By Our Reporter
SHILLONG, July 27: The rains have ceased and the bright sunny days have returned, but these are not the typical sunny days one expects in a hill station. Instead, people are sweating profusely, seeking out fans, and in crowded rooms without air conditioning, the heat is unbearable.
On Saturday, the city recorded a maximum temperature of 29-degree Celsius, which, according to the Indian Meteorological Department (IMD), is a 4.5-degree departure from normal. Historically, Shillong’s maximum temperatures have ranged from 27 to 29.1 degrees Celsius, with the record high of 30.2-degree Celsius recorded on April 5, 1973.
Nearby Sohra (Cherrapunjee) also recorded a high of 30.1 degrees Celsius.
While tourists revel in the sunny weather, free from the usual interruptions of rain, locals are grappling with the rising temperatures.
“There are hardly any trees left, houses are coming up, rivers are drying. How do we expect Shillong to be the same as it was in the yesteryears?” said a vegetable seller in Laitumkhrah, who had a water-soaked cloth on her head to combat the heat.
The dwindling forest cover around Shillong is a significant concern.
The sight of students and pedestrians using umbrellas to shield themselves from the midday sun has become common. Another hawker, fanning herself with a small handy fan, said, “I have never known us wanting fans to save ourselves from the heat. No matter the peak summer, we used to use blankets and sleep. Now, even at night, we don’t need blankets and cannot even make do with a thin one.”
A tourist from Bangalore remarked, “Bangalore appears cooler than this. We have been here for the last two days, and today, the heat is unbearable, even in Cherrapunjee (Sohra).”
A USAID-UNDP study indicates that mean temperatures in Shillong are projected to increase by 1.17°C by the 2020s, 2.97°C by the 2050s, and 4.99°C by the 2080s.
According to the India State of Forest Report 2019, Meghalaya had a total forest cover of 17,119 square kilometers. However, by 2021, this had reduced to 17,046 square kilometers, indicating a loss of 73 square kilometers of forest cover in just three years.
As the city heats up, the loss of its green cover becomes more apparent, making residents yearn for the cooler days of the past.
