Assam has come up with a Bamboo Technology Park with an investment is Rs 62.28 crore in Chaygaon in Industrial Growth Centre in the vicinity of Guwahati.

Assam Chief Minister inaugurated the park on June 22. The CM said that North East Region accounts for 66 per cent of India’s bamboo. Bamboo is cultivated in homesteads, village gardens, agricultural lands and field boundaries.

“There are hundreds of MSMEs that produces incense sticks and bamboo handicraft products. Two very large paper plants are in Assam that use bamboo as raw material. There are thousands of artisans and micro enterprises producing bamboo handicrafts, incense sticks, etc,” said Assam CM Sarbananda Sonowal.

The Park has been set up at the initiative of Industries & Commerce department of Government of Assam with the help from Department of Industrial Policy & promotion, Government of India through a Special Purpose Vehicle of Assam Industrial Development Corporation (AIDC) and private entrepreneurs.

The park has a modern Common Facility Centre for producing many innovative bamboo products like – Strand woven bamboo block making facility, Vacuum Pressure Treatment Plant, Resin Making Facility, Bamboo Stick Making Facility, Bamboo – Waste Plastic Composite Making Facility, Charcoal making facility, etc.

Assam Industry Minister, Chandra Mohan Patwary said, “Assam is the highest bamboo-producing state, but we are yet to use it commercially up to the optimum level. This Park is the first step of the Government towards harnessing the potential of bamboo.”

He further mentioned that the Park will act as an institution by introducing the latest technologies in bamboo processing, skill building, employment generation and changing the economic and industrial scenario of the entire state.

Source: The Economic Times