Innovative patent granted for ‘drought monitoring and assessment’ 

In a breakthrough development for drought management, a patent has been granted by the Indian Patent Office for an innovative system for drought monitoring and assessment that combines geospatial technology, the Internet of Things (IoT), and Artificial Intelligence (AI). The patented invention was filed by Sandeep Gaikwad and Prof KV Kale, former SPPU Vice-Chancellor, who is currently serving as the Vice-Chancellor of Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar Technological University (DBATU), Lonere. 

Addressing the urgent need for precise and real-time drought assessment, especially for drought-prone regions like Marathwada, which faces drought episodes every 2–3 years. 

“Traditional drought assessment methods such as Annewari and Paisewari, though historically significant, have major limitations compared to modern technologies. Furthermore, delayed results with estimates for Kharif crops available only by December and Rabi crops by March slow down the process of providing timely relief to affected farmers,” said Prof Kale. 

The entire research and development work was carried out by Gaikwad under the guidance of Prof Kale. In this patent, Dr Amol Vibhute, Dr Rajesh Dhumal, and Dr Rupali Surase also contributed significantly to the research work. 

“The newly patented methodology uniquely integrates satellite remote sensing data, smartphone-based ground truth collection, and IoT sensor networks to monitor agricultural drought conditions with high accuracy. A pilot study was conducted in Vaijapur tehsil of Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar district, a region highly vulnerable to drought,” said Sandeep Gaikwad. 

“This innovative system is expected to revolutionise drought monitoring by offering precise, location-specific, and timely assessments, which are critical for taking preventive measures and reducing the impact of droughts on agriculture and rural livelihoods. The solution is scalable and can be expanded to other drought-prone areas across India,” said Prof Kale.