GUWAHATI: Tea estates in Assam which have been hit hard by the current corona virus pandemic on the globe and the related lock down, are set to resume operations in a few days with the state government starting the process to allow them to do so.
The tea estates will be able to resume various operations including the plucking of tea leaves while following social distancing and other relevant protocols as prescribed by the Union Health Ministry in view of COVID-19 pandemic and associated country-wide lock down.
The process has started with tea estates of Darrang district. The Deputy Commissioner of Darrang District has issued a notification on Thursday allowing the tea estates in the district to operate while adhering strictly to all protocols such as social distancing etc., as laid down in COVID-19 guideline/advisory. The order, however, may be withdrawn at any time without assigning any reason, if situation demands so.
The order has allowed tea estates of Darrang districts to carry out various operations including plucking by engaging maximum 50 per cent of the total workforce.
The tea estates throughout the Assam have been severely affected by the ongoing lock down induced by the novel corona virus pandemic and all the gardens have lost out on plucking the year’s first flush of tea leaves which occurs during late February and March.
“As the tea estates have failed to tap the first flush, now they have to go for pruning first and after that it will take at least three weeks for new leaves to become suitable for plucking,’ said Dipanjol Deka, Assam state secretary of Tea Association of India (TAI).
The tea official expressed apprehension that tea estates were unlikely to be able to cash in on the most crucial second flush of tea too during April.