Cherrapunji

A recent study that was published in Environmental Research Letters looked at the rainfall pattern in the past 119 years and found that rainfall trend in Cherrapunji has decreased and Mawsynram (both in Meghalaya) is the wettest place now.
The team is currently looking at the changes in rainfall patterns across India.

The team analysed daily rain gauge measurements during 1901–2019, and noted that the changes in the Indian Ocean temperature have a huge effect on the rainfall in the Northeast region.
They also analysed satellite data and added that there was a reduction in the vegetation area in northeast India in the past two decades, implying that human influence also plays an important role in the changing rainfall patterns.
The analysis showed reductions in vegetation with 104.5 sq km lost per year. On the other hand, there were significant increases in crop-land (182.1 sq km per year) and urban and built-up lands (0.3 sq km per year) during the period 2001–2018.
The traditional way of cultivation known as Jhum cultivation or shifting cultivation is now decreased and being replaced by other methods. Also, previous studies have noted there is sizable deforestation in the region.

Since northeast India is mostly hilly and is an extension of the Indo-Gangetic Plains, the region is highly sensitive to changes in regional and global climate.
The first signs of the effect of climate change will be evident for the extreme cases such as the rainfall at Cherrapunji.
Northeast India has the highest vegetation cover in India, indicating the importance of the region in terms of its greenery and climate-change sensitivity.

Cherrapunji (elevation 1313 m) and Mawsynram (elevation 1401.5 m) are located on the southern slopes of the east Khasi Hills in Meghalaya.
The rainfall in Cherrapunji-Mawsynram is caused by the orography favouring a monsoon wind regime.
The northward moving moist winds from the Bay of Bengal passing over the plains of Bangladesh are forced to converge in the narrow valleys of the Khasi Hills with orography providing forced ascent that causes condensation, formation of clouds resulting in rain on the windward side of the slope.

Despite its rainy reputation the state suffers from water shortage. It propelled the state to launch its water policy in 2019.
Meghalaya’s water policy seeks to address its water conservation paradox: despite having an abundance of rainfall, Meghalaya faces challenges in water management.
Unsustainable water use is compounded by the degradation of catchment areas, unsustainable mining practices and lack of sufficient water storage capacity, with climate change multiplying the effects.
The water policy stresses on rainwater harvesting and development of multipurpose run-of-the-river reservoirs.

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