Bhubaneswar: Odisha has emerged as one of India’s most pronounced drought hotspots, with climate change driving a sharp rise in drought intensity and heat stress along the eastern coast, according to a new study published in the International Journal of Climatology.The 52-year study, conducted by scientists from India Meteorological Department (IMD), National Centre for Medium Range Weather Forecasting and Atria University, Bengaluru, analysed weather data from 1971 to 2022. It found that drought extremes are spreading and intensifying across India, with eastern coastal states such as Odisha, Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu emerging as major hotspots.Researchers developed a revised India Climate Extremes Index by combining seven indicators, including maximum and minimum temperatures, drought conditions, heavy rainfall events, heatwaves and heat stress. The index showed a significant increase in climate extremes across India, driven largely by rising temperatures, prolonged dry spells and worsening drought conditions.The study’s spatial analysis found that drought-related extremes expanded sharply across eastern India between 2011 and 2021 compared with 1981 to 1991. Large parts of southern, central and northeastern India experienced drought conditions more frequently, while the most pronounced hotspots were concentrated along the eastern coast. Odisha was specifically identified among the states recording the sharpest rise in drought-affected areas.Lead author Thota Mohan said the eastern coastal belt stood out clearly when researchers mapped drought intensification across the country, with the area under drought conditions expanding by more than a fifth every decade over the past 30 years.Odisha is also witnessing rising heat stress. The study found that extreme heat index events, which reflect the combined impact of temperature and humidity on the human body, have expanded from coastal areas into inland regions. Researchers said eastern India has become increasingly vulnerable to humid heat, posing growing risks to public health, agriculture and water resources.Co-author M Rajeevan said the findings are significant for Odisha, a state traditionally associated with cyclones, floods and coastal hazards. “Drought is now emerging as a parallel climate threat requiring equal policy attention. While the eastern coast has long lived with storms and floods, long-term records show drought becoming a defining risk for the region,” he said.The researchers recommended strengthening drought resilience, water management, climate-resilient agriculture and heat action plans. They also called for district-level monitoring to identify localised climate risks and proposed the IndCEI as an operational tool to track evolving climate extremes across the country.