{"id":115490,"date":"2021-06-24T16:47:12","date_gmt":"2021-06-24T23:47:12","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/?p=115490"},"modified":"2021-06-24T16:47:12","modified_gmt":"2021-06-24T23:47:12","slug":"gold-mine-unearthed-in-sri-lanka-bamboo","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/2021\/06\/24\/gold-mine-unearthed-in-sri-lanka-bamboo\/","title":{"rendered":"\u2018\u2019GOLD MINE UNEARTHED IN SRI LANKA (BAMBOO)\u2019\u2019"},"content":{"rendered":"

SarathWijesinghe President\u2019s Counsel, former Ambassador to UAE and Israel, President Ambassador\u2019s Forum<\/em><\/strong><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n

Earth provides enough for every one\u2019s needs and not every one\u2019s greed\n\u2018\u2019MahathmaGandi\u2019\u2019<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Finest Gems unearthed in Sri Lanka by Sri Lankan Minors<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sri Lanka is famous for finest gems of the world unearthed by\nexperienced miners in Sri Lanka from time immemorial attracted the world\nreputation via traders voyaged through  \u2018\u2019SedaMawatha\u2019\u2019 and many other routes from\nvarious parts of the worldwhen the King\u2019s wealth is computed by Gems, Gold and\nsuch valuables in the treasury. Gem is found in many parts of the islandunearthed\nfrom mother earth- mostly in beautiful areas surrounding \u2018\u2019Ratnapura\u2019\u2019\nattracting gem merchants worldwide. Sri Lanka has many more treasures unearthed\nsuch as phosphate and may be gold and oil. Sri Lanka is an island with rich\nsoil and pleasant climatic conditions that grows any plant with the least\neffort which unfortunately not exploited by the present generation. Sri Lanka\nis an environment friendly nation with 80% forest cover in 1820, 43% in 1948, 23%\nin 2000 and supposed to be 23% currently reducing at the rate of 1.4% annually\nat a rapid rate due to wanton environmental destruction by deforestation, sand\nmining and other man made destructions. We must credit Hacker in1873 for\nintroducing the Forest which is operative to date with few changes made to his\ncredit which is hardly sufficient to withstand the enemies of our earth. It\nreminds us of the preaching of \u2018\u2019ArahathMahinda\u2019\u2019 that \u2018\u2019this earth and\nvegetation is yours; but they should be protected not only for your benefit\nalone but also for the benefit of the future generation\u2019\u2019. King was the trustee\nof the environment and severe capital punishment was given to destruction\nforest with no proper reason then which is our heritage. It is time for us to\nlook for novel ways of protecting the forest adopting natural ways. Sri Lankan\nirrigation system that spreads length and breadth is one of the best systems in\nthe world (based on views of world renowned \ntop international engineers) where the water flows upwards  in the new world of streams  made for agriculture and it is a pity and a\nmisadventure that bamboo plant which belongs to the grass family has not been\nexploited which  as valuable as gold\nwhich is capable of saving the environment which is destroyed by unpatriotic\ndestructive men by deforestation for timer and sand mining for construction,\nwhen bamboo is the best alternative for wood and housing construction adoptable\nto many forms such as furniture making and organic fertilizer. President is\nheading the difficult tasks transforming application of chemical fertilizer\nwhich is harmful to the soil and the animal kingdom, to natural organic\nfertilizer locally made with green ingredients on the campaign headed by the\nPresident with his team with a future vision. Bamboo belongs to a main and\nunique fastest growing grass family not harmful and invasive with soil and\nhuman friendly capable l to be reused for other plantations on rotations. I\nshort it an innocent, productive, and multipurpose grass not properly used and\nunearthed to be used in place of timber which takes decades to grow when bamboo\ncompletely grows within four years. Usage of Bamboo is productive hundredfold\nfew  as an alternative to wood,\npreparation of organic fertilizer, housing, household items, as a preventive\nshield to save soil, as an alternate energy, firewood, food, help maintain the\nearth temperature at the required rate, and many  other ways with the strong but flexible wood\nalternative. It is shown in few images how strong and productive bamboo is as furniture,\nconstructions, and ornaments and of course in agriculture as a natural\nfertilizer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Importance of \u2018Bamboo\u2019 which is a productive\nGold mine <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

