Mizoram is all set to encash from poor man's timber

Aizawl, Dec 22: Mizoram government has chalked out a blue-print to utilise all its bamboo resources before its flowering in full swing.

Bamboo ('Melocanna baccifera'), which had grown over an area of more than 6,400 square kilometer, which is one third of the state, has started flowering across the state, which is a unique phenomenon, occurs once in 50 years, across the North East region and Mizoram in particular.

According to the government's 12-month promotion plans, all the bamboo will be harvested and would be utlised for export to different paper industries including neighbouring Bangladesh, setting up pioneering environmental friendly power stations that run on bamboo to help meet the new industrial energy needs and promoting bamboo-based cottage industries and establishing chipping and pulping units in the small scale industrial sector.

Apart from this, eight bamboo industries has already been across the state at the cost of Rs 700 lakh and establishment of export promotion industrial park at Bairabi, Champahai and Tlabung and setting up of district industries centres in the new districts are also in the pipeline.

''My government has already prepared a detailed blue print to ensure that all the bamboos would be harvested before the flowering takes place'', Chief Minister Zoramthanga told UNI in an interview.

''We have already started constructing bamboo-link roads through out the forest, which enabled to reach and harvest it'', he said adding rope-way also been setup to transport these harvested bamboos to the main land.

State industries department director Yogaraja added about 8,000 local youths across the state would be benefited in getting various jobs through the proposed bamboo pulping industries. ''Our proposed unique bamboo-power station, in Sairang village, will use bamboo and bamboo wastes to generate electricity,'' Zoram Energy Development Agency (ZEDA) project co-ordinator Benjamin L Tlumtea said.

''This 2.85 crore bamboo-power project will not only be cost efective, but also highly eco-friendly'', he said adding the project were disigned by scientists at the Indian Institute of Science (IIS), Banglore and Ankur Scientific Energy Technologies Limited.

The Chief Conservator of Forest H Ramhluna also stated that the Central ministry of commerce and industry has already declared free export of bamboos to facilitate the marketing of harvested corps.

''The state could avail this offer till 2007 end under the export and import police under foreign trade (development and regulation) act 1993'', he said adding that the ministry has also agreed to allocate a sum of Rs 45 crores to Mizoram for five years from this year.

Joint director, industries, G Malsawmdawngliana also mentioned that the first consignment of bamboo chips is expected to be exported to Bangladesh by January 2007.

Bamboos would be delivered through Sutarkandi Land Customs Station (LCS) near Karimganj, he added.

NITOL Niloy group of industries, Dhaka has recently acquired Chatak paper mill and signed an MOU with Mizoram government agency for importing 300 MT raw bamboo chips on daily basis.

Besides, the Mizoram Forest Produce Marketing Agency (MFPMA) has already signed a memorandum of understanding with Hubli-based Vibhava Industries for sales of 7000 quintals of hill broom sticks made bamboos.

UNI