From CK Nayak
NEW DELHI: Cherrapunjee or Sohra as the place is locally called, known world-wide for being the wettest place on earth, is seriously threatened to be dislodged from this distinction.
Sohra’s challenger is a little known Indonesian town called Mile 50 which has received higher rainfall during last five years.
According to reports, Mile 50, located on a precipitous mining road in Papua’s mist-blanketed Central Highlands, is about to challenge the long-reigning Indian champion for the title of the world’s wettest place.
Over the past five years, the rain gauge maintained by the Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysics Agency (BMKG) and mining company Freeport Indonesia at Mile 50, has recorded an average of 12,143 mm of rain.
That’s a whopping 478.071 inches, or 39 feet 10 inches of precipitation which is enough to oust Sohra, the picturesque and misty town of Meghalaya, from the current top spot.
But there is a catch. This can only be decided by the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) after careful analysis of the data.
In 2014 Sohra was on the verge of losing its unique status when a panel from the WMO almost gave the crown away to Mahabaleswar, located in the hilly terrain of the Western Ghats in Maharashtra. Although Mahabaleswar received more rainfall than Sohra it did not officially qualify since high rainfall was not for continuous years.