Sohra, the place known as the second rainiest in the world, had its first heavy showers in August this year. Sohra has seen declining rainfall across seven months over 135 years, including during peak monsoon periods. If this climate pattern continues Meghalaya will soon lose the sobriquet – Abode of Clouds. Meghalaya is witnessing an alarming 56% rainfall deficit in the 2025 Southwest Monsoon—the highest in India. With 83% of the population relying on the monsoon to grow rice and other crops this drought has ominous portends. The State is now threatened by water insecurity and biodiversity loss. Less rainfall means lower crop yields, financial losses, and food insecurity. Meghalaya lies in the Indo-Burma biodiversity hotspot and is home to species adapted to heavy rain. Reduced rainfall could disrupt ecosystems and threaten wildlife. Is there even any thinking on these grim signs by policy makers?
From June 1 to July 28, 2025, Meghalaya received only 690.7 mm of rain—far below the usual 1,555.4 mm. States like Jharkhand and Rajasthan recorded 53% excess rainfall, while seven other regions outpaced Meghalaya. This unusual dryness signals a worrying shift for a state known for its heavy monsoons. Research using the Standard Precipitation Index (SPI) reveals a century-long drying trend: In the 1950s, central Meghalaya was the wettest. Over decades, dry zones expanded in western, central, and northern areas. Only southern regions (East Khasi Hills, Jaintia Hills) remain relatively wet. Southwest Khasi Hills still receives the highest monsoon rainfall, but even here the numbers are falling. As far as seasonal and monthly rainfall changes are concerned December and post-monsoon months (Oct-Feb) are crucial for crop harvesting but in the past few years it has tended to rain during these months and the rice crops that are ready for harvesting are destroyed.
Climate change is a real phenomenon but reasons for climate change are often human-induced. Take the case of reckless deforestation across the state and the relentless coal, limestone and boulder mining that carries on unabated. Nature has got to fight back and it is fighting back with the hope that humans would relent but to no avail. While Meghalaya is not the only state experiencing declining rainfall and states like Nagaland, West Bengal, Bihar, and Uttar Pradesh also report declining monsoon rains which climate experts say the trend aligns with global warming, altering weather patterns and making rainfall unpredictable and uneven. But it is also true that anthropogenic activities have impacted the climate. Forests are not meant to be cleared at the pace they are today. Rivers are not meant to become garbage dumps thereby turning them into sluggish, polluted drains. Sadly, not much awareness is created in the rural areas about the gruesome climate change impacts. The mining mafia does not care about the repercussions of destroying the environment because they can shift to greener pastures. But what about the large majority that must live and die in this state?
Better water management, climate-resilient farming, and policies to combat global warming are essential to mitigate future risks. Meghalaya’s rainfall crisis is more than just a dry spell—it’s a warning sign of climate change’s impact.
