The Himachal Pradesh Government has recently announced its intention to introduce tea tourism in the state, a move that will particularly impact Kangra district, which is home to around 90 per cent of the state’s tea farms. Many prominent tea farmers in Kangra have long advocated for the approval of tea tourism. At present, the tea farms in the region are protected under state laws. Under the Land Ceiling Act of Himachal, farmers are restricted from owning more than 300 kanals of land. However, tea farmers in Kangra were exempted from this limit, with the condition that they could only engage in tea farming on their estates. This exemption allowed them to retain vast estates, often spanning thousands of kanals, dedicated to tea cultivation.
Despite this, tea farmers in Kangra have argued that tea farming is becoming increasingly unviable due to factors such as climate change and declining export demand. In recent years, reduced rainfall and rising summer temperatures have negatively impacted both the quality and quantity of tea produced in the region. Farmers have expressed concerns that without government support, they will not be able to sustain tea cultivation.
In response, many large tea estate owners have already repurposed parts of their land for other uses, such as constructing hotels or commercial buildings, with the state government’s approval. However, smaller tea farmers, who lack the necessary land area or permissions, have been forced to abandon their tea gardens. Abandoned gardens, where tea plants have grown into trees, are becoming a common sight in Kangra. The total area under tea cultivation has decreased from around 4,000 hectares to just 800 hectares.
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The state government has stated that it will study the Darjeeling model to explore the possibility of introducing tea tourism in Kangra’s tea gardens. However, this will likely require amendments to laws that currently restrict the diversion of tea garden land for non-tea purposes. Several legal hurdles need to be addressed, particularly because tea farmers who hold more than 300 kanals of land are considered technical custodians. If they wish to repurpose their land, they will need approval of the state government, which would have to come from the Cabinet.
If the government moves forward with the plan, larger tea estate owners could partner with leading hotel chains to develop tea tourism. However, smaller tea farmers, who typically own only a few kanals of land, may struggle to establish tea tourism ventures due to limited resources. They would either require government assistance or need to collaborate with investors. While tea tourism has the potential to significantly boost tourism in Kangra, the government will need to strike a balance between promoting this sector and preserving the region's heritage tea gardens.