Identification of the most suitable meteorological drought index for Sambhaji Nagar district, Maharashtra, India

ABSTRACT Drought is a major global crisis, and accurate diagnosis, characterization, and monitoring are essential to reduce its impacts. Several meteorological drought indices have been developed; however, evaluating their suitability for specific regions is necessary to identify the most reliable indicator. This study assesses meteorological drought risk in the Sambhaji Nagar district of Maharashtra, India, by analyzing four commonly used indices: Rainfall Anomaly Index (RAI), Standardized Anomaly Index (SAI), Standardized Precipitation Index (++ SPI), and Reconnaissance Drought Index (RDI). These indices were calculated at temporal scales of 1, 3, 6, 9, and 12 months using precipitation and temperature data from NASA-POWER for 2000–2015. Variations in drought intensity across timescales were examined, and trend analysis was conducted using the Modified Mann–Kendall test. Severe drought years (2012–2015) and mild drought years (2000, 2002, 2003, 2008, and 2009), identified from government records and news reports, were used for validation. Correlation analysis with station-based rainfall data was also performed to evaluate index performance. Results showed weak correlations among indices, indicating different drought detection characteristics. RAI demonstrated the highest validation correlation, followed by SPI, RDI and SAI. Overall, RAI was identified as the most suitable meteorological drought index for the study region.