Revival of one of the burnt tea fields

Abstract

Tea cultivation in Uttarakhand (a mountainous state in north India) dates back to about 150 years. Despite its glorious past, tea industry in this region faced steady decline due to falling production levels, lack of expert labour, increased operational costs and several socioeconomic and political reasons (see Negi GCS and Bisht V. 2012. International Journal of Tea Science 8(3): 21-29). In 1987, the Uttarakhand State Government decided to reintroduce tea in Uttarakhand hills by taking uncultivable farmlands, community wastelands on lease, and reviving abandoned tea gardens of the past. Thus far, -700 ha land has been put under tea cultivation, mostly in the small grower's land employing -1,500 local labourers, of which women represent 60%.