Jharkhand’s first bamboo-processing plant to begin operations by Oct 2022

Netarhat, June 4 (KNN) Jharkhand’s first ever bamboo-processing plant to come up in Netarhat in Latehar district. The plant is likely to be operational in the next three months. 

The processing plant will be setup by the Water Bank Foundation in association with the North East Cane and Bamboo Development Council (NECBDC).

It aims to engage the local tribal communities by providing them with the necessary training in order to help them earn supplementary income.   

The foundation will lead all the operational activities and management of the plant whereas the NECBDC will assist with the technical knowledge to implement the project. Both the partners will use their resources for training, capacity building and market connect.

Saket Singh, founder of the Water Bank Foundation Trust said, “The government decision of taking out bamboo from the list of forest produce will boost its cultivation and processing and that, in turn, will provide employment to the local tribal community.”

The plant will be setup in phases with the first phase witnessing the installation of the required machinery and provision of basic tools to make handicrafts and utility items. In the second phase, the plan is to diversify by making bamboo jewellery and robust products such as furniture.

“Initially, it has been planned to process a truckload of bamboo in a month but that would depend more on demand of the finished products. We are planning to introduce some more species from the Northeast for producing better quality bamboo,” Singh added.

A charcoal-making furnace will also be installed to help utilise the waste material.  (KNN Bureau)