Eastern India: Monsoon Arrives

While dams in southern India are drying up, the long dry spell has ended in the eastern state of Cherrapunjee, where the monsoon rains have arrived.

Heavy monsoon showers have come after a prolonged dry spell in the region. But the meteorological department says the total rainfall from the crucial June to September monsoon would come in below normal for the first time in four years.

[NC Khaud, Meteorologist]:
„It rained very little in the entire month of June. But it has been raining normally for last 2-3 days. Today we have recorded a rainfall of 282 millimeters.“

Tourists were also seen enjoying the monsoon showers.

[PP Allayah, Tourist]:
„People said that it would rain little this year, in Cherrapunjee particularly. However, after coming here, I feel it will rain normal in Cherrapunjee. Visibility is poor here and you can’t see beyond 10 metres. The weather makes one feel that it is not going to rain little.“

Timely arrival of the monsoon is vital to the health of India’s trillion-dollar economy. Two-thirds of India’s more than a billion people live off farm-related activities, so the rains are crucial for boosting rural incomes and consumer spending.

(NTDTV)