Alipurduar tea gardens to hold meet with WBSEDCL before monsoons

Alipurduar: Tea garden owners in the district are set to convene a meeting with officials from the West Bengal State Electricity Distribution Company Limited (WBSEDCL) in Alipurduar before the monsoon season in Dooars, aiming to ensure uninterrupted power supply during this crucial period for the tea gardens.

From June to September, the tea region typically experiences light to moderate rainfall along with storms featuring thunder and lightning. In the past, many tea plantations in Alipurduar district have suffered damage due to power failures during this season. However, the Alipurduar Division of WBSEDCL has been proactive in addressing this issue since last year.

Officials from the Electricity department convened a meeting with the 64 tea gardens in the district before the pre-monsoon season last year.

Even during the stormy rainy season in Alipurduar last year, tea gardens did not encounter any problems due to load shedding or low voltage issues. A similar meeting is scheduled to take place this year and a letter has already been dispatched to the regional manager of WBSEDCL in Alipurduar on behalf of the tea plantation owners in the district. Ram Avtar Sharma, Secretary of the Tea Garden Owners’ Association ITPA, Dooars Branch, remarked: “Lightning and storms sometimes cause large trees in the garden to fall onto electricity supply lines, leading to disruptions in the electricity service. A tea garden factory comprises various machines that rely on electricity. Naturally, prolonged power outages result in significant financial losses.

Many such incidents have occurred in the past. Like last year, this year we will engage in discussions with the electricity department beforehand to ensure arrangements are in place for swift restoration of power supply in the event of any disaster.

Representatives from all tea gardens in Alipurduar district will participate.”