AGARTALA: The mountainous northeast of India, comprising eight states, has recorded deficient rainfall for the second consecutive monsoon season, and experts have red-flagged rapid urbanisation and deforestation as reasons for the fall in precipitation in the region.
According to the Indian Meteorological Department (IMD), the northeast recorded 89 per cent of the long period average (LPA) rainfall this year — well short of the 96-104 per cent of LPA needed for the monsoon to be declared normal. Last year, it had recorded 91 per cent of LPA, making this the second year of deficient rainfall.
The region this year recorded 1,281.5 mm of actual rainfall against normal rainfall of 1,437.8, the IMD said, while noting: “The lowest rainfall (89 per cent of LPA) this year was received by northeast India among all regions of the country.”
“In the northeast, the normal monsoon period is June to September and sometimes it continues until October 10. However, this year delayed withdrawal of monsoon is likely around October 20,” IMD Director Dilip Saha told IANS.
The IMD’s Assam-Meghalaya Subdivision — the biggest in the northeast — recorded a 30 per cent rainfall deficiency, the second-steepest in India, next only to the Kerala Subdivision which recorded a huge 34 per cent shortfall.
“Out of the 10 deficient sub-divisions, five were from northeast India, three from Central India, and two from northwest India. All the six excess sub-divisions were from South Peninsula.”
Environmental experts felt that growing urbanisation, climate change and a general lack of planning were responsible for less rainfall in the northeastern region, home to 45.58 million people.Serious efforts shoud be made to curb the problem, it was said. (IANS)
