Heavy Rain Batters Meghalaya, Disrupting Shillong-Dawki Highway

Shillong: Meghalaya is facing severe weather as heavy rainfall sweeps across the state. Mawsynram, located in the East Khasi Hills district, recorded 530 mm of precipitation in just 24 hours. Weather experts noted that the rainfall received by Mawsynram in a single night was comparable to the total precipitation typically received over more than six months in arid regions such as Jodhpur and Bikaner in Rajasthan.

Other areas also reported significant rainfall. RKM Sohra registered 470 mm, while Mawkyrwat recorded 390 mm. Additional measurements included 100 mm in Shella, 90 mm each in Williamnagar and Mawryngkneng, 80 mm in Jowai, and 70 mm each in Barapani and Ratacherra.

The extreme weather has caused infrastructure damage, specifically on the national highway connecting Shillong to Dawki. Rainwater eroded a section of the road below Laitlyngkot town, roughly 35 kilometres south of Shillong. While no injuries were reported, the collapse halted traffic flow toward the India-Bangladesh border.

Officials from the National Highways and Infrastructure Development Corporation Ltd have started emergency repairs to restore the route. Authorities are keeping a close watch on the situation, advising residents to stay cautious as they continue to monitor vulnerable locations for landslides and further road disruptions.