Akal, trinkal, jalkal and trikal

Geography glossary

Also called: Trikal · Topic: Natural Hazards and Disaster Management in India · NCERT: Class 11, Ch 6 "Natural Hazards and Disasters: Causes, Consequences and Management"

Meaning

These are local Rajasthani words for the effects of drought:

  • Akal: a shortage of food grain.
  • Trinkal: a shortage of fodder (food for animals).
  • Jalkal: a shortage of water.
  • Trikal: all three shortages at the same time. This is the worst kind of drought.

The words show that drought is more than missing rain. It hits people, their animals and their water supply together. This matters most in a desert economy that depends on herding and rain-fed farming.

Example

In western Rajasthan, Jaisalmer and Barmer get less than 90 mm of rain a year. When the monsoon fails here, a trikal can follow, with grain, grass and water all scarce at once.

Don't confuse with

  • Meteorological drought: measured only by rainfall (IMD counts a deficit of more than 25%). The Rajasthani terms describe what people and animals lose, not the rainfall figure.

Related concepts

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