Dulu Bamboo of Jiribam famed for making kites
Source: Hueiyen News Service / Puyam Rameshwar
Imphal, November 10 2011:
Among the numerous Bamboo species found in Manipur, the Dulu variety grown in Jiribam has great demand for making kites with truckloads of Dulu being taken outside the state.
According to a reliable source in the state Forest Department, Bamboo is grown naturally over an area of 3591-77 sq km in different districts of Manipur.
This include 130 sq km in Senapati district, 125 sq km in Ukhrul district, 1337 sq km in Churachandpur district, 1153.24 sq km in Tamenglong district, 478 sq km in Jiribam, 442 sq km in Tengnoupal, 10 sq km in Thoubal district, 8 km in Bishnupur district and 7 sq km in Imphal East and Imphal West districts.
Among the numerous species of Bamboo found in Manipur, Khok-wa, Mohri-wa, Lin-wa, Uma, Shaneibi, Utang-wa, Lah-wa, Maribob, Moubi-wa, Tenna-wa, Tolu-wa, Dulu, etc have multiple uses including manufacturing of paper, yarn for weaving cloths, decorative items and other handicraft activities.
The bamboo shoots of some of these varieties are also consumed as food items by the people.
The Dulu variety, which has wide distribution in Jiribam, has great demand outside the state for making kites and truckloads of Dulu are taken to different places like Kolkata, Utter Pradesh, Delhi, Gujarat, Bangalore, etc.
At Jirighat, from where the Bamboo variety is taken to other parts of the country, one truckload of Dulu bundles cost around Rs 20,000 and there are around 1200 to 1400 pieces of Dulu in each bundle.
However, when a contractor comes to collect Dulu bamboos from the villages, the villagers are paid only around Rs 8125 to Rs 9750 per truckload.
By the time, the same truckload of Dulu reaches Kolkata; the price goes up to Rs 62,000 and up to Rs 70,000 in Uttar Pradesh.
In Gujarat and Bangalore, the cost of one truckload of Dulu is around Rs I lakh, the source disclosed.
Many people in Jiribam depend on Dulu for livelihood.
After cutting the Bamboos, they let them flow through the current of Jiri river and bring them till Jirighat, where the transaction is normally done.