Photo Courtesy: India Today Group
Shillong: Meghalaya is running dry. The India Meteorological Department reported an 85 percent rainfall deficit for October, with the state collecting a meager 38.3 mm of rain against a 255 mm norm. The drought hit every corner of the state.
All 11 districts landed in the large deficient category, defined by the IMD as a shortfall between 60 and 99 percent. South West Garo Hills suffered the most at 93 percent. East Jaintia Hills and North Garo Hills followed at 92 percent each. East Khasi Hills hit 91 percent, while West Garo Hills dropped 86 percent. South West Khasi Hills and West Khasi Hills both saw 84 percent deficits. East Garo Hills registered 81 percent and West Jaintia Hills recorded 80 percent. Ri Bhoi and South Garo Hills rounded out the list at 74 percent each.
The dry spell follows a weak monsoon. Between June and September, the state received only 1,077.1 mm of rain, far below the 2,695.3 mm seasonal average. This 60 percent deficit grew over the season. July saw a 9 percent shortfall, which swelled to 38 percent in August. During August, the state pulled in 359.7 mm against a normal 581.6 mm.
Water security is now at risk. Meghalaya relies on natural springs, which are failing as groundwater recharge slows. Chief Minister Conrad K. Sangma previously noted that several projects under the Jal Jeevan Mission face supply hurdles, stating that those projects were "facing water-supply challenges due to declining or drying water sources, changing rainfall patterns and climatic conditions."
The Public Health Engineering Department is scrambling to save the flow. Officials have mapped 55,000 springs across 70,000 springsheds to combat the decline. They identified 785 critical water sources that need immediate rejuvenation to survive the non-monsoon months.
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