arts of Rajasthan, Gujarat and the leeward side of the Western Ghats are drought-prone. Give Reasons.

The regions of Rajasthan, Gujarat, and the leeward side of the Western Ghats are prone to drought due to several reasons:

1. Low Rainfall: Rajasthan and Gujarat are located in the western part of India where the monsoon winds arrive after being depleted of much of their moisture. This results in low annual rainfall making these regions drought-prone.

2. High Temperature: These regions experience high temperatures throughout the year, leading to high evaporation rates. This further reduces the availability of water.

3. Leeward Side of Mountains: The Western Ghats act as a barrier for the monsoon winds. The windward side of the mountains receives a high amount of rainfall. However, the leeward side, which is the side facing away from the wind, gets little rainfall as the winds lose their moisture while crossing over the mountains. This is known as the rain-shadow effect.

4. Infertile Soil: The soil in these regions is arid and sandy, which has low water retention capacity. This makes the regions unsuitable for agriculture without proper irrigation facilities.

5. Overexploitation of Water Resources: Overuse and misuse of water resources, like excessive groundwater extraction, also contribute to the drought conditions in these regions.