Thread by @ZebaZoariahAhsa

As it rains in the capital, I got reminded of the meteorology classes during my master's. In one of the many meteorology classes back in TERI, none of us could answer what is the average annual rainfall India & the world receives.

It was raining horribly one fine morning in September 2016 & we were just learning to look at rainfall data in that particular meteorology class. The nearest rainfall station from Vasant Kunj is at Safdarjung.

Just for perspective, the average annual rainfall in India is ~ 120 cm, which btw is fairly a good number given the vast physiographic conditions this country has.

Please understand that rainfall data forms one of the bases for many watershed-based schemes that are implemented across the country. Be it DDP (Desert Development Programme) or National Watershed Development Program in Rainfed Areas (NWDPRA).

For reference, the average global rainfall is ~ 95-100 cm.
Just for perspective, Delhi’s average annual ppt is ~ 650 mm during the monsoon season.

During my research days in Shillong, upon interaction with a very senior scientist at CGWB, my colleague @sheenanarzary & I learnt that Mawsynram in Cherrapunji is slowly becoming a 'wet desert'. Very less research has been done on this. How can you define deserts as wet?

What he meant was: that aridity in Cherrapunji is slowly increasing. While the rainfall days remain more or less remains the same, the episodes of rainfall have become erratic.

Eg: when we compared IMD’s rainfall data to understand decadal trends, the number of rainfall days in January has decreased over the years & has increased way too much in the pre-monsoon & monsoon months.

Hence, the uniform distribution of rainfall is decreasing drastically even though the rainfall days remain the same. Unfortunately, Meghalaya doesn’t get much coverage & Assam gets more media coverage & both these sister states have minuscule mainstream media coverage.

I guess we are just bad when it comes to complaining about our ordeals. Just look at yesterday’s rainfall data for Guwahati & Cherrapunji to understand the perils of climate change.

#climatechange #Guwahati #Cherrapunji #DelhiRains