IMPHAL, December 11: The 15 days training programme on extracting yarn from Kewa and Banana plants and colouring it, organised by a consortium of Thongju Handloom Clusters at the Sinthang Handloom and Handicrafts Complex, Thongju Part II, concluded today.
Speaking on the occasion as the chief guest, Council of Scientific & Industrial Research (CSIR)-North East Institute of Science & Technology (NEIST) branch laboratory principal scientist H Birkumar stated that the extraction of yarn from Kewa may be a new development in Manipur but it has been practiced for some time now in Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan.
The yarn thus produced have been utilised in various activities as it is found to be 50 percent fire proof, he said, adding that there are plans afoot to install three fibre extracting machines that can extract yarn from natural plants especially Kewa and Banana which are rich in fibre at Imphal West and Imphal East.
There are some plans in the pipeline to take up the project in other districts to start the extraction of yarn from natural plants all over the State, he said, adding these will be of tremendous help to the people in increasing their household incomes.
All Manipur Trained Medicinal and Aromatic Plants Promoters Consortium president P Devkanta who played a major role in organising the training programme said the training programme of extracting yarn from bananas which has already been conducted in various parts of the State in past has made it known that shirts can be sewn with the cloth extracted from banana plants and other items of decoration can be made from it.
He said he made an experiment of extracting yarn from Kewa plants after getting to know during the training programme in Thongju that our ancestors in the past made ropes out of the plants.
He added that he holds a firm belief that if ropes can be made out of the plants, clothes can also extracted and he was proven right.
We have now proven that yarns can be extracted from Kewa plants during the training programme, stated Devkanta who spoke as a guest of honour.
Chandel Agriculture department extension officer K Kullabidhu who is also the president of SEVA Club, Thongju Part II presided over the function while Imphal East development officer(handloom) Ch Surkumar Sharma, Entrepreneurs consultant (Manipur) L Ratankumar and Thongju Handloom Cluster CDE Th Ibeyaima were the other guests of honour.