Cherrapunjee is one of the wettest place on earth and is also known as Sohra. It had received only 7560 mm of
rainfall in 2013. It is the lowest rainfall in last 35 years and 5th lowest in last 140 years. This town has an average rainfall of 11,070 mm a year. The
highest recorded total annual rainfall was 24555 mm in the year 1974.
Cherrapunji recording Rainfall less than 8000 mm in last 140 years
The prime reason for deficit monsoon rainfall over the North-East in 2013 was
formation of above normal monsoon low-pressure systems over the Bay of
Bengal and subsequent passage of those systems across central India and
north peninsula,” said scientist Sunit Das of IMD Guwahati.
However, most residents blamed the degradation of the eco system, with
trees felled at the hills for limestone mining and other purposes. There is also water scarcity here these days. People have to walk for miles to collect drinking water. Deforestation, lack of rain harvesting and constant mining are often cited as the reasons.
"We had a thriving tourist traffic here but it is beginning to fall.
Specially, the number of foreign tourists is getting less and less,"
says Banzer Cooper Lyngdoh, an officer with Meghalaya tourism in
Cherrapunji. "Tourists come here to see the rain and clouds, so why should they come at all if it is hot and sunny?" Mr Lyngdoh asked.
This year Hulikal in Karnataka has topped the country charts with annual rainfall with 9383 mm in 2013. Mawsynaram, the famed counterpart of Cherrapunji has also got less rainfall of 8610 mm in 2013.
Source of Interviews : Compiled from Various Newspapers
Rainfall data - Own Research
