The first ever bamboo-processing plant of Jharkhand is being set up at Netarhat in Latehar district and is likely to be operational in the next three months.

“We signed an MoU with the North East Cane and Bamboo Development Council (NECBDC) last month for promoting bamboo production and processing,” said Saket Singh, an alumnus of IIT-Kharagpur who also founded the Water Bank Foundation Trust for conservation and purification of water besides restoring decaying water resources.

“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,” Singh said, adding they would set up the processing plant in phases.

In the first phase, they will install machines and provide basic tools to make handicrafts and utility items. In the next phase, they plan to diversify by making bamboo jewellery and robust products such as furniture, Singh said, adding they are also setting up a charcoal-making furnace to utilise the waste material.

“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,” Singh replied when asked about the installed capacity of the plant, adding they would give emphasis on quality, not quantity, of the finished products.

Their trust will lead the activities, operation and management of the plant and the NECBDC will provide support and technical knowledge to implement the project while both will use their resources for training, capacity building and market connect, he said. Singh said they were getting support from both the national and state bamboo missions and had also approached some funding agencies.

The Chotanagpur region has tremendous potential for bamboo cultivation and it is being exported from Latehar for the past many years, he informed about selection of site, adding that bamboo grows even on waste land and survive on rain water only.

“But the species here is limited and we plan to introduce some more species from the Northeast for producing better quality bamboo,” Singh, adding they aimed to engage the local tribal communities to earn supplementary income.

Asked about employment opportunities, he said they would focus on self-employment of the local tribals by motivating them towards cultivation of bamboo and giving them training.

“Since Netarhat draws huge number of tourists, we will also motivate them to build and run eco-friendly cottages and make souvenir items from bamboo,” Singh added.

“Talks were also on for micro-financing these micro-entrepreneurs so that they get the required financial support,” he said.

According to the MoU, they would also work to promote cultivation and processing of bamboo in Bihar, Bengal and Odisha but they would do that “by involving partner organisations”, Singh said.