74% rainfall deficit threatens agriculture and water security
SHILLONG, July 2: Meghalaya, the abode of clouds, is staring right on the face of one of its driest monsoon season, registering the highest rainfall deficit among all northeastern states this season, with precipitation falling 74 per cent below normal between June 1 and July 1.
According to India Meteorological Department (IMD) data, the state received only 192.9 mm of rainfall during this period against the normal 750.8 mm. The deficit is even more severe on a daily basis — on July 1, the state recorded just 3 mm of rainfall compared to the normal 28.7 mm, marking a nearly 90 per cent shortfall for that single day.
The sharp decline has placed Meghalaya in the “large deficient” rainfall category and raised serious concerns over its impact on agriculture, water resources and the state’s ecologically sensitive environment. The situation is particularly striking as the state is home to Sohra and Mawsynram, which are globally known for receiving some of the highest annual rainfall in the world.
Across eastern and northeastern India, the IMD reported a cumulative rainfall deficit of 40 per cent during the same period. Meghalaya recorded the largest shortfall, followed by Manipur (71 per cent), Nagaland (51 per cent) and Arunachal Pradesh (45 per cent). Sikkim was the only northeastern state to receive above-normal rainfall, recording a 15 per cent surplus.
The deficit has come at a critical stage of the Kharif cultivation season. In West Khasi Hills, particularly in Siejlieh village near Nongstoin, farmers have been unable to prepare their fields or transplant paddy on time due to the prolonged dry spell.
Khrawkupar Kharrit, a local farmer, said that under normal circumstances, paddy sowing is completed by the first week of June. “Usually by the 9th or 10th of June we finish sowing our paddy. This year, even by July 2, many of us have not been able to sow because there has not been enough rainfall,” he said.
The lack of moisture has dried up fields and disrupted the traditional rice farming cycle. Many families who were once self-sufficient in rice production are now forced to buy rice from outside the state. Hanles Khardewsaw of Siejlieh village expressed concern over this growing dependence.
“Nowadays, many people are buying rice from outside. Earlier, most families were self-sufficient, but because of the lack of rainfall, many have lost hope,” he said.
Farmers recalled harvesting between 20 and 30 sacks of rice in better years. Yields have declined considerably in recent seasons due to changing weather patterns, and participation in paddy cultivation has been steadily falling.
Environmental experts have cautioned that prolonged deficient rainfall could reduce river flows, limit groundwater recharge and place additional pressure on biodiversity and the tourism sector. Agriculture officials and experts have stressed the need for improved irrigation facilities, water conservation measures and climate-resilient farming practices to protect rain-fed agriculture in the state.
For now, farmers in West Khasi Hills continue to wait for the rains, hoping the current dry spell does not turn an already difficult season into a major loss for rural livelihoods.
