Lush green tea estates in the hills of North Bengal are a tourist’s delight and Darjeeling tea to start the day is a sipper’s bliss. Have you ever imagined the sight of a tea garden right here in Kolkata?
Tea plantation in Rajarhat
City revelers may no longer need to travel to Darjeeling or the Western Ghats hills to see beautiful tea gardens, as the metropolis would soon get its own such plantation.
The West Bengal Housing Infrastructure Development Corporation (WBHIDCO) has launched a project to develop a tea garden on a three-acre plot.
The lush green garden, to be developed for showcasing tea plantations for environmental awareness, will come up at Rajarhat New Town on the eastern fringes of Kolkata.
"Tea will not be produced at the upcoming garden. This will only be for demonstration purpose," WBHIDCO Chairman-cum-Managing Director Debashis Sen said.
Sen said the process for preparing the soil for the garden would start shortly.
WBHIDCO will develop the garden and the surrounding areas to create a favourable environment for the tea plantation with the help of agricultural scientists.
Progress made so far
Artificial slopes have been created by depositing soil.Regular watering is done; fertilizers are also added on a regular basis to make the soil suitable for tea plantation.Optimum pH of soil for tea growth has been maintained and the soil has been kept free from microbes.Tree shade will be provided at intervals.Some tea saplings had already been planted in the area.6,000 new saplings will be brought from Nakshalbari tea estate, according to sources from HIDCO.Aurobindo Mitra, former head cum researcher-professor of Bidhan Chandra Agricultural University has been given the responsibility for developing the artificial tea garden.A nursery will also be made for selling tea saplings so that people who love gardening can plant them in their gardens.A plush Cha bar
People visiting the Eco park will get a chance to relax and rejuvenate themselves by tasting aromatic herbal tea at a plush Cha Bar. Adda-loving people of Kolkata can have a stormy debate or two over a cup of steaming tea.
Some renowned tea brands have shown interests in setting up their stalls at the eco- park tea garden.
Parting Thought
Once complete, the tea garden at Eco parkl will be an ideal tourist spot, specially during winter months on a Sunday; the view of the sunset with a cup of freshly brewed tea would just make your day more special.
