Meghalaya Research Articles

Size and canopy characteristics of community reserves determine primate occupancy in the state of Meghalaya, India, and implications for its conservation.

Globally, the effective protected area network is one of the last resorts for conserving biodiversity. The nature of protected areas depends on the land ownership of the respective countries including India. The landholding in the northeastern states of India remains with native people, thus, 'Community Reserve' (CR) was introduced in 2003. Considering the high number of CR in Meghalaya that are home to many threatened primates, understanding their role in conserving the primates was crucial. We conducted day and night trail surveys in 32 CR of Meghalaya, and a questionnaire survey of local people for their perception of primates. We sampled basal area, tree density, canopy cover, canopy height, bamboo density, and human activity in each CR to test their influence on the occupancy of primates. We recorded the Western hoolock gibbon Hoolock hoolock, capped langur Trachypithecus pileatus, Northern pig-tailed macaque Macaca leonina, Assamese macaque Macaca assamensis, Rhesus macaque Macaca mulatta, and Bengal slow loris Nycticebus bengalensis. The primate richness and abundance were higher in the CR of Garo Hills than in the Khasi and Jaintia Hills. The gibbons had the highest patch occupancy, which was followed by capped langur, Assamese macaque, and pig-tailed macaque. Large-sized CR determined the occupancy of gibbons and Assamese macaques. Canopy cover positively influenced the occupancy of three primates except the Assamese macaque, whereas the canopy height had a positive association with three species of primates. The basal area, and tree density, negatively affected the occurrence of Assamese macaque, northern pig-tailed macaque, and capped langur. Macaques were the most hunted primates. The differential occurrence and abundance in different hill systems may be due to hunting and habitat size rather than habitat quality. Habitat restoration would improve the habitat quality with the involvement of communities to assist in retaining and avoiding the local extinction of primates.

Geographic disparities and determinants of full utilization of the continuum of maternal and newborn healthcare services in rural India

BackgroundTo further reduce maternal and neonatal mortality, it is essential for mothers and newborns to fully utilize all essential services within the continuum of maternal and newborn care. However, research on maternal and child health services in India has not sufficiently examined geographical disparities in the full utilization of these services and the factors influencing the full utilization, particularly in rural areas. This study aims to address this critical gap.MethodsUtilizing data from 130,312 mothers collected in the National Family Health Survey-5 (2019–21), this study employed spatial analysis to uncover geographical disparities in the full utilization of the continuum of maternal and newborn healthcare services in rural India. Additionally, binary logistic regression was used to identify the factors associated with this utilization.ResultsIn rural India, 54.3% mothers recieved four or more antenatal care visits, 88.6% received skilled birth attendance, and 75.5% of mothers and 79.8% of newborns received postnatal care within 48 hours of birth. However, only 43.5% mothers-newborn dyads in rural India utilized all four services of the continuum of maternal and newborn healthcare. There were significant geographical disparities in the full utilization of the continuum of maternal and newborn healthcare services. Hotspots were primarily identified in districts of southern states, western Maharashtra, and central Odisha, while cold spots were evident in the northeastern states of Arunachal Pradesh, Meghalaya, Assam, and Nagaland, as well as in the Empowered Action Group states of Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, and Jharkhand. Key determinants influencing the full utilization of the continuum of care in rural India included maternal education, household wealth, parity, health insurance coverage, and exposure to mass media. Specifically, the odds of fully utilizing the continuum of care were significantly lower among women without formal education (adjusted odds ratio = 0.60, 95% CI = 0.56–0.65), those from the poorest wealth quintile (0.65, 0.61–0.69), and mothers with six or more children (0.42, 0.37–0.47), compared to mothers with higher education, those in the richest wealth quintile, and mothers with a single child, respectively. Additionally, mothers from the southern region were more than twice as likely (2.11, 1.99–2.20) to fully utilize the continuum of healthcare services compared to mothers from the northern region.ConclusionThe significant geographical disparities in the full utilization of maternal and newborn healthcare services in rural India highlight the necessity for tailored, region-specific interventions. Future programs should focus on addressing the barriers to care by prioritizing vulnerable groups, including those who are poor, uninsured, less educated, adolescents, and women with high parity.

