As several parts of India grapple with heat waves, a serious crisis is plaguing North Bengal’s tea industry.
Many districts of North Bengal have been experiencing high temperatures and scanty rainfall in recent months. As a result, tea bushes are turning red and there is no growth in leaves. Thus, experiencing 30-35 percent crop shortage under these conditions.
With lack of rainfall plaguing the region, a significant drying is being experienced. As a result, some tea gardens are now utilizing artificial irrigation systems to sustain their bushes.
Thus, triggering concerns among many tea planters with regard to high temperatures and less rains.
According to Satish Mitruka who is a tea planter from Siliguri, he emphasized that tea can flourish between 28-30 degrees Celsius, both in terms of its quantity and quality. Any temperature both this is unfavorable for the crop.
“Tea is a rain feat crop. If rain comes the industry will sustain, otherwise it will not be sustainable. The industry is feeling unwanted temperate growth, resulting in crop shortage up to 35 percent which will disturb the future market of tea. If the same situation goes on for the next ten days and the region does not receive any rainfall, the shortage will be around 50 percent.”- Satish Mitruka.
According to Professor Partha Pratim Roy from the Geography Department at Siliguri College said that the region did experience some rainfall previous year. However, this year there is no presence of rain as such.
“Lack of precipitation is extremely bad for the tea industry and adversely affects leaf growth.”- Professor Roy.
This development comes amidst the time, when IMD (India Meteorological Department), has just announced that many parts of the country are going to experience above-normal maximum temperature this May. West Bengal is one of them. As several districts of the state are going to bear the brunt of heatwave.
According to IMD, one or two places of East and West Burdwan, Birbhum, Murshidabad, Bankura, Purulia, Jhargram, West Midnapore districts
Thus, this famed tea industry of North Bengal is now staring at upcoming crisis. Which just last year, produced 640 million kg of tea.