
The dry spell had also left tea researchers and officials of the state agriculture department worried about low yields.
The rise in temperature across the state, however, had resulted in a windfall for tour operators.
“Thousands of tourists are swarming to Darjeeling, Gangtok and other hill stations to chill out,” said Gopal Lama, the deputy director of tourism (north Bengal). “People from the plains of north Bengal are also joining this brigade.”
Lama added that currently around 5,000 people were making a beeline for the hill towns every day, which is at least 1,000-1,500 more than the footfall recorded in the same period in previous years.