The Sentinel Rock Estate of Harrisons Malayalam Ltd, which was severely damaged in the Wayanad landslides, has suffered a production loss of 230 tonnes of tea, valued at around Rs3.5 crore.<\/p>\n
Around 10 hectares of tea plantations have been lost in nature\u2019s fury in Mundakkai and Chooralmala out of the total 515 hectares in Sentinel Rock Estate. However, the overall loss of tea production from HML is less than two per cent, said Cherian M George, Chief Executive (SBU:B) & Whole Time Director, HML<\/p>\n
He said 41 employees and 48 of their family members were missing or lost their lives. Housing units numbering 54 and five staff quarters and stores were washed off. <\/p>\n
Plantations particularly tea estates were struggling over the years due to low prices and such natural calamities and unforeseen damages to infrastructure will make matters worse and burden the already weak financial position of plantations. He urged the governments to support the farmers and plantations to revive agri-operations.<\/p>\n
Climate change is adversely affecting the plantations a big way. If low commodity prices, higher cost of production and aged plants or low productivity were the main reasons for poor performance of the plantation sector, now climate change and its impact is affecting the performance, he said.<\/p>\n
Starting with tsunami in 2004 to Ockhi cyclone in 2017, floods in 2018, to landslides in Puthumala in 2019, Pettimudi in Munnar in 2020, he said the plantation sector in the State witnessed series of small and big natural calamities.<\/p>\n
What is required in the short term is precision weather forecasting and reporting systems which can predict short to medium term rainfall and wind speed and create alert systems. The authorities should also allow change of crops wherever required which can withstand extreme weather conditions and employ the least number of people during monsoon period, he added.<\/p>\n
There is a need to rehabilitate the degraded forest through afforestation using indigenous species of trees. There should be a mechanism to remove fallen trees and clear up soil slips from the water channels inside the forest for better drainage.<\/p>\n