Global Bamboo Summit hopes big on NE
In line with the upcoming Global Bamboo Summit to be held in Indore next month, a high-level meeting was chaired by the Union Minister for Development of North Eastern Region (DoNER) on Friday. He called on the NE states for active participation. He urged the states to show their active presence in the Summit by sending their delegates, artisans and by setting up of stalls. “Start-ups should be encouraged in this area and the economic stakes need to be generated for the success of the summit. Such Bamboo summits should also be organized at a regional level even in states such as Mizoram. This will provide an identity to these states,” the Minister said. The Minister further said that efforts have to be made to promote real-time applicability and economic viability of bamboo and its products. With the world aiming towards usage of bio-degradable products, the bamboo industry with proper encouragement by the Govt., could play a vital role in bringing about a link between employment generation, poverty alleviation and climate change. The officials present at the meet raised certain statutory provisions related to the bamboo industry. They wanted bamboo to be classified as grass or timber under the legislation. They also emphasized the need to promote the same for industrial purposes. “This is proving to be a major hurdle towards commercial exploitation of bamboo and as a result of ambiguity the inter-State transport and trade in bamboo is also hampered,” they said, according to an official release. In view of the demand for bamboo in NE regions, which has got around 40% of its area bamboo-cultivated, the officials said that the Summit should focus on enhancing commercial viability for bamboo in view of its importance to the NE economy. Global furniture giant-Ikea, last month, had expressed its willingness to make India as its global sourcing hub for bamboo products. In line with this strategy tapping India’s bamboo potential, the company was also said to have partnered with a bamboo grower in Bangalore and is also likely to rope in growers from other regions, primarily from the NE region. The Summit can be a great platform and a game-changer for the Indian bamboo industry if the government is successful in its efforts to draw global attention to it.
March 19, 2016 | 03:05pm IST
to success.