Kolkata, Aug. 28 -- The Indian Tea Association has sent a SOS to the West Bengal government to save the Rs.250 crore Darjeeling Tea industry from collapsing while seeking an annual package of Rs.113 crore for its revival. ITA has submitted two separate white papers to the state government on the Darjeeling Tea Industry in the hills and another on the Dooars and Terai Tea Industry in the foothills. "The Darjeeling Tea industry is under severe economic stress due to stagnant prices, Climate adversities, low productivity , manpower shortage and rising input costs . The crisis has been compounded with the influx of Nepal tea at a landed cost below the cost of production of Darjeeling tea. Infusion of capital to revive the sector is an immediate necessity" said Arijit Raha, secretary general of ITA. The white paper on the Darjeeling Tea reveals that the production of has fallen by over 61% during the last three decades. From around 14.5 million kilos in 1990, the production has dropped to around 5.6 million kilos in 2025. The area under cultivation has dropped from 20065 hectares to around 17500 hectares during the same period. There are 87 tea gardens of which eight are closed now. Around 55,000 workers work in these gardens in the hills of Darjeeling. "What is at stake is not only the future of an industry but also the livelihoods of thousands of workers, the stability of an entire hill economy, and the preservation of a globally renowned symbol of Brand India," states the white paper. The West Bengal State Action Plan on Climate Change (2022-2027) does not mention the tea industry, despite it being one of the sectors most significantly impacted by climate change. This needs to be reviewed. "The Assam Tea Industries Special Incentive Scheme (ATISIS), 2020 - comprising support for orthodox and speciality tea production, interest subvention and factory modernization - may also serve as a useful reference model for designing a similar incentive framework for stressed tea estates in Darjeeling," the paper stated. ITA officials have already held meetings with the state industry and finance ministers and with the chief advisor of West Bengal chief minister Suvendu Adhikari. Officials said that a series of recommendations have been given in the white paper submitted to the government to save this world-famous tea industry from dying....