Tea growers in rain-soaked Bengal stare at heavy losses

Heavy rainfall and landslides in north Bengal are casting a shadow over the final phase of the tea growing season, with production feared to take a hit.

- ISHITA AYAN DUTT

From Saturday night into Sunday, persistent rainfall wreaked havoc across the region, triggering landslides, flooding, and widespread damage to infrastructure in both the hills and plains. The death toll reported so far stands at 28.

Information from the tea belt is still trickling in, but industry officials say bushes have been lost in some gardens, and infrastructure has sustained damage. “The situation is severe,” said Sandeep Singhania, president of the Tea Association of India. “In addition to the heavy rain that we have received, overflow from rivers in Bhutan and Nepal has worsened the flooding. Many plantations have sunk, labour quarters have been damaged, and teas destroyed.”

Both Dooars and Darjeeling have been affected, with the impact more acute in Darjeeling, owing to its hilly terrain, he added.

The tea growing region in north Bengal, including Dooars and Darjeeling, accounts for about 29 per cent of the country’s total tea production.