Dispur to assist small tea gardens via space technology

STAFF REPORTER

GUWAHATI: The State Government has taken up an ambitious plan to provide beneficial input and advice by using space technology to ensure the welfare of around 1.5 lakh small tea gardens of the State.

The project will be implemented by the Assam State Space Application Centre in collaboration with the North East Space Application Centre. The target is to complete the project within two years.

Sources said that the project will entail mapping of each individual small tea garden through remote sensing data. The data will comprise details such as the connecting roads of that tea garden, nearby markets, the distance from the tea garden to the nearest factory, etc.

The sources added that despite contributing to around 50 per cent of Assam's total tea output, the small tea garden sector is unorganized and hence faces several problems. This project is aimed at streamlining some lacunae.

A web portal will be set up which will have the names of each small tea garden, the name of its owner and other relevant details. The quality of each tea garden's soil will also be analysed to ascertain whether it is fit for expansion in tea plantation. The portal will also contain advice regarding the proper time for plucking tea leaves in each individual tea garden, the sources said.

Through the aid of satellite imagery, the project will also provide information in advance regarding any infection/disease in the tea bushes of a specific tea garden and, thereby, prevent its spread to nearby gardens.

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