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Bamboo furniture popular in Salem by
Jai Kumar Salem
(Tamil Nadu): The craft of making eco-friendly furniture from bamboo is helping
generate employment in Salem of Tamil Nadu. The craft was brought from Tripura
initially but has adapted well in the state. The bamboo crop was brought from
Tripura around three years back. A group of young men now grow the bamboo and
manufacture bamboo furniture. "This furniture has become more in demand nowadays
because people have become more conscious about using green and eco-friendly material.
This furniture also has adaptability to all kinds of use," said Piyush, owner
of a bamboo-manufacturing unit. Initially, the artisans were brought from Tripura,
but now local artisans are being trained in the craft. The business is involving
more and more residents in growing bamboo and setting up furniture manufacturing
units. "The solid bamboo business is operating in Salem like in Tripura. The bamboo
is really good. We work on the same bamboo in Tripura too," said Anil, an artisan,
who had come from Tripura. Various products such as tables, chairs, showcases,
cupboards and hangers are manufactured in these units. The marketing of these
products is also easy. The businessmen believe that the government especially
the forest department is though not being too cooperative. There has to be prior
permission to bring down the bamboo from the forest department. Getting these
permissions is a difficult task. "I really feel very discouraged because of the
total lack of support from the government. No one is asking the government for
support. We can train more farmers. We can set up other small-scale bamboo businesses,"
added Piyush. Even women are getting employment from the business by working at
the units. Small-scale industries in India have been encouraged to generate employment
and promote regional growth. The bamboo furniture manufacturing business that
is serving these basic purposes is expected to flourish, as the demand for such
furniture is high. -Apr
17, 2009
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