Shillong: Cherrapunji, once the wettest place in the world, is experiencing a climatic shift with the mercury level soaring by the day.
Situated about 1300 meters above sea-level, Cherrapunji has witnessed a minimal rainfall this year.
The Regional Meteorological Centre Deputy Director D Chakraborty attributed the reason to the late arrival of monsoon.
"This was mainly due to oscillation in the South from its normal position over Cherrapunji-Assam-Bihar belt, resulting more rains in the Orissa-Maharashtra-Rajasthan belt," he said.
Chakraborty said the city used to receive 2,790 rainfall normally, whereas, this year it had received only 2,410 mm so far.
The highest annual rainfall Cherrapunji had ever received was 24,553 mm in 1974 and the lowest was 6,807 mm in 1962.
However, Prof B S Mipun of North Eastern Hills University said deficiency of rainfall in Cherrapunji and North East states as a whole was mainly because of the Tsunami, El Nino effects.
"The sudden change of climatic condition was not only due to massive deforestation, but also due to shift of plates after Tsunami and earthquakes," pointed out Prof Mipun.
The experts further said such climatic change was due to global warming and
ecological imbalance.
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