Feminisation Of Poverty And Women’s Health

The phenomenon of poverty is historical in nature and the plight of the poor appears to be as old as human history. Poverty is the lack of resources and capabilities to fulfill the basic needs of life. Feminisation of poverty was coined by Diana Pearce in 1978 which posits that women compared to men have a higher incidence of poverty. Feminisation of poverty is due to relative poverty rather than absolute poverty. This paper seeks to examine feminisation of poverty in relation to women’s health. While the health of both men and women is adversely affected by poverty, a higher proportion of women suffer from its effects because of increasing ‘feminisation of poverty’. This study has utilised secondary sources of data. From the ‘feminisation of poverty’ lens, the paper highlights the status of women’s health in the state of Meghalaya.

Geospatial assessment and integrated multi-model approach for landslide susceptibility mapping in Meghalaya, India

Landslides in Meghalaya, India, inflict severe property and life damage due to mountains, steep slopes, and heavy rains. Landslide Susceptibility (LS) maps are extremely useful for disaster management. The primary goal of this work is to generate an LS map for the state of Meghalaya. In the first phase, a Landslide Inventory (LI) map was created, which included 855 landslides that occurred from 2019 to 2023. The LI map was then split into 70 % (601) and 30 % (254) for training and testing, respectively. In the second phase, the study selected fourteen conditioning factors as thematic layers for LS mapping and performed multicollinearity and Pearson’s correlation analysis; all the parameters were identified as optimal for the prediction model. Eight different scenario models (Frequency Ratio (FR), Evidence Belief Function (EBF), FR + EBF, FR*EBF, (FR*EBF)/2, (2*FR) + EBF, (2*EBF) + FR and (EBF + FR)/3) have been used to generate LS maps. The created maps were validated using Receiver Operating Characteristics (ROC) curve and the corresponding Area Under the Curve (AUC) value, statistical measures (recall, precision, F1 score, overall accuracy, and balanced accuracy) and on-site verification with recent landslides. Finally, the result of the best scenario was compared with the outcome of the Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP) method. Results showed that scenario 4 (EBF*FR) has an overall accuracy of 82.3 %, whereas AHP has an overall accuracy of 77.6 %. It is indicated that scenario 4 achieved 4.7 % higher overall accuracy than that of the AHP method. Recent landslides selected for on-site verification occurred in an area classified as very highly susceptible by the scenario 4 model. These maps provide vital conceptions of landslide mechanisms, assisting land use planning and disaster management. This approach can be applied in similar areas by investigators, which indicates the originality of the study, and the result of this study will be beneficial for the Meghalaya region.

Comparing the effectiveness of landslide susceptibility mapping by using the frequency ratio and hybrid MCDM models

The present study involved the landslide susceptibility mapping of Indian state of Meghalaya by using the frequency ratio (FR) and Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP)- VlseKriterijuska Optimizacija I Komoromisno Resenje (VIKOR) (AHP-VIKOR), and the outcomes were validated and compared. Therefore, fourteen landslide conditioning factors were selected after a multi-collinearity test by tolerance and variance Inflation Factor. Based on 70 % of the training data, the relative frequency and predictive rate value was used to generate final output. In opposite, the overall ranking was used to generate landslide susceptibility map (LSM) for the AHP-VIKOR model. Subsequently, the generated LSM was classified into five hierarchical zones from very low to very high based on the natural breaking classification. The area under the curve of receiver operating characteristics from 30 % of validation landslides shown more predictive accuracy of AHP-VIKOR model than FR model under similar geo-environmental condition. The spatial distribution of landslide susceptibility zones shows that 37 % of the region under the threat of having a high landslip risk. Landslides are primarily found in barren Cretaceous sedimentary rocks, with increased risk near roadsides. This is due to slope cutting for roads, making hilly terrain unstable. Areas with more annual rainfall face greater landslide threats. Therefore, the outcome of the study may contain the useful information that helps the local administration to recognize vulnerability of landslides as well as to take up the hazard mitigative measures.

