KHOTANG: Diktel Rupakot Majhuwagadhi Municipality has launched the production and promotion of bamboo-based products, aiming to boost local incomes through the creation and marketing of household items made from bamboo.
The initiative has energized local entrepreneurs, who see new opportunities emerging from the municipality’s support.
As a major step toward this goal, the municipality hosted the First National Bamboo Conference–2081 in Diktel Bazaar last Falgun (February–March).
Held at Matikore Playground, the event brought together 713 participants, including bamboo entrepreneurs and researchers from across the country.
The conference concluded with a 35-point “Khotang Declaration”, which includes the plan to establish a bamboo museum in Diktel Bazaar and position Khotang as the “Bamboo Capital” of Nepal.
Other key commitments include the creation of a bamboo study and research center, celebrating Falgun 15 annually as “National Bamboo Awareness Day”, and organizing a national bamboo conference every three years.
With the slogan “Where there is bamboo, there is life; where there is life, there is bamboo,” the conference highlighted bamboo as a fast-growing, renewable, and multi-purpose resource capable of supporting sustainable livelihoods, a circular economy, and environmental conservation in Nepal.
Mayor Tirtharaj Bhattarai said that since the conference, demand for bamboo products has surged, even from abroad.
“Orders are coming in from across the country and even from the U.S. We are in the early stages, and meeting the demand is still a challenge, so we are focused on expanding the number of trained entrepreneurs,” he said.
The municipality purchases all bamboo products directly from producers and handles the marketing, ensuring that entrepreneurs can focus on production with confidence.
“We have created an environment where they can become self-employed without worrying about the market,” the Mayor added.
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