While South Bengal remains submerged in floodwaters, North Bengal is battling a contrasting, yet equally daunting crisis, a punishing rainfall shortfall that has left the region’s tea industry and agriculture gasping.
With the monsoon showing no signs of revival, government data paints a grim picture. Jalpaiguri district has recorded a 49 per cent rainfall deficit, Alipurduar 55 per cent, and Darjeeling 45 per cent, figures that have alarmed meteorologists and farmers alike. The deficit has disrupted the region’s agro-climatic cycle, spurred pest infestations, and pushed temperatures higher.
The brunt is being borne by North Bengal’s iconic tea estates. According to the Tea Research Association, a shortfall of around seven lakh kilograms in production has already been recorded. The Dooars region alone, which produced 64.84 lakh kilograms of tea in June last year, has suffered a 25 per cent drop.
But the damage is not confined to tea alone. Paddy farmers are facing massive losses, with many unable to transplant Aman seedlings despite preparing seedbeds weeks ago. Canals lie dry and irrigation infrastructure remains non-existent.
“We need water to cut jute and apply mud for paddy. There’s no water. We don’t know what to do,” lamented Gouranga Biswas, a farmer from Jalpaiguri.
Figures from the North Eastern Irrigation Department illustrate the decline starkly. Jalpaiguri, which typically receives 3,000 to 3,200 mm of rain annually, has seen a worrying dip in recent years. In 2020, rainfall stood at 2,046.70 mm, dropping to 1,174.90 mm in 2021. This year, till July 13, the district has received just 913.70 mm.
The deficits extend across the region:
Alipurduar: 549.2 mm (56% deficit)
Cooch Behar: 474.9 mm (51% deficit)
Darjeeling: 579 mm (46% deficit)
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Jalpaiguri: 613.6 mm (49% deficit)
Malda: 282.3 mm (30% deficit)
North Dinajpur: 225.7 mm (60% deficit)
South Dinajpur: 230 mm (43% deficit)
Krishnendu Bhowmik, Chief Engineer, North Eastern Irrigation Department, confirmed that this year’s rainfall was considerably lower than previous years. The Meteorological Department has forecast a continued deficit through July.
Gopinath Raha, Officer-in-Charge of the Meteorological Department for Sikkim and North Bengal, warned that the erratic rains had not only raised ambient temperatures but also worsened pest attacks, a dual blow for the tea gardens.
“This is an irreparable loss,” said Amritanshu Chakraborty, convener of the Indian Tea Planters Association. “The industry is already facing a 25 per cent production shortfall. If heavy rain comes later, that too will harm the gardens. Insects have increased. New types of pests are appearing. The present is bleak, and the future is uncertain.”
Vijaygopal Chakraborty, Secretary of the Confederation of Indian Small Tea Growers Association, echoed the concern, pointing to how both drought and pest pressure were strangling tea production. “Growers, both small and large, are bracing for even more uncertainty in the months ahead.”
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