Cherrapunji, known for its heavy downpour, is facing rainfall crisis. June 2025 turned out to be one of the driest months in the region’s recent history. Known locally as Sohra, the region recorded only 1,095.4 mm of rainfall last month, a steep 64 per cent drop from the 3,041.2 mm it received in June last year.
The India Meteorological Department (IMD) described the situation as among the steepest year-on-year declines in rainfall in the region, raising concerns.
Cherrapunji’s current condition is a far cry from its legendary past. In 1974, the town received an astonishing 24,555 mm of rainfall, a world record that still stands. Today, however, the annual average has plummeted to just 8,000–9,000 mm, far below the earlier norm of 11,000 mm— and less than half of what was seen in the 1970s.
An IMD official noted that this year’s troubling signs began even earlier, with May rainfall falling short by 400 mm compared to the same month last year. “Sohra has been witnessing erratic rainfall patterns for years, but such a drastic drop in June is particularly alarming,” the official said.
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Cherrapunji is now combating water shortages during the dry months. Many local villages depend on natural springs. In some areas, water tankers are now required to meet basic daily needs.
The region has witnessed explosive population growth, surging from about 7,000 residents in 1961 to over 70,000 today. Alongside, tourism has boomed, adding further pressure to already overstretched water resources.
Environmentalists attribute the drastic decline in rainfall to multiple factors which include changing monsoon patterns, deforestation, rising sea surface temperatures and rapid urbanisation and unregulated construction.
A Shillong-based environmental activist warned, “The crisis is no longer about broken rainfall records. It’s about survival. If current trends continue, Sohra may not be able to sustain itself ecologically or socially.”
In response to the worsening crisis, conservationists suggested recommendations including plantation drive, implementing watershed management initiatives and enforcing strict regulations on construction and tourism.
Experts said that only observation is no longer sufficient and a comprehensive climate resilience strategy is required to protect the region’s ecosystem and to ensure water security for its rapidly growing population.
As the clouds thin over one of the world’s most iconic monsoon destinations, the future of Cherrapunji hangs in the balance— its legacy threatened not by a lack of history, but by a lack of rainfall.
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