IMPHAL, March 22: A draft ‘Bamboo Policy’ of Manipur prepared by the Forest and Environment Department has been introduced at a state level workshop cum consultative meeting held at the conference hall of the Forest Head Office at Sanjenthong today.
The meeting was held under the theme, “Formulation of Bamboo Policy of Manipur State”.
The inaugural function was attended by principal secretary (Forest and Environment) and chairman of State Bamboo Steering Committee, J Suresh Babu as the chief guest while principal chief conservator of forests, AK Rana and V Tualthang, director of commerce and industries department attended as the president and guest of honour respectively.
Kamesh Salam, founder and executive director of South Asia Bamboo Foundation, (SABF) and expert member of National Bamboo Mission (NBM), in his keynote presentation emphasized on harnessing the potential of the ‘Green Gold’.
He said, “Today is especially important for us as we are formulating the bamboo policy with various key stakeholders under the umbrella of the State Bamboo Mission. There is no other region in our planet that has a higher concentration of bamboo than the North East India”. He observed that from time immemorial, bamboo has been closely intertwined with culture and traditions and livelihood of the people.
“I am convinced that uplifting our bamboo sector is one way of changing the present situation and aid people in lifting their economic status, but the right strategies need to be in place”. He added that the bamboo policy of Manipur will go a long way in shaping the bamboo industrialization of the state to harness the rich potential in the best manner for gainful employment and economic gain with environmental benefits.
He said that in propagating the bamboo industry, one of the major struggles was to overcome the image of bamboo as the “poor man’s timber” in the minds of the people.
“With the policy in place I am confident that Manipur will also be in the bamboo potential map of India combined with its vast bamboo wealth, culture and craft tradition. It is ‘Green Gold’,”he said.
His presentation also included viable small scale bamboo industries which could be set up in the state. It included compressing of bamboo stems by a hydraulic press and further refining them to solid blocks. The blocks which comes in various sizes can replicate timber and used as the same.
Corrugated compressed bamboo sheets having equal resilient properties as that of tin sheets was another area of interest to the environmental activists and entrepreneurs present at the workshop.
The dignitaries at the inaugural function also endorsed the propagation of the State Bamboo policy and voiced positive notes that the government will take up necessary steps in the regard.
The draft Bamboo Policy presented today is aimed at promotion of bamboo plantation, promotion of bamboo based industries, promotion of traditional bamboo craft and as a wood substitute etc. The draft policy was prepared by Kamesh Salam in consultation with State Forest Department officials.
Dr. Sobita Devi and Sukumar Haobam, bamboo experts also gave their presentations at the workshop.
It may be mentioned that an area of 3691.77 sq km of the state is counted as bamboo growing area with Churachandpur having the highest concentration at 1337.16 sq kms. Tamenglong district at 1153 sq kms has the second highest bamboo growth. A survey has stated that Manipur has 53 different types of bamboo species.