Nature’s fury has dealt a severe blow to North Bengal’s tea industry, as incessant heavy rains and landslides over the past two days have left vast stretches of the region — from the hills to the foothills — in ruins. Floodwaters have entered numerous tea gardens, submerging tea bushes, factories and workers’ homes, leading to catastrophic losses.

 

According to initial estimates, the damage amounts to nearly more than ₹100 crore, though tea traders fear the figure may rise. “Such a disaster has not been seen since 1968. The tea industry is practically on the verge of collapse,” said a member of the Dooars Branch Tea Association.

 

In Dooars, the Changmari Tea Garden factory has suffered massive losses, with CTC and green tea worth ₹5 crore destroyed by floodwaters. “At least 50 major gardens, including Gendrapara, Goodhope, Anandapur, Banarhat and Nagrakata, have sustained extensive damage. Roads, culverts and workers’ quarters within the gardens have collapsed, while trees have been uprooted and washed away in many places,” said the member.

 

Out of 276 large tea estates in North Bengal, 10 in the hills have been washed away by landslides, and 15 in the Dooars region are reported to be heavily affected. In Alipurduar’s Kalchini block, gardens such as Subhashini, Satali, Kalchini and Beech are now entirely underwater. The Tea Traders’ Association has appealed for state government assistance, stating that it will be impossible to recover without intervention.

 

Experts warn that the tea market may face a sharp rise in prices over the next few months due to disrupted production and reduced supply.

 

Meanwhile, the Alipur Meteorological Department has cautioned that the crisis may deepen. Under the influence of low pressure, the region could experience further heavy rainfall and thunderstorms. A ‘yellow alert’ has been issued for all eight districts of North Bengal, warning of gusty winds (30–40 km/h) and a high chance of landslides in hilly areas such as Darjeeling and Kalimpong.

 

With tea estates submerged, roads destroyed, and production halted, North Bengal’s century-old tea industry now faces one of its worst crises in decades.

 

Also read: Mamata visits landslide-hit Mirik, interacts with locals