Alipurduar, July 2: Now, hand-made paper will be manufactured from elephant dung.

For the first time in India, the initiative has been taken at Holong in Jaldapara sanctuary. A manufacturing unit will be set up next month, by the Cooch Behar forest division, beside the elephant pilkhana (shed) in the sanctuary. The Nabard has sanctioned Rs 20 lakh for the project.

The idea has, however, come from abroad. Yukio Kawaguchi, an elephant expert from Japan, during his visit to Jaldapara in February 2006 showed his visiting card made of elephant dung to the forest officials. He also told them that a Thailand-based company had made it possible.

Sanctuary officials, worried about the heaps of dung that accumulate in the pilkhana everyday causing environment pollution, were quick to grab the idea.

Manindra Biswas, the divisional forest officer of Cooch Behar, said: “Everyday, a minimum of 7-8 tonnes of dung is collected and kept in the pilkhana. As the dung does not mix with soil, it causes infection on the elephant’s legs.”

“After we got the idea from the Japanese expert, we contacted a Kalimpong-based company. This is the first time we will manufacture paper from elephant dung,” said Biswas.