To minimise the harmful impact of tea manufacturing, ecological restoration works are being carried out on the premises of INDCOSERVE tea factories in the Nilgiris.
The restoration is being done around the Mahalinga and Kattabettu INDCO tea factories.
Prinicipal Secretary to the Tamil Nadu government and Monitoring Officer for the Nilgiris district Supriya Sahu, who is also the CEO of INDCOSERVE, said the process of manufacturing tea was not always environment-friend, as it involved the burning of large quantities of wood, which also generated ash.
“There is also a chance that run-off from the factories could pollute nearby streams and water bodies. So we are taking the lead in ensuring that producing tea is sustainable and is more environment-friendly,” said Ms. Sahu.
INDCOSERVE has partnered with local NGO, Keystone Foundation, who are assisting in the eco-restoration of the site surrounding the factories. “When we conducted a joint inspection of the areas surrounding the factories, we found huge incursion of invasive flora into the factory premises. We are working with Keystone Foundation to remove the invasive species and also plant Shola tree species and grasses,” Ms. Sahu said.
The factories are also being repainted to emphasise their eco-friendly transformation. Ms. Sahu said INDCO tea houses would be opened in the renovated factories that had been upgraded with state-of-the-art machinery to both increase tea output and decrease negative footprint on the environment. Tourists would be invited to the factory to see the rich biodiversity in the area, and an information centre would be set up to brief people on the local environment.
Founder-Director of Keystone Foundation Pratim Roy said streams running through the area, which had been blocked and polluted too, would be restored under the project. This would benefit the wildlife and the local communities. “This endeavour is truly path-breaking. We hope that the efforts taken by INDCOSERVE and Keystone Foundation will serve as an example to other tea factories as well,” said Mr. Roy.