India: Assam tea industry faces climate-driven labor crisis

The problems facing upper Assam's tea gardens are becoming increasingly difficult to ignore for workers like Bidesh Kamar and Sumitra Tanti.

Recent floods disrupted work for weeks in the northeast Indian state , adding even more uncertainty to their already precarious livelihood. More than 50 tea gardens were damaged following a devastating storm that swept across parts of Assam.

"Life has become unpredictable," Tanti told DW. "The weather can disrupt work, while wages remain low and work is not as dependable as it once was," she added.

"Tea is not as profitable as it once was, and there is less certainty about the work," Kamar told DW.

After 15 years working on tea plantations, Kamar is now considering whether it is time to "move on to greener pastures."

Their experience points to a growing problem for Assam's tea industry. With the business becoming less profitable and working conditions more uncertain, the industry is struggling to retain the experienced workforce which forms the backbone of the state's tea production.

Assam produces about 52% of India's tea and supports around 700,000 plantation workers and 140,000 small tea growers.

For generations, its tea plantations have depended on a vast workforce picking leaves by hand.