Meghalaya's Economic Challenges Highlighted in Recent Study

Economic Insights from Meghalaya

Shillong, July 20:  During her recent trip to Meghalaya, Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman praised the state's development efforts. However, a new study indicates that many households in various blocks earn less than Rs 5,000 monthly.

This research, conducted by the Meghalaya Climate Change Centre, aimed to evaluate climate vulnerability across 39 community and rural development blocks in the region.

Titled ‘Integrated Climate Vulnerability Assessment of Meghalaya at Block Level’, the findings were published in Discover Sustainability, a journal from the Europe-based Springer Nature Group.

The assessment revealed that 25 out of the 39 blocks in Meghalaya are categorized as having high or very high vulnerability, pinpointing five main factors contributing to this situation.

It was noted that Anganwadi centres are scarce, with more than half of the blocks having significantly fewer centres than the state average, showing discrepancies of up to 145 centres between different blocks.

Additionally, nearly all households in these vulnerable blocks reported less than two percent coverage under the Kisan Credit Card scheme. The forest area also varies widely, with 28 blocks having less than 10 square kilometres of forest per 1,000 rural residents.

“With an overall irrigation coverage of merely 14.45 percent and 29 blocks falling below 20 percent, inadequate irrigation emerges as a critical vulnerability factor,” the study highlighted.

Due to limited financial access, poor public infrastructure, and a lack of natural resources, over 70 percent of households in 32 blocks earn below Rs 5,000 monthly, indicating significant economic sensitivity.

The study urged policymakers to focus on enhancing adaptive capacities. “We advocate for targeted investments in financial services and rural infrastructure, along with improved institutional support to alleviate vulnerability,” it stated.

It also suggested that households should gain better access to credit facilities, particularly through the expansion of Kisan Credit Card availability. Furthermore, rural infrastructure should be enhanced by investing in public services such as Anganwadi centres, road networks, and irrigation systems to strengthen adaptive capacity.

Moreover, the study recommended bolstering institutional support by creating targeted community-based programs that specifically address the vulnerability drivers at the block level.

By

Raju Das