By: Vijay Kumar Verma, Editor-ICN Group
SHIMLA: Tracking in the forests and road side slopes we often come across pine needles strewn on the paths under tall pine trees. When these needles dry up the paths become slippery and they also add to the occasional forest fires that destroy forest wealth, the trees.
Some time back one would wonder if these very unwanted pine needles could be put to some use and utilised for made profitable ventures. Ancestors reveal that these very needles were at one time being used as cushion for packing of stone fruits and apples in wooden boxes. With the advent of card board boxes and card moulded trays, the pine needles’ only usefulness was also abondoned.
Currently a project to covert these pine needles into inflammable briquettes for use in the cement industry is under successful experimentation. Hopefully it will provide some source of earning to the collectors from jungles.
But still another profitable venture is being promoted by the Himachal Pradesh Tourism Department who have undertaken to convert this very waste material into show pieces like trays, flower vases, baskets and other decoration items.
A project official at the Himachal Gram Shilp Mela at Shimla ‘ s Bantony Castle revealed that the department has taken up to provide vocational training to women in four villages near Shimla for associating in this cause of tourism attraction. He informed that about 100 women from these villages are already undergoing practical training for making useful items out of the pine needles while more women will be added to usher it as a cottage industry.
At first look one wonders how the needles could have been used for shaping such beautiful show pieces. But on enquiry he reveals that these pine needles are dipped in boiling water which makes them soft material which is then used with thread work to frame these show- pieces. He further tells that such show pieces are proposed to be promoted though umpteen home stays coming up in the state.
At reasonable cost such items can truly be promoted as souvenirs. Pinning hopes on pine needles, more such ventures could be experimented where rural folks could be associated.And in turn such activities will also check forest fires that these pine needles often inflame.
