<h1>North Bengal rains damage small tea growers; financial aid to be sought from central and state governments.</h1> Torrential rains in North Bengal have caused widespread damage to small tea growers in Jalpaiguri and Alipurduar, with many gardens submerged and silt deposited on plants; over 50,000 STGs (averaging under one hectare and producing 64% of state tea) face crop loss, road infrastructure damage is obstructing dispatch of green leaves to factories, worker absenteeism is reducing harvest capacity, and growers intend to seek financial assistance from central and state governments after completing damage assessments.