Agartala, Oct 29 (KNN)  India gets its first Bamboo Heritage Club, giving a much needed boost to bamboo based artisans in the state through various schemes, technology upgradation, skill training as well as a platform to market their products.

Tripura Bamboo Mission managing director told media that the Bamboo Heritage Club would take suitable schemes to protect the interests of the artisans and promote the rich tradition of bamboo and cane craft of the state.

An initiative of the Government of Tripura to develop the bamboo sector in the state in a holistic manner, the mission aims to double livelihood involvement and the sector turnover in a span of three years.

The mission has a subsector specific focus that includes handicrafts, furniture, incense, sticks and blinds, mat and industrial application of bamboo.

As many as 20 artisans from Tripura have been given national awards for their excellent craftsmanship in cane and bamboo crafts.  However, after 2006, no craftsman has received a national award.

The bamboo park would produce hundreds of value-added items and facilitate the export of products, according to Tripura industries, commerce and forests minister, Jitendra Chowdhury.

The Tripura government has undertaken the development of India's first bamboo park at a cost of Rs 30 crore.  It would be spread over 70 acres of land in Bodhjunjnagar Industrial Growth Centre, which is situated 15 km north of Agartala, to expand bamboo-based industries.

Bamboo forests in India occupy about 10.03 million hectares, covering 12 per cent of the total forest area of the country.  About 28 per cent of these bamboo forests are located in northeast India.

Tripura is one of the major bamboo producing states in India. Bamboo grows all across the state of Tripura covering over nearly 10 to 15 different species. 

Muli Bamboo (Melocanna baccifera) is the dominant specie with over 80 per cent coverage. It is primarily used for incense sticks and domestic needs such as gate, fencing and construction.

However, varieties like Mritinga, Paura, Kanakaich, Dolu and Barak with differing properties are grown in small pockets across the state.  They are more amenable to higher value added products such as handicrafts, furniture and mats.

Tripura Bamboo Mission focuses on strengthening bamboo based clusters in the state and build their competitive advantage through an integrated approach of building infrastructure, linking markets and providing technology, skills, design and institutional development. (KNN/SD)