The first wave of floods has added to the woes of the Assam tea industry, which is already passing through an extremely bleak phase.

A statement issued by the Assam Branch Indian Tea Association (Abita) said if the present situation prevails, the prospects of production in its tea estates may suffer a severe setback, which would have an impact on the overall annual production.

Abita has 275 member gardens, whose total production in 2018 was 246 million.

“High temperature, high intensity rainfall, less sunshine due to frequent overcast sky, has affected tea bush productivity with multiple cumulative short, medium and long-term effects on the tea bushes,” it said.

“The need of the hour is support from the government towards formulating a plan of action to prevent the recurring floods in the tea estates to ensure survival of the estates and employment of workers,” it added.

Incessant rain in Arunachal Pradesh and Assam has led to the Brahmaputra and almost all its tributaries being in spate affecting many Abita member tea gardens.

In Upper Assam’s Dibrugarh district, most of the tea sections, labour lines and roads in the Abita gardens of Maijan, Greenwood (Nagaholie division), Hazelbank (Oaklands), Balijan (N) and Mothola are flooded.

The worst affected gardens in Tinsukia district are Dinjan, Rungagora and Dhelakhat.

In Jorhat district, 140mm rainfall was recorded in July.

In Golaghat district, there are reports that flood-hit people of villages near Hathikuli tea estate and Kaziranga National Park have taken shelter in the garden school, crèche, hospital and other high lands in the estate.

The garden has provided drinking water to the flood-hit people and the outpatient department in the hospital has been kept open round-the-clock.

In Sonitpur district, several Abita member gardens have been affected by floods.

The river surrounding Mijicajan tea estate has cut into an embankment and washed away a part of the garden road and flooded tea areas.

Waterlogging in the tea-growing sections of New Purupbari, Monmohinipur, Nahorani, Rupajuli and Gingia tea estates have been reported. Floodwaters have entered the outskirts of Shakomoto tea estate and has flooded the labour lines. Erosion has been reported at Behupukri division of Monabarie tea estate and the Balijan river surrounding Bormahjan tea estate is flowing above the danger mark and may flood the garden areas any moment.

The association said waterlogging in labour lines and tea sections has been reported from Kopati tea estate in Darrang district, Budlapara, Corramore and Attareekhat gardens in Udalguri district and Ananda, Silonibari and Dejoo tea estates in Lakhimpur district.

A senior official of Amalgamated Plantations Private Limited, which owns Hathikuli, told The Telegraph: “Our hospital is open to all for emergency. We have started an animal watch where we are giving information of stranded animals to Kaziranga officials.”