Cuttack, May 8: The state government’s ambitious plan to set up a port-based cluster wood industry in Paradip would soon be a reality, said state forest and environment minister Debi Prasad Mishra.

Speaking at a state-level workshop on development of forest-based industries in Odisha here today, Mishra said the process to set up the wood complex on the Kandla model was expected to be completed within six months.

“Efforts have been made to identify the land on which the wood complex would come up. The complex will initially come up on a 125-acre plot in Paradip,” said Mishra.

Mishra said the state’s timber production was not sufficient and only through import could the state meet its requirements.

The upcoming wood cluster would not only give a boost to the state’s timber industry, it would play a crucial role in conservation of forests by importing timber from abroad, the minister said.

At the workshop, emphasis was laid on bamboo production, which can be an alternative to timber.

Though the state produces around 70,000 metric tonnes of bamboo and 94 crore bamboo plants, it has failed to cash in on the resource. Bamboo artisans, who make handicrafts products, have failed to utilise the forest produce in the state.

“Only the north-eastern states, including Assam, have been able to cash in on this least exploited resource, bamboo, which can be an alternative to timber with extensive use of technology,” said international expert R. Ramakrishnan.

Principal chief conservator of forests P.N. Padhi said that out of the total 58,135sqft of forest cover, bamboo plantations cover 10,500sqft, which accounts for 20 per cent of the total forest area in the state.

“Efforts are already on to encourage bamboo production in the state. Bamboo plantation is being done on an additional 3,000 hectares of land while bamboo development agencies have been formed at the district level,” Padhi said.

Padhi said that apart from bamboo, efforts were also on to grow medicinal herbs and plants. In the first phase of this project, around 100 herbal gardens would be set up in various places.