Glens, bracken, mist, burns...all that's missing are Scottish kilts and bagpipes.
Cherrapunji in Meghalaya, a tiny state tucked away in-between Assam and Bangladesh.
travel.indiamart.com
74-year avg. 450 in. (1,143 cm)a year.
Greatest 12-month rainfall. 1,042 in (2,646.7 cm) August 1860-July 1861.
allindia.com
World's Wettest Spot Hit By Acute Water Shortage
Villagers say they have to buy drinking water - a phenomenon unheard of in previous years in India - at around ten rupees (little over twenty-five US cents) for a jerrycan of 10 litres. This may seem a low price by Western standards, but the purchasing power of villagers in India is low, and the idea of having to buy water is shocking to many.
Researchers have been quoted saying that these areas are showing signs of desertification, as incessant rain washes away the thin layer of soil, leaving very little topsoil for the growth of vegetation. Soil scientist Anirban Das said, "With no soil surface to soak up the rain water, most of the rainfall gets quickly discharged, resulting in insignificant base flows in the streams during the winters. There are also no underground storages to draw from."
Devastation of the forest cover is being blamed. Once-thick pine forests in the area are no longer visible, and official figures suggest there could be less than 10 per cent of the forest left.
ens.lycos.com |
