“In 1974, the city received 24 555 mm rain and set a world record that still costs. The current annual average is about a third of it,” IMD said. File | Photo Credit: Hind
Meghalaya’s Sohra, considered the most widest place on Earth, received barely a third of the precipitation this year in the same month of last year, and deepened the impact of climate change.
According to the Indian Meteorological Department (IMD), Sohra, also known as Cherrapunji, this year, it recorded only 1,095.4 mm of precipitation, which is a sharp decline from 3,041.2 mm, which he received in the same period last year.
This is one of the steepest year -on -year decline in precipitation in the region, the IMD official said.
“This applies deeply. Sohra has witnessed irregular rainfall for years, but such a sharp decline in June is alarming,” he said.
May data were also not satisfactory – there was a lack of about 400 mm of precipitation compared to the same period last year.
“Over the last decade and a half, Sohra has seen a significant decline in average annual precipitation,” the clerk said. “Since 2005, the Sohra receives only about 8,000 mm to 9,000 mm rain a year, against a normal diameter of about 11,000 mm,” he said. “Even this” normal “11,000 mm Pale compared to the 1970s, when Sohra normally recorded almost double this number,” he added.
In 1974, the city received 24 555 mm rain and set a world record that still stands. The current annual average is about a third of this, the official said.
Experts quote shifting monsoon patterns, deforestation, rising sea surface temperatures and urbanization as reasons for decline. The growing population of the city and the growing number of tourists increases to the crisis. In 1961, Sohra had about 7,000 inhabitants, while today it is more than ten times this number, the local official said.
“This explosion of the population has put huge pressure on its water resources,” he said.
Although Sohra is synonymous with heavy rainfall, it ironically fights water lack, especially during the dry months.
The villagers are increasingly relying on fragile springs, while some areas need to supply water tankers who earn fast grandmothers to satisfy demand.
The local conservationists urged immediate steps through afforestation, protection of the basin and regulating construction activities to avert the imminent ecological disaster.
“The crisis of precipitation is no longer about records, the point is whether Sohra can stay in the future,” warned the environmental activist based in Shillong.
Officials said they would continue to carefully follow the monsoon, but admit that the declining trend deepens concerns for the region.
Published – July 7, 2025 17:21
