The Maharashtra government is likely to sign a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Tripura to boost the bamboo industry and bamboo-based entrepreneurial activities in the state, visiting Maharashtra Environment and Climate Change Minister Pankaja Munde said here on Tuesday.

The Maharashtra Minister Munde, who arrived in Tripura on Tuesday on a two-day visit to the state, visited the Bamboo and Cane Development Institute and other areas. The Minister was introduced to various bamboo species at BCDI.

Later while talking to the media persons, Munde said that after understanding various aspects related to bamboo, like how it is grown, how it can be suitably used for industrial purposes, and the climatic conditions needed to grow bamboo, the Maharashtra government would be interested to sign a MoU with Tripura government to implement the Bamboo Mission in Maharashtra.

She said that besides doing certain suitable modifications, bamboo can be used in construction activities and possesses immense potential to give employment to the rural populace. Through bamboo, hundreds of value-added items including jewellery items can be produced and it also can be a substitute for firewood, the Maharashtra Minister said, adding “in order to save the environment, bamboo can play a crucial role”.

Bamboo is one of the major and important natural resources of Tripura, where at least 19 species of bamboo are commonly found. The state sustains tropical moist deciduous forests with patches of forests of evergreen species and a substantial area under bamboo brakes. The extent of bamboo-bearing area in the forests of the state is 3,246 square km.

Tripura, neighbouring Mizoram and other northeastern states are cultivating various species of bamboo in abundance with about 28 per cent of India's bamboo forests located in northeast India.

The Tripura government in 2009 had developed India's first Bamboo Park at Bodhjungnagar industrial growth centre in western Tripura at a cost of Rs 30 crore on 135 acres of land to help expand bamboo-based industries.

Officials of Tripura Industrial Development Corporation (TIDC) said that “many entrepreneurs established factories out of which one big industry has been set up for producing bamboo flooring tiles (Bamboo wood), bamboo laminated board, furniture made of laminated bamboo and round bamboo, partition wall, home design materials which is very attractive.” Thousands of eco-friendly bamboo items have traditionally been made in Tripura and other northeastern states.

The ‘Bamboo Park’ shall not only create the physical infrastructure for the industries but shall also provide state-of-the-art common facilities like bamboo raw material depot, bamboo splitting and slivering unit, bamboo treatment and processing centre, drying chambers, testing labs, logistics hub, warehouse, machine maintenance centre among others.