Rain brings relief to over 300 tea gardens in North Bengal

Alipurduar: Widespread rainfall across North Bengal from Wednesday night to Thursday afternoon has brought much-needed relief to over 300 tea gardens, rekindling hopes for a stronger second flush production. Several gardens in the region received rain after nearly six months, with some areas recording up to 6 inches — marking a significant weather event during an otherwise dry spell.

According to rainfall data, the Lohardaga Tea Garden in the Terai region of the Darjeeling plains recorded a staggering 6 inches of rain. Other tea-producing areas, including Naxalbari (near Siliguri), Chopra block in Uttar Dinajpur, Rajganj and Berubari in Jalpaiguri and parts of the Dooars also received substantial rainfall. Naya Shaili Tea Garden in the hills saw 5 inches, while Mainak Hills in Mekhliganj subdivision of Cooch Behar received over 3 inches. Majherdabri, Srinathpur, Kohinoor, Dimdima and Mechpara tea gardens reported over 2 inches of rainfall in Alipurduar district.

The recent rains have raised hopes for improved yields in both the current and upcoming flushes. Industry experts are cautiously optimistic that a second round of showers in the coming week could further boost prospects.

“This month’s rainfall is just 35 per cent of what we received during the same period last year,” said Mahendra Bansal, president of the Terai Indian Planters Association. “While irrigation might not fully compensate, this natural rainfall will provide some much-needed relief to the estates.”

Chinmay Dhar, North Bengal Chairman of the Tea Association of India, added: “Dooars, Terai and Darjeeling have been facing severe drought since October. The rainfall over the last 24 hours is encouraging. At least 3 to 4 inches are required to support proper growth. Production in April has already been impacted by 50 per cent. If the rains continue over the next week, we anticipate a healthy second flush in May.”

Meanwhile, the Indian Meteorological Department in Sikkim has forecast continued rainfall across North Bengal over the next seven days. An orange alert has been issued for all eight districts in the region, warning of heavy rain, lightning, and thunderstorms through April 13.