is normally expected over the area. The deficiency in