The recent spell of incessant rainfall has wreaked havoc across North Bengal, causing severe floods and landslides that have left a trail of destruction in the Hills, Terai, and Dooars regions.
Standing crops, tea plantations, and horticultural farms have suffered extensive damage, triggering widespread concern among farmers and tea estate owners alike.
During her recent visit to the affected areas, chief minister Mamata Banerjee assured farmers that the state government would provide crop insurance to help them revive their sand-covered fields. She also directed senior officials to engage with tea planters to assess the full extent of damage across the tea belt, where several estates have been devastated by floodwaters.
Significantly, Darjeeling’s famous orange orchards have also been badly affected—just weeks before the onset of the orange season—causing deep distress among horticulturists.
According to an initial assessment by the Tea Association of India (TAI), North Bengal chapter, at least five to six tea estates in Nagrakata block of Jalpaiguri district have been severely hit by the floods. “This is a flood-prone zone, and some gardens had already suffered major damage during last year’s floods,” said Sumit Ghosh, secretary of TAI, North Bengal.
Mr Ghosh said that incessant rainfall on 4-5 October caused widespread destruction in several estates, adding, “These gardens urgently need state support and financial assistance to recover their operations.”
Extent of damage in major tea estates
Mechpara Tea Estate:
Heavy rainfall and flooding submerged large parts of the garden, resulting in damage to around 2,000 tea bushes, complete destruction of a 30-foot protective dyke, 100 feet of internal road being washed away, three culverts partly or completely damaged and 30 hectares of plantation area inundated by floodwaters
Chengmari Tea Estate:
One of Asia’s largest tea estates, Chengmari employs nearly 3,500 workers and spans over 1,450 hectares under tea cultivation. Around 300 hectares of the plantation area has been badly affected, with nearly 50,000 tea bushes and over 200 shade trees washed away.
Inside the factory, both CTC and green tea—estimated at 50,000 to 55,000 kilograms—have been damaged due to water ingress. Large quantities of green tea leaves, awaiting processing, were also destroyed.
Furthermore, around 150 labour quarters have been damaged, and 12 culverts and bridges within the plantation area have collapsed.
Floodwaters also submerged around 25 hectares of young tea bushes, while the estate hospital was flooded, forcing patients to be evacuated in the middle of the night.
The management of Chengmari Tea Estate has estimated total losses at Rs 5.5 crore.
Kurti Tea Estate:
In Kurti, several stretches of internal roads have been washed away, and multiple culverts have collapsed. The estate management reported that the Gathia river changed its course during the floods, aggravating erosion and increasing the risk of future disasters if proper river management measures are not taken immediately.
Nagrakata Tea Estate:
The Nagrakata Tea Estate has also reported massive losses. A 30-foot factory wall collapsed under the force of floodwaters, allowing rainwater to rush inside the processing area and destroy around 10,000 kilograms of made tea. Approximately 40 hectares of tea area have been affected.
In its South Sukhanbari division, total damage has been reported, with a vital footbridge connecting 8,000 residents, including schoolchildren, completely washed away. A one-kilometre stretch of the Motilal Darbhanga road has also been destroyed.
Rheabari Tea Estate:
The Rheabari Tea Estate in Nagrakata block has reported damage to around 60 hectares of tea plantation area.
Given the scale of destruction in Nagrakata alone, industry experts fear that the situation in other parts of Jalpaiguri and Alipurduar districts could be even more alarming.
The Tea Association of India has urged the state government to conduct a comprehensive survey and extend immediate relief to the affected plantations to prevent large-scale job losses and ensure the region’s economic recovery.