Torrential rains that triggered deadly landslides and floods in India’s Darjeeling region also destroyed swathes of premier tea estates, officials said Tuesday.

The deluge wiped out around five percent of Darjeeling’s renowned tea gardens, delivering a heavy blow in a district that has become synonymous with the leaf itself.

“The flood has dealt a massive blow to the tea gardens,” Rajkumar Mondal, chairman of the Indian Tea Association’s Dooars Chapter, told AFP.

More than 950 hectares of tea plantations in Darjeeling’s hills, known for producing high-quality brews with a protected Geographical Indication, “suffered drastic losses due to flooding”, he said.

Darjeeling produces around 10,000 tonnes of tea each year across 17,500 hectares, according to the Tea Board of India.

The damage

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