Darjeeling Tea Gardens Devastated by Flash Floods and Landslides

Kolkata, Oct 9 (PTI): Recent flash floods and landslides triggered by intense rainfall have resulted in significant devastation across 30-35 tea gardens in Darjeeling, North Bengal. Plantations have been ravaged, there have been worker fatalities, and laborer homes have been destroyed, compelling planters to organize a meeting to assess the damage, according to stakeholders.

Darjeeling tea planters are gathering data on the devastation to discuss various issues at a proposed meeting this Thursday. Multiple gardens have seen their tea bushes swept away, with permanent damage to tea-bearing land, planters reported.

SS Bagaria, chairman of the Bagaria Group, which oversees three gardens in Darjeeling, estimated the industry's overall loss from the natural disaster could be at least Rs 50 crore. "Heavy rains and landslides have severely impacted tea gardens in the hills, resulting in loss of life and extensive property damage. Electricity was out for two to three days but was restored on Wednesday. At least 50 percent of the 71 operational gardens in Darjeeling are heavily affected," veteran industry member and Chamong Tea chairman Ashok Lohia told PTI.

Severely damaged roads are in the process of being cleared by the government and the Gorkhaland Territorial Administration (GTA), Lohia noted. He emphasized the urgent need to restore motorable roads within the estates, as connectivity is essential for workers to resume their duties. "The autumn production, typically constituting 15 percent of annual output in October-November, is at risk, and losses will be significant if road communication is not swiftly restored," Lohia said.

Last year, aromatic Darjeeling tea production was less than 6 million kg. Echoing Lohia's sentiments, Darjeeling Tea Association principal adviser Sandip Mukherjee said the natural calamity has wreaked havoc across the estates. "Around 30 gardens were severely impacted, especially those in the western hills like Mirik and Pokhriabong. On average, each affected garden lost between 2-2.47 acres of tea-bearing land due to landslides," Mukherjee informed PTI.

Detailing the damage, Lohia mentioned that the loss of plantation areas will significantly challenge planters. "Tea bushes have been washed away. One of our 14 gardens reported a loss of 10,000 bushes, equating to two hectares," the Chamong Tea chairman said.

Binod Mohan, with ownership of six gardens, described the disaster as the most severe since the 1968 floods and landslides. "The autumn crop is affected, and many gardens have sustained permanent land loss. At our Seeyok estate, two workers perished, with many laborer homes destroyed. Approximately 60-70 landslides occurred across the 350-acre Seeyok garden, leading to a loss of 20 acres of tea land," he relayed to PTI.

Bagaria also reported that three of his group's gardens lost about 10 hectares of land. At least 32 people, including children, died as unrelenting rain caused one of the worst landslides in a decade in the Darjeeling hills and nearby regions, officials said. This disaster swept away homes, severed road connectivity, isolated villages, and left hundreds of tourists stranded amid massive devastation.

The disruption in production and logistical challenges could reduce the quantity of Darjeeling tea available at the Kolkata Tea Auction centre, potentially driving up prices for this aromatic variety. An official from the Calcutta Tea Traders Association said about 1.15 lakh kg of Darjeeling tea is catalogued for auction sales on October 14 and 24. However, the quantity for sale number 44 and beyond is expected to be much lower. A total of 65,148 kg was offered at sale number 41 on October 8, with 46,406 kg selling at an average price of Rs 468.35 per kg.

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