NE on footsteps of drought, faces severe rain deficit

The North-East is staring at a probable drought this year as temperature remains high with a severe deficit of rainfall.     

Known to experience early and flash floods, the region this time has received scanty rainfall compared to other states of the country, with Meghalaya recording the highest deficit of 75 per cent in the period between May 25 and June 19.     

During the first 25 days of the current monsoon season, Nagaland received 60 per cent less than the normal rainfall. Assam recorded 31 per cent deficit rainfall, Arunachal Pradesh 35 per cent, Manipur 38 per cent, Mizoram 36 per cent and Tripura 21 per cent, Meteorological department records said.     

The Met dept is pinning hopes on the break-monsoon period of July and August when monsoon activity increases in the North-East and decreases in other parts of the country.     

"If the region receives abundant rainfall during this period, it will be able to make up for the deficit. Otherwise certain parts of the region might experience drought-like situation," a spokesman at the Guwahati-based Regional Meteorological Centre said.

Last time, the worst deficiency of rain was recorded in 2001 between June and August when several parts of the region reeled under a drought-like situation.

With the dominance of hot and dry air there has been a 4 to 7 degree rise in the mercury level as compared to normal temperatures, the Met official added.      

Blaming the phenomenon to be a result of weak monsoon, the official said, "At times, there is an intra-seasonal annual variation of the monsoons. The monsoon trough is now located in the Rajasthan-North Bay of Bengal. The North-East will receive rains only when this trough comes close to the foothills of Himalaya".