Bamboo stall gains attention at Sangai Fest
Source: The Sangai Express
Imphal, November 25 2014:
'Wagi Wa', a stall which exclusively showcases different items made of bamboo is gaining the attention of the visitors at the ongoing Manipur Sangai Festival.
The stall highlights the importance of bamboo and its possible replacements of wooden items.
Products like bicycle, almirah, bed, sofa, table and decorative items made of different types of bamboos like Maribop, Khok, Utang, Ui, Sanabei, Moubi and Unap etc are being showcased at the stall.
According to the stall keeper T Khuman, bamboos usually get matured within three years.
Saying that bamboos can be endured for the construction of houses and making different items if these are given proper treatment, T Khuman said that deforestation of tress would be automatically checked if trees are replaced with bamboos.
|
Unlike trees, bamboos get matured within three years of its plantation, he said and added that bamboo roots also automatically give birth to new saplings within a short period of time.
Saying that every household in Manipur used to have bamboo grooves in their homestead compounds in the past, T Khuman said that these grooves were cleaned due to urbanisation and increase of population.
Although, the environment of Manipur is suitable for bamboo plantation, people are unable to replace timber with bamboo due to the absence of bamboo treatment plants, he added.
As installation of bamboo treatment machines and setting up of bamboo treatment plants require huge amount of money, promotion of bamboo items is not possible without the support from the Government, he added.
However, some private firms have started developing bamboo nurseries for the widespread plantation of bamboo plants, he added.
Saying that some people have already started using bicycles made of bamboo, T Khuman said that his firm had introduced an innovative facility to enjoy bamboo cycle ride at Rs 10 per hour inside Kangla fort in connection with the ongoing Manipur Sangai Festival.
Contending that different organisations have been observing September 28 as World Bamboo Day since 2009, T Khuman said that different workshops and seminars have been organised to spread awareness on the importance of bamboo.
As a tree takes around 15-30 years in getting fully matured, replacement of trees with bamboos is the need of the hour, he added.