Genotype × Environment Interaction for Grain Yield and Its Component Traits in Wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) for Varietal Recommendations in Meghalaya State of India

The study aims to evaluate the stability of fifteen wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) genotypes under varying sowing dates to identify genotypes with superior grain yield and stability in the North Eastern Region of India. The study also seeks to assess G×E using the Eberhart and Russell model and the AMMI model, to recommend suitable genotypes for cultivation in this region. This is a two-year field study conducted during the rabi seasons of 2017-18 and 2018-19. Fifteen genotypes were sown on six different dates including E1 (27th Oct. 2017-18), E2 (6th Nov. 2017-18), E3 (16th Nov. 2017-18), E4 (27th Oct. 2018-19), E5 (6th Nov. 2018-19), and E6 (16th Nov. 2018-19) to evaluate the stability of these genotypes. This experiment was performed in Randomized Block Design (RBD) with three replications. All genotypes exhibited significant differences across the studied environments. The genotype-environment interaction was significant for most traits except days to 50% crop emergence, test weight, and harvest index. RAJ-3765 and HD-2985 were identified as high-yielding and stable genotypes across all environments, while HD-3118 and HD-2733 performed well in favorable conditions. The AMMI analysis revealed that HD-2985 and RAJ-3765 were the most stable, and WR-544 was the poorest performer. Genotypes RAJ-3765 and HD-2985 showed superior stability and yield across diverse environments, making them suitable for broader cultivation in Meghalaya. HD-2733 and HD-3118 were better suited for favorable environments, while WR-544 was the least adapted. These findings suggest the potential for expanding wheat cultivation in the region using these stable genotypes.

A new long-snouted vine snake species in the genus Ahaetulla Link, 1807 (Colubridae: Chrysopeleinae) from India

A new species of long-snouted arboreal snake of the genus Ahaetulla Link, 1807, is described from the Indian states of Bihar and Meghalaya. Molecular phylogenetic analysis using three mitochondrial genes recovered the new species as a member of the A. fusca clade and as a sister the species to A. laudankia. The new species differs from its congeners in bearing an elongate rostral appendage, green or ochre dorsum, orange-brown belly, and moderately keeled vertebral dorsal scale row. This description of a new reptile species highlights the need for systematic documentation of biodiversity in the region.

Exploring Craniofacial Anthropometry in the Ethnic Adult Population of Meghalaya, Northeast India: A Cross-Sectional Study.

Craniofacial anthropometry is important for identity, diagnosis of congenital anomalies etc. The incidence of craniofacial abnormalities is high in the Southeast Asian region. The population of Meghalaya differs in features from other states of Northeast India and the neighbouring East Asia. The objective was to study the craniofacial anthropometric features of the ethnic adults in the Meghalaya state of Northeast India. This cross-sectional study was conducted from 2022 to 2023 in the ENT OPD. OPD patients of Meghalayan ethnicity were included in the study. Head length (HL), head breadth (HB), Cephalic index (CI), intercanthal distance (ICD), lateral canthal distance (LCD) and ear length (EL) were measured. A total of 104 adults were included. The majority of the individuals belonged to the Khasi community 51 (49%) followed by the Garo community 27 (26%) and the Jaintia community 26 (25%). The mean ± S.D age of the total sample population was 29.5 ± 8.4 years. The mean CI of the total sample population was 79.13 (mesocephalic). No statistically significant difference was noted between male-female CI in the total and subpopulation groups. In our study, the common head types were dolichocephalic (29%), brachycephalic (29%), mesocephalic (21%), hyperbrachycephalic (16%) and ultrabrachycephalic (5%). A statistically significant difference was noted between Khasi and Jaintia in HL, HW, CI, LCD; between Khasi and Garo in HL, ICD, LCD and between Garo and Jaintia in HW, CI, ICD. We believe our conventional craniofacial anthropometry data could add to the pool of regional anthropometry data and be used for future scientific purposes like anthropology, maxillofacial surgeries, designing helmets, forensic analysis, and gender differentiation.

