Severe Drought Hits Kulaura Tea Gardens – Production Crisis in Bangladesh

Severe Drought Hits Kulaura Tea Gardens, Raising Fears of Sharp Production Decline

Tea gardens in Kulaura, under Moulvibazar’s tea belt, are facing an alarming drought situation after nearly five months without rainfall. Estate managers say the prolonged dryness is burning tea plants, disrupting new growth, and threatening a major fall in production this season.

Field-level reports indicate that all 26 tea gardens in the Kulaura area have been affected. Both young and mature tea plants are under pressure from intense sunlight and unusually dry soil conditions. Canals and internal water channels inside the gardens have dried up, making irrigation and spray-based rescue efforts increasingly difficult.

Since tea cultivation in the region depends heavily on seasonal rain, the absence of moisture has sharply reduced fresh bud formation. In several estates, management officials estimate that around 25 to 30 percent of tea plants have already been damaged by heat stress and drought.

Production at Risk Across Major Estates

At Gazipur Tea Garden, Deputy General Manager Joyonto Dhar said the estate has tea planted across approximately 1,645 acres. According to him, nearly 30 percent of the cultivated area has suffered from severe sun scorch and drought stress. Last year, the garden produced about 1,172,300 kilograms of black tea, but that level now appears difficult to maintain under the current weather conditions.

At Dildarpur-Cliveden Tea Garden, Deputy General Manager Zainal Abedin warned that newly planted tea sections are especially vulnerable. He said harsh sunlight is burning young plants rapidly, while older bushes are also showing signs of serious stress. The estate estimates that around 10 percent of its tea plants have already been affected.

Similar concerns were echoed at Lohaiuni-Halichhara Tea Garden, where management says the long dry spell has severely affected irrigation systems because internal streams and channels are drying up. With plucking yet to begin properly, the estate fears it will fall far behind in output if rain does not arrive soon.

Diseases May Add to the Crisis

Beyond the immediate effect of heat, tea estates are also reporting the emergence of various plant diseases linked to drought stress. When tea bushes weaken, they become more vulnerable to pests, leaf damage, and reduced recovery capacity. This means the crisis is not limited to one month’s harvest; it may also affect the health and productivity of the bushes over a longer period.

Managers say that if the dry conditions extend deeper into Chaitra, the damage could become more prolonged and expensive to reverse. Lower yields, higher maintenance costs, and extra care for replanting or recovery may place significant pressure on estate operations.

For Bangladesh’s tea sector, this moment is a reminder that weather variability is becoming a serious operational challenge. Estate resilience will increasingly depend on water management, soil care, shade planning, and the ability to respond quickly during extreme dry spells.