NEW DELHI, Nov 2 ? An Advance Centre for bamboos and rattans (cane) would be set up at Aizawl, Minister of Environment and Forests A Raja has announced today.
Addressing the 13th annual general meeting of Indian Council of Forestry Research and Education (ICFRE) Society here today, Raja ? who also its president ? said that the Government has already approved the establishment of the Centre under the administrative control of Rain Forest Research Institute (RFRI), Jorhat.
The Minister said the Centre was a long-standing demand of the people of Mizoram, as nearly 49 per cent of the State?s area is under bamboo and cane, the highest in the country. The Minister also asked ICFRE to consider the establishment of the ?National Bureau of Forest Genetic Resources? on similar lines as the ?National Bureau of Plant Genetic Resources? which would work exclusively on genetic resources collection, introduction, conservation and evaluation of forestry species and wild medicinal plants.
Human activities and biotic pressure on forests are depleting our forest genetic diversity at an unprecedented rate that has resulted in threats to food security and income opportunities of millions of the people, the Minister said.