Drought

Drought can be defined as lack or shortage of water for an unusually long period. Drought occurs when there is no rain for a long period of time. In a drought, plants do not grow properly and the water supply to homes and to industries are limited [সীমিত]. As streams [প্রবাহ] and rivers dry up, plants and animals die. In areas where trees have been cut down, hot winds blow away the dry topsoil. If a drought lasts a long time, people may also die of starvation [অনাহার] and the land may become desert [মরুভূমি]. When waterways dry up wildlife has no drinking water. Fish and other animals that live in streams, rivers and dams will die when the waterways dry up. People suffer from scarcity [অভাব] of water. The green beauty of trees and plants fade away. The farmers look up into the sky for a drop of water. Crops cannot thrive in the droughty conditions. So, famine [দুর্ভিক্ষ] breaks out. The area is seized [কবলিত] with fateful state of famine. People die in number and their animals too. Only planting trees may help stop the soil being blown away in times of drought.