Source: The Sangai Express
Imphal, March 15:
With several experts predicting mass flowering of bamboo plants in the entire North East region by 2007, the State Government has begun to frame �Bamboo Policy� to reduce the impact of the disaster even as reports have come in that Ukhrul district is also likely to be affected as much as Tamenglong and Churachandpur.
according to experts, the three districts would be the hardest hit among the North Eastern States where the bamboo flowering phenomenon is predicted to take place by 2007.The proposed �Bamboo policy� envisaged by the State Government will lay emphasis on not only controlling the disaster but also chart out long term plan of retaining usability of bamboo, informed sources said.
While the people of Tamenglong and Churachandpur districts have had to bear the brunt of mass bamboo flowering accompanied by rodent menace some years back the phenomenon had begun to affect some pockets of Ukhrul and Chandel districts as well as Tengnoupal area of Chandel district.
When queried, State Forests Department authorities said that no official report has been received of bamboo flowering from Tengnoupal sub-division but hastened to add that in case report of bamboo flowering is confirmed, necessary steps will be chalked out to take up preventive measures.
Informing that in view of the prediction by experts that another round of bamboo flowering is set to occur in 2007, the Forests Department officials said process is on to approach the North Eastern Council to fund bamboo projects conceived in the State and adding that in Tamenglong district alone, Nungba, Tousem and Tamei sub-divisions have been identified as already being affected by bamboo flowering.
Henglep sub-division in Churachandpur district has also been named on the affected list.
Even though plans are afoot to cut down affected bamboo plants en-masse for alternative use and to replenish the forest product through replantation programme, the financial crunch besetting the State Government is a major hurdle, said the Forests Department source while conveying that in view of the fund shortage Dehradun based Forests Research Institute are being kept abreast of the situation to find preventive steps.
Mention may be made that following reports of widespread bamboo flowering at Tamenglong district the State Government had categorised the phenomenon as �natural calamity leading to the constitution of a Task Force on the issue with Additional Chief Secretary Saichhuana as the chairman.