NE may get special focus at World Bamboo Congress

Nagaland Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio today left for Bangkok to participate in World Bamboo Congress, where the North-East is likely to get a special focus.Some states of the region have now promoted renewable bamboo as both resources and industry as an alternative to timber.

Arunachal Pradesh Governor Gen (Retd) J J Singh is also attending the three-day event which would be attended by policy makers, experts, entrepreneurs in bamboo sector from around the world, the sources said.

Nagaland and Arunachal Pradesh are leading the North-east, which grows over 70 per cent of country's woody grass.

As part of the National Bamboo Mission (NBA), Nagaland also announced its Bamboo policy and mission in 2004 and constituted Nagaland Bamboo Development Authority, a non-departmental government agency, to promote the wonder grass both as resources and industry.

The authority has set up a Common Facility Centre of Bamboo at Dimapur to promote modern usage of bamboo, particularly in industrial construction and as activated carbon to reduce pressure on forest.

After China, India is second largest producer of the woody grass and the North-east grows over 70 per cent of the country's bamboo.