In 1972, who introduced the criterion of 30 per cent of irrigated areas and demarcated the drought-prone areas?

The Irrigation Commission

The Planning Commission of India (1967) identified 67 districts (entire or partly) of the country prone to drought. The Irrigation Commission (1972) introduced the criterion of 30 per cent of irrigated areas and demarcated the drought-prone areas. Broadly, the drought-prone area in India spread over a semi-arid and arid tract of Rajasthan, Gujarat, Western Madhya Pradesh, Marathwada region of Maharashtra, Rayalseema and Telangana plateaus of Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka plateau and highlands and interior parts of Tamil Nadu. The drought-prone areas of Punjab, Haryana and north Rajasthan are largely protected due to the spread of irrigation in these regions.