Bamboo an important bio-resource in NE: AUS VC
NAMSAI, 3 Jan: “Bamboo is called the poor man’s timber and is an important bio-resource all over India, particularly in the Northeast region,” said Arunachal University of Studies (AUS) vice chancellor Prof B Mohan Kumar on Saturday.
Addressing the valedictory function of a ‘green skill development programme (GSDP) on propagation and management of bamboo’ at the university here, Prof Kumar said although bamboo resources are abundant, “its silviculture is perhaps poorly developed.”
“Science and technology applications in bamboo propagation and management are generally poorly developed or applied. Most of the bamboo resources are managed in a traditional manner. Programmes like these not only provide livelihood security to the local people but also warrant research agencies to evolve updated culturing techniques,” he said.
The AUS, in collaboration with the Arunachal ENVIS Hub, had organized the 240-hour GSDP from December 2020.
MLA Kumsi Sidisow, who along with MLA Chau Zingnu Namchoom attended the valedictory function, said, “The Arunachal government is highly focused on entrepreneurship and we are aware that it is not a day’s process. Now to those who have been trained, we hope to see you all become a trainer someday, so that the chain process of development never stops.”
Namchoom in his address acknowledged the university’s aim to create public awareness on the importance of managing natural resources in the state. He expressed hope that the trained students would “keep their enthusiasm for skill development programmes alive and contribute to the nation-building process through the expertise that they have acquired from the programme.”
An MoU between the AUS and Jorhat (Assam)-based Rainforest Research Institute was also signed “for engagement in a broad spectrum of joint activities in the field of natural resource management for sustainable livelihoods in Northeast India,” the university informed in a release.
The potential areas of collaboration include research, training, capacity building, experience-sharing and knowledge management in the domain of rural development.
During the function, the participants were felicitated and certificates of completion of the training programme were awarded to them.
