GUWAHATI, June 12 ? Internationally reputed experts on forest resources and scientists have recommended some urgent steps to be taken by North Eastern States to mitigate the ?catastrophic famine? that is likely to hit the region subsequent to ?gregarious flowering of bamboo? predicted to occur during 2005-2007. Scientists have predicted that gregarious flowering of bamboo will occur in an estimated area of 18,000 square kilometre in the States of Mizoram, Tripura, Manipur and parts of Assam and Meghalaya during 2005-2007. The epicentre of bamboo flowering will be Mizoram. It is calculated that about 26 million tons of bamboo will be available for harvest before flowering takes place in those areas. Out of thee 10 million tons of bamboo will be available in inaccessible areas.
The last such gregarious flowering of bamboo was recorded in Mizoram, Tripura and Barak Valley of Assam in 1959 which was followed by a severe famine in those areas that left a fear psychosis in the minds of the people. It is learnt that gregarious flowering of bamboo begins in September-October just after the rainly season. Initially there are many young inflorescences and within a few weeks whole clumps get transformed into huge flowering cluster. Then starts the seed-shed in December and by January, there is a thin layer of seeds on the forest floor below the bamboo stands. The seed-shed attracts seed predators, mostly rats species. As there is a increase in seed-shed in the following months, by the end of summer there are enough seeds on the forest floor and a large number of rats relishing on the abundant food supply.
Then starts the rainy season. With the onset of rains, bamboo seeds germinate in a few days and the layer of the bamboo seeds on the forest floor gets converted into a lush green carpet of bamboo seedlings. All of a sudden there is no food for the seed predators (rats) which then in millions come out of the bamboo forests in search of food and land in farms in the vicinity. These then play havoc with the standing crop, devour the grains stored in granaries resulting in famine in the aftermath of bamboo flowering.
In order to prevent occurrence of such famine following bamboo flowering in 2005-2007, the Rain Forest Research Institute (RFRI), Jorhat in the State recently organised a two-day expert consultation on ?Sustainable utilisation of Bamboo Resources Subsequent to Gregarious Flowering in the North East? among scientists, forest officials, experts drawn from different national and international organisations. The expert consultations has made certain recommendations focussing on extraction and utilisation of bamboos before they get to flower. The experts prescribed detailed survey and mapping of bamboo resources in the N-E in collaboration with Forest Departments and Forest Survey of India (FSI). A bamboo flowering database is to be prepared involving International Bamboo and Rattan Research Institute (INBAR), Beijing, RFRI, FSI and Forest Departments.
To facilitate timely extraction of bamboos that are set to flower after three year from now, the experts called for urgent steps to improve condition of State and National Highways in the region. Feasibility of transporting bamboos by waterways through Bangladesh needs be explored for making the resource available for users in Orissa and Andhra coast. The Railway Ministry has been suggested to work out concessional rates for transportation of bamboos from the N-E. The experts call for modification of the present ?mahal? system for extraction of bamboos and formulation of effective and workable transit rules on uniform basis for all the States.
According to experts the Hindustan Paper Corporation Limited (HPCL) should first consume the flowered stock of mulli bamboos of the N-E region by suspending consumption of other species during period of flowering. Other recommendations on resource utilisation include; setting up of mini-mechanical pulping mills at strategic locations and the pulp to be compressed into high-density pulp sheets and blocks in the small scale industry sector for long-term space effective storage and economic transportation. It is suggested to form village clusters and supply appropriate machinery to utilize the available resources. This will besides generating employment, reduce the cost of bamboo transportation.
Suitable technology be developed to convert bamboo into high value products like laminated board, composite boards, railway sleeper board etc. It is also suggested that possibility of using flowered fruit seed of bamboo for animal feed through collection just before maturity be explored. Regarding regeneration of bamboo of logged over area, the experts suggest that the steep and inaccessible areas should be left to regenerate naturally while in accessible areas 50 per cent will be taken up for regulated natural regeneration, 30 per cent for mixed bamboo plantation and the balance 20 per cent for the tree plantation.
The bamboo resources in forest areas needs be stocked quickly by increasing investments, using better planting material and silvicultural practices. The HPCL is suggested to take up large captive plantation in the degraded forest areas and wasteland on long-term lease. Research institutes like the RFRI are suggested to introduce improved planting stocks having shorter rotation period and germ plasm bank should be maintained in RFRI, Jorhat for the entire region.