The Hidden Treasures of the Forest: Promoting Forest Conservation through Non-Timber Forest Products in the Eastern Himalayan Region

The study examined the impact of Non-Timber Forest Products (NTFPs) on forest conservation by local communities in the study areas. Surveying 250 respondents from 20 villages, a good number of plant and animal-based NTFPs were identified in the states of Meghalaya and Nagaland. The Binary Logistic Regression Model confirmed that income from NTFPs had a positive and significant influence on four forest conservation models in Meghalaya and three forest conservation models in Nagaland. It implied that the extraction of NTFPs can serve as a vital incentive for sustainable forest management. The policy recommendations include supporting NTFP-based livelihoods to enhance community engagement in conservation efforts through local conservation bodies and traditional institutions, including the state forest department.

Strobilanthes khasyana (Acanthaceae): an addition to the flora of Nagaland, India

The present paper deals with the taxon Strobilanthes khasyana reported for the first time from the state of Nagaland, northeastern India. The taxon which was earlier reported to be endemic to the states of Meghalaya, Sikkim, and West Bengal has extended its distributional range to Nagaland state. The detailed morphological description and the photographs are provided for easy identification.

Abusive Language Detection in Khasi Social Media Comments

Abusive Language Detection in Khasi Social Media Comments

Gandhian Intervention and the AFSPA in Northeast India: The Case of Irom Chanu Sharmila

Political violence and conflicts have been predominant features in Northeast India which comprises the states of Assam, Arunachal Pradesh, Nagaland, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Manipur, Tripura, and Sikkim. Resistances in many states arose to counter the perceived loss of land, demographic change, and political, cultural, and economic marginalization of indigenous communities. Some of the resistances had arisen due to the harboring of national visions by groups in Northeast India which were inimical to the visions held by those in the centers of power in the country. There have also been interventions, either official or unofficial or both to resolve these conflicts and violence. Some of these interventions are inspired by Gandhian principles of conflict resolution. This paper intends to provide an insight into one of the Gandhian interventions in Northeast India and discusses Irom Chanu Sharmila’s sixteen years long fast to have AFSPA repealed.

Living with diabetes in Northeast India: An exploration of psychosocial factors in management

PurposeIndia is the ‘Diabetes Capital of the World’ and accounts for one in seven adults living with diabetes worldwide. Psychosocial, economic, and cultural correlates of disease have important implications for disease management but are rarely explored in India. The purpose of this study is to address psychosocial and cultural factors in diabetes management in the northeastern region of India which has a high disease burden. MethodsThis study attempts to explore the psychosocial and lived experience of diabetes in the northeastern state of Meghalaya. The sample was selected from individuals attending an outpatient facility of a multi-speciality clinic. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 25 individuals (13 women and 12 men), above the age of 40 years, who had been diagnosed with diabetes for at least 6 months. The narratives were analysed using thematic analysis. ResultsUsing the social cognitive framework, themes were organized in terms of a thematic map linking knowledge of diabetes to the perception of diabetes as ‘a silent killer’, to coping, leading to self-efficacy. However high self-efficacy, over time, may lead to complacency, disrupting health behaviours and requiring re-establishment of those behaviours. Adequate knowledge along with cognitive adaptation and self-efficacy were important constructs that contributed to behaviour change and maintenance. Elements of the cultural context were observed in the spiritual aspects of adaptation, the socially isolating consequences of diabetes, as well as gender differences in social support and management. ConclusionUnderstanding the lived experiences of patients contributes to planning more effective interventions keeping the social and cultural context in mind for more effective management of diabetes. Additionally, acknowledging and supporting women's needs in diabetes management is called for.

