Arunachal Pradesh in India’s North east region will soon ink Memorandum of Understandings (MoUs) with Numaligarh Refinery Limited (NRL) and Hindustan Paper Corporation (HPC) to help potential bamboo growers in the state. Arunachal Pradesh Bamboo Resource Development Agency (APBRDA) Vice-chairman Yora Tagung informed that the agency on behalf of the state government would sign an MoU with NRL soon for exporting three lakh tonnes of bamboo from the state.

Numaligarh Refinery Limited (NRL) was set up at Numaligarh in the district of Golaghat (Assam) in accordance with the provisions made in the historic Assam Accord signed on 15th August 1985. Hindustan Paper Corporation is today one of the largest manufacturers of paper and newsprint in South East Asia. Both NRL & HPC has been playing a significant role in the socio-economic development of the North-East region.

If properly tapped , bamboo sector could be a money spinner for the state with a varieties of species abundantly available, Yora said adding that the Board was planning to set up small scale bamboo industries in every district where toothpicks, incense sticks, besides other usable items would be produced. The APBRDA is contemplating to establish a bamboo shoot market for which a land of 70,000 square meters has already been allotted.

It is pertinent to mention here that since last couple of years, the APBRDA has been supplying bamboo saplings to the bamboo growers of all districts of the state.

“Though we have many bamboo plantations in every district, merely three small industries have been established so far which have failed to cater to the bamboo growers,” Yora added. 

Image Courtesy: http://adgenez.gov.in/