Behind the serenity of Darjeeling’s famed tea gardens with gentle slopes stretching green and pine trees seemingly touching the skies, a crisis unfolds quietly, almost unseen — climate change that is affecting production, the flavour of the tea and the health of hundreds of workers.
With no data yet, the impact of climate change is as intangible perhaps as the mist that rolls in ever so often. But it is being felt every day, say activists and experts working in the area.
At the nub of the issue is the use of pesticides and their hydra impact. With extreme weather events becoming more frequent and unpredictable, tea estate owners are desperate to protect their yields.
