‘Green Gold’ of north-east India can become economic game-changer

Oct 8, 2020

New Delhi: Bamboo, the ‘green gold’ of North-East India, and an inseparable part of tribal life has been put to various uses by the innovative people of the region.

And till date, we had bamboo shoots pickle, bamboo vinegar, flower vase, basket, agarbatti stick, mobile cover, tooth pick, pen stand, furniture, ornament, coffin, broom, tea coaster, key chain, photo frames and ash tray and even water bottle cover.

Now, you have cookies!

‘Bamboo’ is essentially a type of grass, but its classification as a tree for about a century had prevented the northeast natives to make optimum use of the same commercially.

India has about 30 percent of the world’s bamboo resources, but the contribution globally has been about four-five percent share of the world market. But steps are being taken to alter the scenario.

North East India in effect grows about 68 per cent of India’s bamboo. But steps are being taken to alter the scenario.

In Tripura, now bamboo cookies are being made with the shoots of a naturally sweet variety of bamboo.
The shoots of a local variety of Bamboo – Muli are crushed and processed before being mixed with wheat flour, butter and a few other ingredients to make these cookies.

The bamboo cookies are a brainchild of Bamboo & Cane Development Institute (BCDI) in Tripura.

Last month, on the occasion of World Bamboo Day on Sept 18, Tripura Chief Minister Biplab Kumar Deb launched bamboo cookies and claimed the low-fat cookies are nutritious and would be beneficial for helping diabetic and cancer patients.

Tripura grows altogether 21 species of bamboo in 3,246 sq km area of forests and planned forestry. The state authorities undertook plans to bring 15,000 hectare area under bamboo cultivation by involving local communities.

It is estimated that the Bamboo sector can be developed as a major livelihood provider in the job-starved state and provide dependable and respectable employment opportunities to at least 20,000 bamboo growers and support their families and dependents.

In fact, in the north east, for generations – the natives and traditional bamboo growers have always used bamboo for various puroses both in rural and urban areas.

The Bamboo has also medicinal values. In another northeastern state, it is a common knowledge that the sap of bamboo trees is also effective in healing skin ailments and even chickenpox. Gastric ulcers and asthma are also treated and bamboo shoots help brave through hypertension.

Among tribal bamboo growers in states like Mizoram, Tripura and Nagaland – it is also well known that the Bamboo works for land protection, soil quality improvements including improved water holding capacity and recharge, benefiting agriculture and food security.

In November 2017, the central government removed Bamboo from the list of ‘trees” and thereby relaxed rules on bamboo felling, transit and processing. This removed 90-year-old restrictions, officials say.

Local artisans with their traditional skill turn out beautiful bamboo hats made of cane and some wild leaves. Despite the fact that the hat and other products have huge export potentials, the market has not been exploited. Encouraging more participation of private players and corporate houses would prove much beneficial to the north east.

Bamboo is also useful to farmers for preparing bins to be used for storehouse purposes.

Bamboo containers of different sizes, woven tightly and plastered with mud on the inner side are used for storing paddy mainly for consumption and sometimes also for seed purpose. Storing paddy for seed purpose is usually done in a specialized bamboo container commonly called Thiar in Meghalaya. The wooden bin indigenously made by the Khasi tribes of Meghalaya is called Duli. It is a double-layered bamboo basket, plastered on both the sides with cow dung and mud.

—INDIA NEWS STREAM