  • Bamboo\nwhich is the goldmine still not unearthed properly in Sri Lanka, which belongs\nto the grass family yet as strong as a tree is a best alternative in place of\ntimber, reforestation, furniture, housing construction, and many more household\nand industrial items providing a yeoman service to the mankind finding suitable\nalternatives for wood, timber, industrial and house hold utensils made with least\nefforts using the flexible hard timer easily grow in Sri Lanka. Furthermore,\ndue o its versatility and quality, bamboo is widely used for purposes such as furniture, flooring, textiles, fiber, food, utensils and music\ninstruments. In addition they serve as raw materials for food, medicine, dyes,\ntextiles, clothing, furniture, energy, electricity, charcoal and other\nindustrial products making use of the advancement in science and technology. <\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n

    Bamboo is a plant\nwhich absorbs more carbon dioxide from the air and high amounts of nitrogen\nfrom the soil and releases more oxygen to the environment which undoubtedly,\nwould help alleviate water and air pollution issues. With the existing vegetation of few thousand\nacres in many parts of Sri Lanka grown as a shade and a protection to the soil\nwith the protective \u2018\u2019Rhizona\u2019\u2019 which protects soil erosion in banks of rivers\nin Sri Lanka by  the network of rivers\nand water streams spread in the country. One of the main reasons of\ndeforestation by felling trees is due to great demand for wood for\nconstruction, furniture, and industry which has a continuous growing demand\nworldwide forests as a victim and the best solution and the alternative is the\nunearthed gold which is one of the fastest growing plant with no side effects\nfor the soil or the environment. Because bamboo can be used as a substitute to\nplastics, steel, cement and composite materials in structural\nand product application.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

     There is a need to educate the community on\nthe value and the proper use of bamboo in private consumption and industrialisation\nfor the larger benefit of the community. There is a misconception the bamboo is\ninvasive and affects soil is a myth and to be eradicated and we must promote\nthe private sector and the governance to make the best use and benefits when we\nare in need of innovations with quick and maximum results. Bamboo grows\nworldwide and used by many mainly the Asian sector. It grows in Sri Lanka\nmainly in the forest and in private lands. There are restrictions on transport\nand it is time for the government to draft legislature in these areas for\ngrowth and easy transportation, which the UN to have taken note of by giving\ngrants and assistance promoting growth and encouraging the peasants as a\nhandicraft. With this bamboo is contributing to the reduction of rural poverty\nwhich has been used to create more jobs and income generation to the rural poor\nwhich indirectly contributes to the development in community. It is harmless,\nproductive, easy to grow and to remove, and a multipurpose goldmine and a\nsource on income to the common man and the government.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    North worthy for HE President to consider the potential on organic\nfertilizer and prevent environment<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

    China has 10 million growth, with 35 million farmers, and outcome of\n10.5 billion which is north worthy for the attention to HE the President to\nconsider, which spreads worldwide excluding Sri Lanka an ideal destination for\ngrowth of bamboo with amply neglected land for production. UN having recognized\nthe potential, encouraged to plant 10000 acres spending 15.9 million on the\nUNIDO project. It is a good news that His Excellency has taken notice of the\npotential and the value of the plant and helping to use as an alternative to\nwood and organic fertilizer which are the matters in the top of the agenda\ntoday. In the \u2018\u2019Mahavali\u2019\u2019 zone as a pioneer project did not kick off due to\ninactivity which is a sorry state of affairs. The other good news is that the private sector too\nhas entered this much needed project and a leading business magnate Mr. Ram\nSubramanian and Mr. Jeff Goonewardena who is a philanthrophist and a hotelier,\njoined as a board member to Aakash, internationally reputed based in Sri Lanka\nand America and many other parts of the world havelaunched pioneer projects in\nthis field which  gives hope to Sri Lanka\non this  hopeful event which is a success\nstory to the farmers, environmentalists, and those who awaits innovative\nproposals and investments which are environmentally friendly with long and\nshort benefits, a main benefit being the organic fertilizer project made out of\nby-products of green bamboo. Bamboo will be grown in small and large scales\nusing the neglected land and small lands of the villager with inter plantations\nwhen done scientifically. It is useful to regularize and scientifically\nmodified the plantation linked with the small and large scale industries and\nproducts using common and simple devices in the voyage of the fast developments\nplanned ahead of us. Introduction of organic fertilizer and conversation to organic\nis a challenge to be met by the bamboo green miracle with long and ambitious\nplans and ambitions and next green revolution to come.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Bamboo grown in Sri Lanka<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

