Chumoukedima, 10 July (MTNews): To harness the potential of bamboo, a meeting was held between the Nagaland Bamboo Development Agency (NBDA) – Bamboo Mission and Chairman Nozuta Swuro today in the conference hall of the Nagaland Bamboo Resource Centre, Chumoukedima. The discussion focused on the vast possibilities of transforming Nagaland into a bamboo hub with the aim of benefiting local livelihoods, creating employment opportunities and fostering economic growth.
Adviser to Chief Minister Nagaland, Abu Metha, who also attended the meeting took to Twitter to share his enthusiasm. “Had a productive meeting with the Nagaland Bamboo Development Agency – Bamboo Mission – along with Chairman Mr. Nozuta Swuro. There is vast potential to make Nagaland a Bamboo Hub. Bamboo has been a part of our lives since the earliest times – it’s now time to convert it into a product that will positively impact livelihoods, generate employment, and contribute towards economic growth,” Metha said.
The adviser further said that under the guidance and vision of Chief Minister Rio, they will “make efforts to elevate the Bamboo eco-system and ensure that the real stakeholders are the direct beneficiaries of the Government’s policies and programs.”
According to India State of Forest Report (ISFR) 2021, as per state wise bamboo bearing area under different classes in recorded forest area (RFA), Nagaland has 172 sq km of pure bamboo area, 772 sq km of dense bamboo area, 2917 sq km of scattered and 86 sq km of regeneration of bamboo.
However, ISFR 2021 prepared by the Forest Survey of India (FSI) showed that Nagaland has lost 337 sq km of bamboo bearing area when compared to ISFR 2019.