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Israeli agency to quench Cherrapunjee’s thirst

Shillong: What was once the world’s wettest place, Cherrapunjee, 56 km from here, is facing recurring water shortages every year during the post-monsoon and winter period. To cope with this problem, the Meghalaya Government has now roped in Israeli experts.

The State has inked an agreement with the Centre for International Agricultural Development Cooperation (CIADC) of the Israeli Agriculture Ministry for technical collaboration in rainwater harvesting in Cherrapunjee (now called Sohra) and other parts of the State that receive heavy rainfall.

According to Meghalaya Chief Secretary Ranjan Chatterjee, the CIADC would provide sustained education on rainwater harvesting and creation of structures for it, besides funding pilot projects to regenerate forest cover on barren land.

“A delegation of the Meghalaya Government visited Tel Aviv recently and signed an agreement with the CIADC for technical collaboration in rainwater harvesting in Sohra and other parts of the State, which receive heavy rainfall,” Mr. Chatterjee said. The modalities for implementation of the projects would be worked out within six months.

According to meteorologist H.N. Das of Assam’s Regional Meteorological Centre, Cherrapunjee received just 54.5 mm rainfall during the post-monsoon months (October to December) in 2006, while January witnessed no rain at all. This is in sharp contrast to the normal annual rainfall of 11,075 mm in the place, once known to be the wettest place on the earth. Even in the monsoon months (January-September), Cherrapunjee received a shortage of nearly 3,000 mm of rainfall in 2006 as compared to its normal quota.

Women and children trudging uphill with water-filled clay pots on their backs from deep gorges is a common sight in Cherrapunjee today.

Besides, the perennial springs gushing out abundant water in the recent past are now on the verge of drying up due to large-scale and random destruction of forests.

Cherrapunjee receives about 20,000 tourists annually and tourism here depends more on the fame of it being the world’s rainiest place. — PTI

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