Una: Plantation drive begins at bamboo oxygen park

Our Correspondent

Una, January 9

Deputy Commissioner Raghav Sharma yesterday planted a bamboo sapling to initiate the plantation drive at the upcoming bamboo oxygen park at Ghandawal village of Una district.

One-of-a-kind project

• The one of a kind project in the state is being set up along the Una-Dharamsala highway. It will have a bamboo manufacturing unit to produce daily use products like tooth brushes, shaving razors, combs and shaving brushes, besides other items to replace plastic with biodegradable material
• It will also have a cafe to promote an array of cuisines made from bamboo and a display-cum-sales counter for visitors to buy bamboo products

The Bamboo Village project is being implemented under the National Bamboo Mission and is one of a kind project in the state. To be set up on about 18 kanals along the Una-Dharamsala highway, the project will have a bamboo manufacturing unit to produce daily use products like bamboo tooth brushes, shaving razors, combs and shaving brushes, besides other items to replace plastic with biodegradable material.

Sharma said Bamboo India, a Pune based organisation, was providing technical inputs for the project, while the Swan Women Federation, a collective of about 1,000 self-help groups in Una district, would run it. He added that bamboo toothbrush manufacturing machinery was being installed.

He said that a cafe with the idea to promote an array of cuisines made from bamboo and a display-cum-sales counter for visitors to buy bamboo products would also be constructed. He added that 350 saplings of 30 different species of bamboo were planted.

The Deputy Commissioner said that the unit was expected to be commissioned within a month. He added that women belonging to self-help groups would be given training for a minimum of three months to operate the machinery after which they would be able to earn additional money for their families.

He directed Industries Department officers to initiate the process for further development activities at Bamboo Village such as filling and leveling of land, electricity and water connection, besides drainage for rainwater.

Anshul Dhiman, Joint Director of Industries Department, Yogesh Shinde, Managing Director of Bamboo India, and office-bearers of the Swan Women Federation were present on the occasion.

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