Preservation of indigenous bamboo in pipeline
Source: Hueiyen News Service / Puyam Rameshwar
Imphal, December 01 2011:
To protect and preserve the indigenous bamboo found in the state, a bamboo setum will be set up at Langol Reserve Forest shortly.
According to a reliable source from the Forest Department, Government of Manipur, the setting up of the bamboo setum is to be taken up under the National Bamboo Mission.
All process for starting the works have been carried out.
The source further revealed that the bamboo setum will be surrounded by foot paths all over and the interior part will also have foot paths in between different sections where different varieties of bamboo labeled with their specific names, will be planted.
Special care will be taken so that two different varieties of bamboo do not get mixed up.
The bamboos will be planted in such a way that the specific varieties stay for a long period of time.
People who have the desire to see the various varieties of bamboo will be welcomed to visit the bamboo setum.
Those people desiring to do research work in bamboo will have the opportunity to do so with the setting up of the bamboo setum.
The bamboo setum will also act as a means to control the extinction of many varieties of indigenous species of bamboo.
The source further revealed that a number of varieties of bamboo in the bamboo setum will be planted beginning from this rainy season.
For this purpose the saplings of different bamboo varieties will be collected from different parts of the state.
An official of the Forest Department, said that according to a survey conducted by the Forest Department along with scientists from Dehradun who are experts in the field, around 36 varieties of indigenous bamboo are found in the state.
But experts in this field from the state are of the opinion that there are more than 36 varieties of bamboo in Manipur.
He further went on to say that the bamboo setum will be initially started with the 36 varieties of bamboo.
The other remaining varieties will be gradually planted in the bamboo setum.
In other countries bamboos are used in producing different products.
The products which include chairs, tables and other decorative items are in great demand nowadays.
Even thread is also reeled from bamboos and cloths are made out of it in China.
Among the countries which produces the largest amount of bamboo products and where the largest number of bamboos are planted is China.
India stands second in production and plantation.
In India more than 50% of bamboo is available in the North East and large number bamboos are also planted in Manipur.
Saneibi, Utong, Mobi wa, Khok-wa and Waroubok are among the indigenous varieties of bamboo found in the state.