Bamboo can drive Arunachal’s economy, says CM Khandu

Arunachal Pradesh Chief Minister Pema Khandu on Monday, June 15, described bamboo as the State's "Green Gold" and urged young people to tap its potential for entrepreneurship, employment generation and sustainable economic growth.

Speaking after inaugurating the Arunachal Pradesh Bamboo & Cane Technology Centre at Gungu near Itanagar, Khandu said the facility would help transform the State's abundant bamboo resources into value-added products while creating livelihood opportunities for artisans, self-help groups, entrepreneurs and unemployed youth.

Arunachal Pradesh possesses the country's second-largest bamboo stock and is home to more than 60 species of bamboo.

"Bamboo is not a new subject for us. It has always been an integral part of the social, cultural and economic life of our tribal communities," the Chief Minister said. He added that the new centre would serve as a hub for innovation, skill development, value addition and commercialisation of bamboo-based products.

Highlighting the growing industrial applications of bamboo, Khandu said the resource is increasingly being used in sectors such as furniture manufacturing, construction, textiles, biofuel production and even aviation fuel.

The Chief Minister also credited Prime Minister Narendra Modi for policy reforms that removed bamboo from the category of trees under forest regulations, facilitating its cultivation and commercial use.

Calling on unemployed youth, particularly from the Gungu and Sangdupota areas, to make use of training opportunities available at the centre, Khandu said bamboo-based enterprises could access national and international markets through e-commerce platforms and benefit from government-backed entrepreneurship schemes.

He also advocated the use of bamboo-based prefabricated housing technology, describing such structures as lightweight, cost-effective and environmentally sustainable, particularly for earthquake-prone Himalayan regions.

Stressing the need for a comprehensive bamboo policy, Khandu directed officials and experts of the Arunachal Pradesh Bamboo Resources and Development Agency (APBRDA) to prepare a long-term roadmap covering cultivation, regeneration, processing and industrial utilisation of bamboo.

The Chief Minister further emphasised skill development, saying the State must prepare its workforce to meet the growing demand for skilled labour generated by major hydropower projects and other infrastructure initiatives underway in Arunachal Pradesh.