Tripura-B'desh terrain to have rubber-fencing

Agartala, Aug 19 (UNI) The Tripura Forest Development Plantation Corporation Ltd (TFDPCL) and Rubber Board are awaiting the Centre's approval for constructing a rubber-fence along India-Bangladesh border in Tripura.

''We have already submitted the procedural detail to the Home Ministry on the project about three months back,'' Rubber Board Joint Production Commissioner of Rubber Board (Tripura) S P Paribalan told UNI here today.

Union Commerce Ministry had asked the Board to study the feasibility of the project early this year.

According to the Board's recommendation, TFDPCL had already cultivated a rubber plantation on either side of the no man's land of about 34 km stretch along the border in south Tripura and another 400 hectares is expected this year.

Considering rubber fencing as a tool for border management, Dr Paribalan said the home ministry was approached for additional funds.

The Ministry of Environment and Forests would manage the plantations under joint forest management approach, as rubber and bamboo are the two vital resources of this land-locked Northeastern state.

Dr Paribalan said TFDPCL is one of the largest rubber plantation units in the country and had raised 11,000 hectares of rubber plantations on degraded forestlands in Tripura so far.

TFDPCL had been working on state's Rubber Mission, providing technical, human resources and administrative back up for bringing around 85,000 hec of land by the Rubber Board, National Bureau of Soil Survey and Land Use Planning in the next 20 years.

TFDPCL Managing Director V K Bahuguna said about Rs 20 lakh for one km would be required for rubber fencing but it might vary depending on the width of the plantation.

''The rubber fencing will not only offer livelihood to many poor and tribal farmers but also provide a clear view to the Border Security Force (BSF),'' state forest minister Jitendra Chowdhury.

Tripura is the second largest rubber producer in the country after Kerala, with 35,760 hectares of land under rubber cultivation.

Rubber plantations, on account of large leaf area index, have a clear stem without any branches and large bushes on its floor and hence provides clear visibility,'' Mr Chowdhury said.

About a decade ago, India had undertaken an ambitious project to fence 3,286 km of its 4096 km border with Bangladesh in Tripura, Asom, Meghalaya, Mizoram and West Bengal to contain migration and cross-border criminal activities.

UNI