Guwahati, Oct 2 (IANS) : Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Friday highlighted the growing potential of bamboo as an industrial and economic resource, saying the state will soon make a newly developed bamboo bicycle available in parks across Guwahati for public use and take feedback ahead of its formal launch.
CM Sarma said he recently rode the bicycle, whose structure was made entirely from bamboo and has received certification from the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS).
“Wanna know what I’m riding? It’s a Bamboo Bicycle where the structure is made entirely out of bamboo and certified by BIS,” CM Sarma said in a social media post.
He said that in the coming days, the bamboo bicycles would be placed in parks across Guwahati, allowing people to ride them and provide feedback on the product before it is launched commercially.
The Chief Minister said the initiative was part of a broader effort to demonstrate the potential of Assam’s indigenous bamboo resources and encourage greater utilisation of the material across industries.
“Bamboo, native to Assam, has over 800 byproducts and can be used extensively from methanol to ATF to reinforced structures and much more,” CM Sarma said.
He also credited a policy decision of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government to classify bamboo as grass for opening up new opportunities for the sector.
According to the CM, the change in regulatory classification has helped create greater scope for bamboo cultivation, processing and industrial utilisation. Assam, which has abundant bamboo resources, has been seeking to promote bamboo-based industries and products as part of efforts to create livelihood opportunities and add value to the state’s natural resources.
The bamboo bicycle initiative is being positioned as an example of how traditional and locally available resources can be converted into modern consumer products.
The public feedback exercise in Guwahati parks is expected to provide inputs on the bicycle’s design, usability and overall performance before its wider launch.
The initiative also comes amid increasing emphasis on sustainable and locally sourced alternatives in manufacturing and infrastructure, with bamboo being explored for applications ranging from mobility products to construction materials and industrial feedstock.
