 Jorhat,
Aug 23: Cherrapunjee is desperately seeking help
to maintain its record of being the place with the highest
amount of rainfall in the world.
The Rain Forest Research Institute in Jorhat
is launching a preliminary project of afforestation since
the place is witnessing a decline in annual rainfall gradually.
The state government has commissioned the project.
The loss of greenery and shifting weather
patterns is blamed for the declining rainfall. It’s
ironical however that the loss of green cover is also due
to the lack of rain – locally known as sohra. Meteorological
experts say that the deluge in Mumbai recently was caused
by shifting weather patterns. They attribute the unusual pattern
of rainfall to the monsoon trough moving southwards from it
normal position over the Cherrapunjee-Assam-Bihar belt. The
shift has also caused more rainfall in the Orissa-Maharastra
belt.
Cherrapunjee recorded 2,373 mm of rainfall
in July this year against a monthly average of 3,500 mm, which
is less than half or last year’s record of 5,014 mm.
Despite perennial rain, the people in these parts have to
face acute shortage of portable water. They trek miles to
obtain drinking water. As fallout of human encroachment irrigation
is also hampered by excessive rain washing away the topsoil.
Two varieties of trees namely - the Exbucklandia
Poplania and Alnus Nepalensis - will be planted on 1.5 hectares
of land on experimental basis. The aim is to encourage the
local populace to start planting the two varieties of trees
to restore the greenery of Cherrapunjee. |
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