Remote Sensing and GIS-Based Accuracy Assessment of LULC Map and Landslide Susceptibility Prediction for Meghalaya, India

ABSTRACT Through this study, a Landslide Susceptibility Map (LSM) has been developed for the Meghalaya state, India using an Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP). According to a 2012 Geological Survey of India report, the annual average number of landslides in Meghalaya is nearly 30, which is due to a combination of mountains, steep slopes, and excessive rainfall, leading the state to suffer a huge loss of life and property from landslides. For effective management of the current landslide situation, information about prior landslides is needed. Therefore, the landslide inventory map is prepared with 380 previously occurred events. The Landslide inventory records were separated into training samples (70%) and testing samples (30%) for the purpose of validation. In this regard, the present study has 15 conditioning factors, i.e., slope, rainfall, elevation, relative relief, aspect, distance from the road, curvature, distance from the stream, LULC, lineament density, geomorphology, geology, NDVI, MSAVI, NDWI, which are used to develop susceptibility map. Classification and accuracy assessment of LULC is carried out with segregation as 77% vegetation, 16.4% range land, 3.1% built area, 2.8% crops, 0.4% waterbodies, and 0.3% others (bare land, flooded vegetation, etc.). The Kappa for LULC categorization is 0.92, which is quite satisfactory and suggests that the LULC categorization is reliable. The developed susceptibility map is classified into four different classes, low susceptibility (35%), moderate susceptibility (41%), high susceptibility (20%), and very high susceptibility (4%), and has been verified using physical and Receiver Operating Characteristics (ROC) techniques. Results show that anticipated susceptibility classes are in good match with previous landslide events. The prepared map is reliable and can be used for land-use planning of the state in the future.

GIS-based frequency ratio model for flood susceptibility zonation in the state of Meghalaya, Northeast India

GIS-based frequency ratio model for flood susceptibility zonation in the state of Meghalaya, Northeast India

Survey from 61,748 schools in four States of India on sale of tobacco products near schools.

Children form the most vulnerable strata of the society and the tobacco industry is known to target them. Article 16 of the Framework Convention of Tobacco Control (FCTC) calls for prohibition of tobacco sales to and by minors. Although interventions to stop such sales are based on sound science, it is widely acknowledged that many countries find implementation, full of challenges. In India, sales near educational institutions are banned by law, Section 6b of the Cigarettes & Other Tobacco Products Act (COTPA). We conducted a survey of violations in four states [Andhra Pradesh (AP), Karnataka (KA), Meghalaya (ML), Uttar Pradesh (UP)] of India to report the number of violations and to assess if there was an association between the schools with violations and variables such as gender, size, category, location of schools. Schools in these States were asked to report the number of shops selling tobacco within 100 yards on an App circulated to all schools (289,392 in number). Chi-square tests, univariate and multivariate logistic regression performed to find association between schools with violations by Category of School, Size of School, Gender of students and location (Urban/Rural). Responses were received from 61,748 (21.3%) schools of which 16,193 (26.2%) reported violations. It was observed that the percentages of the schools with violations were similar to the prevalence of tobacco usage in the state. Four states AP, KA, ML, UP reported violations 22.2%, 17.5%, 42.9% and 31.4% respectively. On chi-square tests, there was a significant association for the states of KA and ML with regards to variables like size, category, location of schools (p-value <0.001). For AP, all variables were significantly different (p-value <0.001) while for UP variables like size and gender were significant. On logistic regression, there was significant association between the variables like size (>100), category (Upper Primary) and location (urban) for tobacco shops violations in both KA and ML except for the school category that was secondary in ML. While for AP and UP, only size (>100), location (urban) of schools have a significant association with the violations of tobacco shops. Logistic regression of pooled data of four states school size (>100) and school category (primary) and location (urban) had significantly higher association of violation of tobacco shops. This is the first large survey with responses from almost all parts of the four states in India. This study shows significant association with the size, category and location of schools. We anticipate that the lists of schools which have such violations can be used by enforcement agencies to take focused action. Such models will help develop effective tobacco control policies in developing countries with large populations where implementation remains a big challenge.

