Despite 27-28 per cent deficient rain till September 3 in the North-eastern States, several parts in Nagaland, Assam and Arunachal Pradesh are hit by flood. According to India Meteorological Department (IMD), Assam and Arunachal Pradesh have been put on high flood alert after China warned India about the rising water levels in the Tsangpo river.
The same kind of warning was released in Meghalaya. Similarly, Nagaland has confronted abnormal rainfall in the last few weeks leading to a flood-like situation in the State.
The Union Home Ministry’s National Emergency Response Centre said on Monday that 1,400 people have died from rain and flood related causes since May 28, a number that is almost as high as the 1,480 and the 1,420 deaths due to such causes in all of 2015 and 2016, making this year’s monsoon one of the most destructive in recent years.
Thousands of people from about a dozen villages have moved to higher ground in Arunachal Pradesh, Assam and Nagaland. According to a report, the Brahmaputra in Assam and the Siang river in Arunachal Pradesh are flowing along the danger mark and there is a possibility of flooding the States.
According to Home Ministry, as many as 1,400 villages in 23 districts, including Dhemaji, lakhimpur, Sonitpur, Nalbari, Biswanath, Udalguri, Barpeta, Chirang, Kokrajhar, Nagaon. Hojai, Karbi-Anglong East, Karbi-Anglong West, Golaghat, Dibrugarh, Jorhat, Majuli, Charaideo Karimganj, Sivasagar, Hailakandi , Cachar and Dima Hasao districts are affected from flood.
Over 12 lakh people are affected in the State. In Meghalaya, West Garo Hills, North Garo Hills and South West Garo Hills have been alerted and asked to keep the disaster management teams ready for any emergency situation in the next 24 hours.
Interestingly, Arunachal Pradesh, Nagaland, Assam faced a rain deficiency this monsoon while Meghalaya recorded normal rain till date. The IMD data showed Nagaland, Manipur, Mizoram and Tripura sub-division have received 18 per cent less rain till date. Deficient rainfall sent the temperatures soaring in the region.
The data shows Nagaland, Manipur, Mizoram and Tripura sub-division recorded 1,013.1 mm (actual) of rainfall against the average rainfall of 1,227.9 mm this monsoon. Only Sikkim and Mizoram have received normal rain in the north-eastern region. According to a report of Agriculture Ministry, the number of drought weeks during monsoon months in Arunachal Pradesh, parts of Assam, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Tripura and Manipur, will increase by 25 per cent in the future.
Officials said that the eight north-eastern states are divided into four meteorological sub-divisions. “Hence moderate deficiency in rain won't affect cultivation much, but a shortfall of more than 27 per cent is a cause for concern,” officials said.
Nagaland received 10 per cent less rain this monsoon. The State has received 1011.4 mm rainfall as against the normal of 1124.6 mm. Districts like Kiphire (-83 percent), Peren (-38 percent), Wokha (-42 percent) and Phek (-52 percent) are facing rain deficiency from 35 per cent to 83 per cent this monsoon. Interestingly, several districts of Nagaland are inundated and Chief Minister has sought assistance of Rs 800 crore from the Centre.
Meghalaya sub-division recorded 1381.3.2 mm rainfall (actual) against the normal average of 2362.8 mm. East Khasi Hills district in Meghalaya, which has both Mawsynram, the wettest place on Earth, and Sohra, the second wettest, has seen a 28 per cent deficit rainfall this season. The rain deficiency has been recorded 42 percent till date. East Khasi Hill (-50 percent), Ri Bhoi (-45 percent), West Garo Hill (-43 percent), West Khasi Hill (-50 percent) were areas which faced less monsoon this year.
The rain deficiency in Manipur is recorded 53 per cent. The State received 550.2 mm rain as against the normal of 1172.7 mm. As per IMD report, deficiency of rain in Churachandpur is recorded 91 per cent, Imphal East (-25 percent), Senapati (-47 percent), Tamenglong (-74 percent) and Champhai (-45 percent).
In Tripura, the deficiency is recorded 19 per cent till date. “Tripura received 1017.9 mm rains as against the normal of 1254.3 mm this monsoon. North, South and West Tripura received less rain,” the IMD said.
Arunachal Pradesh, which was once touted as India's hydroelectric powerhouse, has also been left wanting more. The State witnessed the highest deficit of 34 percent rainfall, recording 936.3 mm rainfall (actual) against the normal average of 1,423.8 mm. Anjaw (-10 percent), Changlang (-15 percent), East Kameng (-50 percent) West Kameng (-44 percent), Tirap (-66 percent) and lohit (-44 percent) are among those districts which received less rain this year.
With 23 per cent deficit, Assam witnessed 975.2 mm rain as compared to the normal of 1236.1 mm till date. Baksa (-56 percent), Barpeta (-30 percent), Bongaigaon (-24 percent), Cachar (-15 percent), Dhubri (-53 percent) and Kamrup Metro (-29 percent) are among those areas in Assam which are facing drought like situation. Meanwhile, lesser rain could have been a cause for worry for ecosystems like the Kaziranga National Park which rely on flooding to rejuvenate the water bodies and the grasslands.
Sikkim received 1624 mm rain against the normal average of 1468 mm while Mizoram received 1452 mm rain against the normal of 1370 mm.
The IMD officials have stated that the monsoon is likely to be 93 per cent of the long period average over eight northeastern States this year.