The document provides information on industries and development in the Darjeeling district of West Bengal, India. It discusses how Darjeeling has a large forest coverage and resources like citronella grass, sal leaves, honey, and medicinal plants. Agriculture and tourism are major industries, and there is potential to develop tea, food processing, floriculture, and wood industries. It also describes Darjeeling's handicrafts industry and notes the district has good road and rail connections, including the Darjeeling Himalayan Railway.
3. DARJEELING
INDUSTRIALIZATION
The district of Darjeeling is the northern most district of the state of the West Bengal. Lying
on the foot hills of Himalayas, district is the gateway to the state of Sikkim and the boarding
countries of Bhutan and Nepal. Well now coming back to industrial development forest Is an
important resource for economic development. The area is under forest of 124575 hectares
which is 38.28% of the total area of the district. The district is rich in minor forest resources
like Amliso grasses (used for making brooms and cattle fodder, matala fruits which are used
for decoration purposes etc.).
4. Agriculture and tourism is the major industries of the districts. The districts has rich forest
coverage with major forest resource being citronella grass, Sal leaves, honey, medicinal
plants etc. Proper infrastructural support is needed to be enhance. Not much land is available
of industrial uses, For development of technical skill and knowledge of masses, various skill
based training programmes needed to be organized. There are good prospects for tea
industries in Darjeeling. Darjeeling tea is widely and universally acknowledged to be the
finest tea because its flavor is so unique that is cannot be replicated anywhere else in the
world. The annual production of Darjeeling tea is approx. 10 million kg. Since 1866, peace
was established in Darjeeling which paved the way for all round development in the hills. In
agriculture three areas saw significant development.
5. DARJEELING HANDICRAFT
Darjeeling Handicraft enjoys a well-earned reputation for their artistic design and quality.
They have borrowed freely from the techniques in vogue in Sikkim, Bhutan, and Tibet. In
recent Years there has been a diversification into newer fields of art and crafts without
sacrificing the traditional outlook. The more important handicrafts of the district include
bell-metal work, woolen carpets with various designs, applique work, woodcraft,
embroidered fire screens, wooden masks, ornamental trinkets, lepcha’s weave and bamboo
craft.
6. DARJEELING HANDICRAFT
OTHER HANDICRAFTS
Decorative Nepalis Kukuris (Knives) are made at Ghum and Sevoke (Sukhiapokhari). Baskets
are made in Darjeeling and Kalimpong. Jackets, Tibetian Hats and Hanju Coat (the latter
made from handloom cloth) are produced in Darjeeling town. Kalimpong is long known as a
center for manufacturing handmade paper from barks.
7. RESOURCE BASED INDUSTRIES
• Food Processing – Darjeeling district alone produces approximately 90,000 tons of
pineapple, 20,000 tons of oranges , 80,000 ton of tomato per annum. Besides as much as
6,00,000 no's of Oranges per day are available in peak Season from Sikkim . These huge
resources of raw fruits justifies setting up an integrated plant for producing various items
like oranges marmalade, tomato sauce, vinegar juice, pineapple rings, frozen fruits etc.
8. RESOURCE BASED INDUSTRIES
• Floriculture – existing production of 60MT of flowers in Darjeeling district and 20 MT
available from Sikkim can easily be exploited. Besides flower cymbidiums, cypripedium and
other orchards, cactuses, bulbs etc. which are in huge demand are available in abundance
• Wood Base Industries – Large Forest cover with abundant supply of wood, bamboo, cane
etc. provides excellent of plywood, veneer, particle board from wood dust, wood furniture,
wood charcoal, cane furniture.
9. Skill Based Industries – The artisans of these districts create exquisite varieties of ornaments,
carpets, household article, handicrafts and other articles which are widely acclaimed. The
traditional cottage industries are also includes woolen garments and came and bamboo work.
These cottage and handicrafts industries however need proper marketing support through
purchase, organizing of handicrafts exhibitions, formation of societies and guilds etc.
Water Resources – The water resources in North East is perennial which becomes easy for the
people living here in the valley for the irrigation. Running river water is not only used in irrigation
but also is utilized for generating electric.
Chandrika shrama HPI
10. Darjeeling Tea Industry – Darjeeling produces the worlds best aromatic tea. Presently
Darjeeling has 86 tea gardens which produces about 10 million kgs of tea annually. Tea is
grown in Darjeeling from a height of 100 mt (300ft) to 2000mt (600ft). Output and the
quantity of tea varies with the altitudes. Most of the Darjeeling tea estates have China or
Chins hybrid plants, although some tea estates at lower elevations have Assam hybrids too.
