NEW DELHI: Rainfall patterns in the Indian subcontinent are changing, partly due to climate change, but studies have showed that in the North East, the trend seems to be simply abnormal.
This monsoon, rainfall across the country has been very heavy unlike North East, which has been reeling under abnormal patterns of the downpours.
This trend in the region is worrisome as at times, as the Northeastern states witness prolonged periods of no rainfall, followed by unlooked-for bouts of rain, sometimes with an overall rainfall deficit.
The North East has been receiving less rainfall than normal for several years now and the distribution pattern is skewed. Last year, the region recorded a deficit of 12 per cent while the rest of the country had an excess rainfall of 10 per cent — the highest in the last 25 years, different studies have shown.
At the same time, many states in the region are suffering from huge rainfall deficits.
The situation is highly severe in Mizoram as it recorded a deficit of 55 per cent than normal rainfall.
Manipur recorded 44 per cent less rains than the usual while Meghalaya had a deficit of 11 per cent.
Interestingly, even within states that have received rainfall, the distribution among districts is skewed. While some districts received excess rainfall, others are reeling under deficit.
For instance, while five Assam districts are suffering from floods, 12 districts have recorded deficit rainfall of 10 per cent or more.
Studies of the last two decades (2001-2019) have showed that North East has received seasonal rainfall less than normal with an exception of 2007 (110 percent of normal). “This indicates that the seasonal rainfall over North East India is passing through a below-normal epoch like it was during early 1950s to mid-1980s,” according to IMD.