GUWAHATI, June 7 ? The north-eastern region produces more than half of the total bamboo production in the country, but the tremendous potential of bamboo products is yet to be tapped fully. However, the scenario is likely to change with the implementation of 1.54-million-dollar cane and bamboo technological upgradation and networking project under which a Cane and Bamboo Technology Centre has been set up in the city.
The project funded by the UNDP, is being executed by the Department of Science and Technology of the Government of India and implemented by the United Nations Industrial Development Organisation (UNIDO). The Project Manager, Sri Partha Mazumdar, said that so far the Centre organised 38 workshops in which more than 900 persons were given free training. The most recent workshop was on making of bamboo window blinds, which have a very good market in Europe and North America and at present that market is captured totally by China.
Sri Mazumdar revealed that under the project efforts are also being made to provide marketing avenues to the local craftsmen. Altogether 29 persons involved in making agarbati sticks were taken to a marketing meet, attended by representatives of 72 agarbati manufacturing companies in Bangalore in November last year and the craftsmen tied up with the agarbati manufacturers, which would provide them with steady income avenues for years to come. He also said that there is tremendous potential for marketing of bamboo floor boards, which are as good as any other-flooring material and one such unit is shortly coming up in the Amingaon area on the outskirts of Guwahati city. The unit will be established by a Kolkata-based company and the persons trained up by the Cane and Bamboo Technology Centre will get employment.
Sri Mazumdar said that talks are also on with the Ministry of Labour for introducing bamboo technology courses in the ITIs and a meeting in this regard will be held on June 23 and 24 to discuss and possibly finalise the syllabus. The Department of Development of North-Eastern Region has also shown keen interest in this regard and if the Government of India clears the proposal, the course will be introduced in about eight ITIs in the first phase. Arrangements will also be made for training of teachers for the course in countries like Malayasia, China, Philippines, etc. If the course attracts students, the same can be introduced in other ITIs of the region in a phased manner.
Under the UNDP-sponsored project, a scheme has also been prepared to go for bamboo plantation as bamboo which grow in the forests is not of very good quality to maintain uniformity of the products. Sri Mazumdar said that the Deputy Commissioner, Kamrup Urban, has identified a plot for bamboo plantation and one non-government organisation has come forward for the project. The centre is also planning to encourage community bamboo plantation programmes.
Sri Mazumdar further disclosed that the Centre is trying to get the Centre?s nod for using bamboo technology for constructing houses under the Indira Awas Yojana of the Rural Development Programme. ?We can make bigger and better houses using bamboo technology and such houses will be much safer in an earthquake-prone area like Assam? he added. However, the CBTC has already started construction of a house made of bamboo in the Dimoria block to encourage people to go for such houses, which will be much cheaper than conventional houses.