Meghalaya faces extreme monsoon rainfall deficit, jeopardising paddy planting

India’s northeast region has recorded a 40% shortfall in monsoon rainfall from June 1 to July 2, according to the India Meteorological Department. Meghalaya suffered the deepest deficit, receiving only about 25% of its normal precipitation – a 74% drop – while Manipur recorded a 71% deficit. The other northeastern states reported deficits ranging from 45% to 51%, with Sikkim the sole state to receive above‑normal rain.

The deficit comes at a critical stage for the Kharif rice crop. Farmers in Meghalaya’s West Khasi Hills say they cannot sow or transplant paddy as usual, forcing many households to purchase rice from elsewhere. Similar delays and reduced yields are reported across the region, raising concerns about water security, groundwater recharge, river flows and the broader ecological balance. Experts link the unusually dry monsoon to broader climate‑change trends and call for improved irrigation and climate‑resilient farming practices.

The rainfall shortfall threatens the livelihoods of millions of smallholder farmers in the northeast, a region traditionally reliant on rain‑fed agriculture, and could affect regional food supplies if the trend continues.