Kohima/Agartala, Sep 19 : World Bamboo Day 2025 was celebrated across the Northeastern states, highlighting bamboo as the region's 'green gold' and stressing the need for its better utilisation.

The World Bamboo Day 2025 was celebrated at the Nagaland Bamboo Resource Centre, at Chumoukedima, under the theme 'Next Generation Bamboo: Solution, Innovation and Design.'

Gracing the event, Development Commissioner, Temsunaro Aier, described bamboo as the 'green gold' of Nagaland and other states of the region, highlighting its deep cultural, ecological, and economic significance.

She urged stakeholders to sustain this legacy with pride and responsibility, noting bamboo's role in food, shelter, craft, art, and livelihood.

Aier also stressed the need for sustainable practices, citing bamboo's rapid growth, carbon absorption, and soil conservation benefits, making it a strong ally in the fight against climate change.

The official also commended the Nagaland Bamboo Development Agency (NBDA) for promoting bamboo-based enterprises, training artisans, and supporting self-help groups.

She noted that products such as handicrafts, furniture, incense sticks, blinds, mats, and bamboo shoots are gaining recognition, turning Nagaland into a hub for bamboo industries.

As part of the celebration, Aier announced the upcoming state-of-the-art Cane and Bamboo Technology Park at the Nagaland Bamboo Resource Centre, which will serve as a Centre for research, training, and production.

A week-long training programme was also launched for 26 artisans to enhance their skills in bamboo design, manufacturing, and value addition.

Certificates and machineries were distributed to the trainees, and the Bamboo Entrepreneur Award was presented to Bukhaio Khiamniungan. On the occasion, a special publication titled 'Facilitating Ease of Doing Business in the Bamboo Sector in Northeast India: Removal of Compliance Burdens' was also released in collaboration with the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII).

The event featured a bamboo theme song by Musik-A School and a keynote address by Kuko Mero, State Mission Director NBDA who noted that with over 43 species of bamboo, Nagaland has immense potential in bamboo-based sustainable development.

He informed that NBDA has carried out block plantations covering 1506 hectares, trained over 200 entrepreneurs and artisans, and set up two Common Facility Centres generating employment for more than 500 people.

The Agency has also established processing units, nurseries with 1.5 lakh saplings, rural haats, bamboo bazaars, and upgraded the Nagaland Handicrafts Emporium in New Delhi and Kolkata under the brand 'Naturally Nagaland.'

In Tripura, at a discussion on the World Bamboo Day, state's Industries and Commerce Minister Santana Chakma and Forest and Environment Minister Animesh Debbarma interacted with the investors and industrialists over the significance of the bamboo resources.

According to Forest officials, nearly 44 per cent of Tripura's geographical area is under bamboo coverage and the state government is exploring avenues for high-value addition of bamboo, including its use in renewable energy and bio-ethanol production.

Shailesh Kumar Yadav, Mission Director of the Tripura Bamboo Mission, said: 'We are exploring potential investors interested in bio-ethanol. One metric ton of good quality bamboo can produce around 200'300 litres of bio-ethanol. The central government already has a bio-ethanol policy for blending with fossil fuels like petrol and diesel, and recently a bio-ethanol plant has been set up at Numaligarh Refinery in Assam.'

He said that several private sector players, along with local entrepreneurs, are showing interest in bio-ethanol and bio-char projects, and the government is extending full support. Yadav, who is also Director of Industries and Commerce, highlighting the market potential said that the global bamboo market stood at USD 67 billion in 2024, while India's bamboo economy was valued at Rs 1,300 crore in exports, with the rest consumed domestically.

Notably, incense sticks alone had a market worth Rs 13,500 crore last year, with a majority of round sticks imported from abroad.

'China is currently the largest global producer and exporter of bamboo, while India ranks third in production but tops as an importer because value addition in the sector is still limited. Tripura probably has one of the largest bamboo resources in the country, but we have lagged behind in engineered bamboo products, mechanized large-scale production of ply, veneer, and other value-added items,' he admitted.

The official noted that while 25,000'30,000 people are currently engaged in Tripura's bamboo sector, it has the potential to provide livelihoods to at least one lakh individuals.

A master plan, supported by the Asian Development Bank, is already in place to systematically and sustainably exploit Tripura's bamboo resources for enhanced livelihoods and better financial returns.

The state's bamboo sector presently has an annual turnover of Rs 85'90 crore, with handicrafts accounting for 25'30 per cent of the share.

The World Bamboo Day 2025 was also celebrated in Mizoram and other Northeastern states.

/IANS