Phryma leptostachya L. (Phrymaceae): an addition to the flora of Western Himalayas, India

Phryma leptostachya L. is reported from Chabba Village in Ramban district, Jammu and Kashmir,as a new distributional record for the flora of Western Himalayas. In India, the distribution of this species was previously reported only in the states of Assam, Mizoram, and Meghalaya.

Trends in prevalence of unmet need for family planning in India: patterns of change across 36 States and Union Territories, 1993–2021

BackgroundEliminating unmet need for family planning by 2030 is a global priority for ensuring healthy lives and promoting well-being for all at all ages. We estimate the sub-national trends in prevalence of unmet need for family planning over 30 years in India and study differences based on socio-economic and demographic factors.MethodsWe used data from five National Family Health Surveys (NFHS) conducted between 1993 to 2021 for the 36 states/Union Territories (UTs) of India. The study population included women of ages 15–49 years who were married or in a union at the time of the survey. The outcome was unmet need for family planning which captures the prevalence of fecund and sexually active women not using contraception, who want to delay or limit childbearing. We calculated the standardized absolute change to estimate the change in prevalence on an annual basis across all states/UTs. We examined the patterning of prevalence of across demographic and socioeconomic characteristics and estimated the headcount of women with unmet need in 2021.ResultsThe prevalence of unmet need in India decreased from 20·6% (95% CI: 20·1– 21·2%) in 1993, to 9·4% (95% CI: 9·3–9·6%) in 2021. Median unmet need prevalence across states/UTs decreased from 17·80% in 1993 to 8·95% in 2021. The north-eastern states of Meghalaya (26·9%, 95% CI: 25·3–28·6%) and Mizoram (18·9%, 95% CI: 17·2–20·6%), followed by the northern states of Bihar (13·6%, 95% CI: 13·1–14·1%) and Uttar Pradesh (12·9%, 95% CI: 12·5–13·2%), had the highest unmet need prevalence in 2021. As of 2021, the estimated number of women with an unmet need for family planning was 24,194,428. Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Maharashtra, and West Bengal accounted for half of this headcount. Women of ages 15–19 and those belonging the poorest wealth quintile had a relatively high prevalence of unmet need in 2021.ConclusionsThe existing initiatives under the National Family Planning Programme should be strengthened, and new policies should be developed with a focus on states/UTs with high prevalence, to ensure unmet need for family planning is eliminated by 2030.

Role of A•gate in Garo Society, Meghalaya

In the landlocked hill state of Meghalaya, one of the largest tribes is the Garos, a Tibeto Burman group. They adhere to a patriarchal and matrilineal structure. Matrilocal is the basis for the residence. After marriage, the groom live with the bride and start a family. Another important part of Garo society is the duty and responsibilities of the A•gate and Chawari towards the clan and family. Compared to the Heiress and her spouse, A•gate and Chawari have distinct roles and responsibilities. In order to establish a family, the Chawari and his spouse must move out of their in-laws' home and construct a new home on the land that has been provided to them. A Nokkrom, unlike a Chawari, will not have to leave the in-laws' home after getting married. In contrast to the Nokna, the A•gate would only receive a limited plot of land on which to construct a home, engage in agriculture, and survive. Sometimes the family does not give A•gate any movable or immovable property. It will first attempt to determine A•gate's and Chawari's roles within the Garo Society. Second, examines into how A•gate and Nokna's responsibilities to the families and clan differ. Lastly, if at all possible, provide any suggestive measures.

Discovery of the cicada genus Becquartina Kato, 1940 (Hemiptera: Cicadidae: Cicadinae) in India with the description of a new species from Meghalaya.

The genus Becquartina Kato, 1940 (Hemiptera: Cicadidae) is reported for the first time from India with a new species, Becquartina bicolor sp. nov., along with records of two distinct colour forms, from the northeastern Indian state of Meghalaya and located within the Indo-Burma Biodiversity hotspot. This paper provides an account of its natural history and bioacoustics. The present discovery extends the distributional range of the genus Becquartina from Southeast Asia into Northeast India and increases the total number of known Becquartina species to seven.