Impact of Altitude on the Livelihood of the Tea Garden Workers of North Bengal

Abstract

A spectrum of variance has been observed in the dynamics of ecology, economy and sociology, while perceiving the difference in altitude of Himalayan terrains. Every level of elevation and slope, it has got its distinctive narratives and demeanor that shapes its economic progress and social interventions. The tea industry is sensitive to climate and geography, and with every drop in the elevation from the high-altitude Darjeeling district tea garden (2042 m) to the mid-elevation Kalimpong district tea gardens (1247 m) to the foothills of the Dooars tea garden (90 -1750 m), each has a distinctly unique story to unravel. The present study takes a look into the socio-ecological aspects along with climate change to observe the topographical terrains in the 3 distinctive altitudinal zones of Darjeeling, Kalimpong and Dooars, beyond its structural aspects thereby offering a cluster interpretation on its pattern of change in livelihoods by selecting the operating variables: Age, Family size, Formal education, Status of home, Nutritional status, Wage, Income, Per capita income, Diet, Mobile use, Interaction with office personnel, among other things, as variable of interest. It is observed that the wages, diet, status of home are the governing factors affecting the livelihood choices at most of the altitudinal zones. Therefore, the study shows the effect of these variables on each of the zones uniquely to understand the grave issues of the tea gardens concerning the livelihood of the garden workers.