The Hindu : National : Mizoram people donate bamboos to tsunami victims in Tamil Nadu

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Sunday, Mar 13, 2005

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National

Mizoram people donate bamboos to tsunami victims in Tamil Nadu

By Sushanta Talukdar

STRONG SUPPORT: A big consignment of bamboos for the tsunami victims being sent by a special train to Tamil Nadu by the Mizoram Government from the Guwahati station on Saturday. — Photo: Ritu Raj Konwar

GUWAHATI, MARCH 12. The people of Mizoram have donated a unique relief material — bamboo — to build shelters for the tsunami-victims in Tamil Nadu.

The first consignment of 12,7043 numbers of bamboos from Mizoram was formally sent in a special goods train arranged by the Northeast Frontier Railway.

The Mizoram Environment and Forest Minister, Lalthangliana, flagged off the train at the B.G. Yard at Noonmati here today. "Ours is a small contribution from this side of the country, remote and far-flung as it is. But this as we know — as the Holy Bible tells us — "whatever you do unto the least of these my people, you are doing it to me," Dr. Lalthangliana said.

The consignment includes 30,000 Muli bamboos of 10-feet length, 50,000 muli bamboos in crushed split form of 10-feet length and 10,000 thick-walled bamboos of 12-feet length.

A group of about 10 artisans from Mizoram would train the tsunami affected people on using the bamboo for building shelters.

The Young Mizo Association (YMA) a non-governmental organisation, readily accepted the task of collecting the bamboos through its branches in various villages. Offer was made to the YMA at the collection cost of Rs. 3 for every bamboo and Rs. 4 after conversion into crushed form at almost half the market rate.

A seven-member working group headed by the Mizoram Chief Secretary, H.V. Laringa, was constituted to oversee the supply of bamboo to the tsunami-victims on the instructions of the Chief Minister, Zoramthanga. Trucks for transportation was provided free by various Mizoram government departments. The Northeast Frontier Railway provided the wagons for transportation free of cost up to Chennai. The Northeast Frontier Railway has borne the entire freight cost of about Rs. 15 lakhs for transporting the bamboos to Chennai.

The Principal Chief Conservator of Forest, S.N. Kalita, said another consignment of bamboos would be sent shortly to tsunami affected people of Anadaman and Nicobar islands.

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