Imphal, Dec. 9: The menace of bamboo flowering is to be the focus of discussions at a two-day regional workshop-cum-seminar here from Thursday. It will try to thrash out a strategy to combat bamboo flowering, a threat which is looming large in the Northeast in the near future.

The seminar is being organised from Thursday to Saturday jointly by the Imphal-based People’s Socio-Economic Development Organisation and the New Delhi-based Research and Strategic Development Organisation for the Northeast.

Experts have warned of widespread gregarious flowering of bamboo in the region, with Mizoram as the epicentre, from next year till 2007. This bamboo flowering is expected after a gap of 43 years, which will trigger an explosion in the rodent population.

Manipur’s Tamenglong district is already reeling under a rodent menace, the outcome of bamboo flowering.

According to a report prepared by the district administration, more than 175 villages have been hit by the rodent strike. As a result, only 12,455.12 metric tonnes of paddy could be harvested this year out of a targeted 35,320.61 metric tonnes. The rodents are even destroying granaries, experts said.

Radhabinod Koijam, president of both organisations, said the seminar-cum-workshop would dwell on the issue of gregarious flowering of bamboo in the Northeast and devise a mechanism for battling the threat. “As the impact of this flowering would be devastating, measures need to be discussed and strategies drawn up,” he said.

Manipur governor Arvind Dave will inaugurate the meet and chief minister Okram Ibobi Singh, Speaker T.N. Haokip and industries and commerce minister Th. Devendra Singh would also attend the inaugural programme.