46 species of bamboo found in Nagaland
Dimapur, September 13 (MExN): Nagaland will be hosting the first World Bamboo Day event, on September 18, at Kisama Heritage village, some 13km from Nagaland’s capital, Kohima.
Around 500 delegates from 11 countries, all states of north-east India and other parts of the country are expected to take part in the programme. The event will include a two-day international seminar on bamboo, September 16-17. Informing this to media persons at a press briefing at Niathou Resort on Monday in Dimapur, Chief Minister of Nagaland Neiphiu Rio said the invitation to host the first World bamboo Day came after the World Bamboo Organization was impressed by a power-point presentation of the Nagaland Bamboo Mission at the 8th World Bamboo Congress held in Bangkok last year.
On the challenges of holding a ‘global’ event, the chief minister admitted that the state has so many “shortcomings,” mainly lack of infrastructure and technology. Rio however said that the “strength” of hosting the event lies in abundance and varieties of bamboo found in the state and the intrinsic role of bamboo in the daily lives and culture of the Naga people.
The chief minister said bamboo is intrinsic to Naga culture as Nagas use bamboo in making houses, fences, handicraft, utensils and even weapons. A distinct feature any Naga habitation is the ever-present bamboo grooves in vicinities.
Additional Chief Secretary and Mission Director of Nagaland Bamboo Mission Alemtemshi Jamir said it is an honour for Nagaland to host the first WBD event. Jamir also informed that at the World Bamboo Congress in Bangkok, the WBO was impressed by the chief minister’s power-point presentation on the mission’s activities.
Rio, who was the guest of honour at the Bangkok Congress, was also nominated an advisory member of WBO, Alemtemshi said.
India’s North-East is a treasure trove of bamboo, called “poor mans timber,” and accounts for 28 percent of the total bamboo area in the country and 67 percent of India’s growing stock of bamboo.
Nagaland has 46 species of bamboo and accounts for 5% of the country’s growing stock, approximating 448,000 hectares.
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