The average production in the hill per acre is almost half compared to the production in the
warmer plains. If this climate and high altitude affecting the slow growth of the tea leaf
which help to give Darjeeling teas the flavor for which it is known .
11. Animal Resource Based Industries – The Huge cattle population in Darjeeling
provides an opportunity for a systematic approach for collection and processing of milk,
hides, and skins, which are easily available can be used to promote leather industry.
Handicrafts based leather products exploiting traditional expertise have ready market
due to tourist traffic large urban population also provides an opportunity for promotion
of other animal resource based activity like poultry.
12. COMMUNICATIONS (DARJEELING)
Another major progress was made in the areas of communication. Steady flow was invested to
build roads in the mountains. In 188, the famous Darjeeling Himalayan railway was introduced
that provided key rail communication in the hills. Access to Darjeeling from the plains was
made increasingly convenient and comfortable. The first hydro-electrical power plant in India
was built in Darjeeling. Its another matter that such power system was never developed for any
use other than catering to Darjeeling’s own local requiremets.Darjeeling also became a center
for European education. Number of schools came up in Darjeeling town, Kurseong and
Kalimpong. Many of them are highly rated schools even today and offer boarding facilities. With
such development taking place, population in Darjeeling started growing rapidly, many came
here as permanent residence and other for seasonal retreats.
13. COMMUNICATIONS (DARJEELING)
Darjeeling can be reached by the 88 km long Darjeeling Himalayan Railway from new jalpaiguri
or by national highways 55 from siliguri, 77 km away. The Darjeeling Himalayan railway is a
600mm (2 feet) narrow gauge railway that was declared a world heritage site by UNISCO. In
1999 for being an outstanding example of the influence of an innovative transportation system
on the social and economic development of multicultural region, which was to solve as a model
for similar development in many part of world, becoming only the second railway in the world
to have the honor.
14. Bus services and Hired vehicle connect Darjeeling with siliguri and Darjeeling has road
connection with Bagdogra, Gangtok and Kathmandu and the neighboring towns of Kurseong
and Kalimpong. However, road and railway communication often gets disrupted in the
monsoon because of the landslide. The nearest airport is Bagdogra airport located 90km
(56m) from Darjeeling Within the town people usually travel by walking. Residence also use
two wheelers and higher taxes for travelling short distances. The Darjeeling ropeways
functional since 1968 were closed in 2003 after an accident killed four tourists it reopened
in Feb 2012.
15. The Darjeeling Himalaya Railway
Transport (Rail and Roads). In 1878 a contract was placed with Messer, Tom Mitchell and
Rumsey of Calcutta for the construction of tramway of Darjeeling. At the close of the year
following, the E.I. RAILWAY workshops at Jamalpur under took the building of engines for
this line, the first being named “TINEY”. At that time the tramline worked up a zig zag from
Gayabri to Giddapahar( between the Mahanandi and Kurseong stations, and did not worm 5
miles round the spur as the present), and as the gradient was severe it followed that only
very light vehicles were run on the line.
16. The Darjeeling Himalaya Railway
The Tiny was first brought into use on the occasions of the visit of Lord Lytton, the Viceroy,
in March 1880, and proved incapable of dragging the extra baggage which such a visit
entailed and so an many of coolies was immediately pressed into service to drag its precious
freight to the 18th mile terminus. Shortly after the visit, the steam tramway was extended
to Tung, from which station the traveler rode in Tonga to Darjeeling until July 4th 188, when
the line was pushed on the terminus and its designation changed to that of the Darjeeling
Himalayan Railway.
17. Later on the toy train with its two feet gauge and its miniature locomotive, built by Messr.
Sharpe, Stewart and Co. of Glasgow, were capable of drawing of short distances a 50 ton
load up a gradient of 1 in every 15 feet. Some of these engines are still there. At the
beginning of this century, the speed of the trains was limited to 10 miles an hour on the hill
section as a safeguard against accidents, especially on the down journey. The line cost
about $3000 ( or Rs 52000) at the then prevalent rate of exchange per mile. The Cart Road
along which it was constructed, was handed over by the Public Works Department to
Railway authorities to provide for its prompt and adequate repairs as well as to ensure the
running of the traffic even during the rains. At least 550 small bridges and culverts had to
be constructed to lay the line.