    Currently Sri Lanka has a few varieties of\nBamboo grown mainly in the forest and some in private lands protected by the\ngovernment with restricted transport of the plant as a protected plant to avoid\noveruse and extinction which is sufficient in construction and as a household\ncraft in some part of the country. But the bamboo recently introduced by \u2018\u2019Aakash\n\u2018\u2019Green Research is an introduction  form\nof plant to be used in place of timber and hard use which is being introduced\nas a BOI project with prospects of converting to organic fertilizer and green\nenergy badly in need to Sri Lanka. It is time Sri Lanka regains the lost forest\ncover and a new vegetation to make the soil service fertile and usable for any\nplantation subsequently. Now that His Excellency, UN, The BOI and the private\nsector have individually and collectively launched the organic fertilizer\nschemes actively working together with one aim, it is time to harness all\nresources together for consolidated effects  \nfor the bamboo green revolution in Sri Lanka. Bamboo grown and found in\nthe jungle and private lands is not of the best quality and it is necessary to\nintroduce the best quality meeting the required standards that meets\nrequirements and targets. It is a good idea to exchange the species, knowledge,\nexperiences, in bamboo growing cultivation and planning to receive the maximum\nbenefits based on experience and research.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Challenges to Sri Lanka on Global Warming and climatic Changes<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Sri Lanka and world over is pressured with new demands and challenges on\nclimatic changes, global warming and threats on the existence of the living\nbeings and the earth with short and long term ambitions and plans on curbing\nglobal warming, and to be within the preview on the disastrous effects to the\nliving kingdom which includes water, air and earth requirements for a healthy\nlife. Sri Lanka an island nation has to be extra careful due to the\ngeographical situation with advantages on security, excellent climatic\nconditions and the fertility of the soil which is rare on world standards. It\nis worrying that we have not exploited the conditions and advantages above, and\nit is time we assist and research on the matter in terms of soil, air, and\nwater. Water in Sri Lanka is in abundance with over 100 main and small rivers,\n50 waterfalls and thousands of small and large reservoirs with the great\nancient network of water system that runs upward to amassment of the modern\nengineers. Air is clean and even all parts of the Island, but the soil is not\nmaintained properly due to mismanagement by small and commercial\nagriculturalists, which is possible to bring back to normalcy with modern\ntechnology and the expert knowledge of the ancestral farming techniques. Main issue\nto be considered is the soil that we have lost originality due to excessive\napplication of artificial fertilizer and pesticides destroying the friendly\ncreators required for a fertilized soil. Forest covered of 84% in 1886 has\ndwindled to 29% with further reduction due to environmental disasters which are\nworrying and the government attention is given as a priority in reforestations\nwith prevention of the existing forest. Bamboo is one of the fastest growing\ngrass plants with no damages or side effect to soil they live in with multi\npurposes and enormous productivity will be a classic answer to the wantondistortion\nto the environment and deforestation taking place.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Bring the soil back to the original natural mode for modern and natural agriculture\nwith Bamboo<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

    World is in this pandemic crisis living against\nnature with artificial way of life including manure that has poisoned the human\nculture including health food pattern and the soil. We can be modern and still\nbe natural and environmental friendly. Sri Lanka is mainly an agricultural Nation\nwith majority people depending on agriculture and related modes of life with\nrice as a staple food and used to excessive artificial usage of fertilizer\nwhich is unnatural and poisonous. Bamboo is a grass with no poisonous\ningredients and soil and water friendly growing on the surface of the outer\nsoil with less or no damages to the soil with an outer cover protecting the\nsoil cover. Bamboo is grown mainly in forests in Sri Lanka which is used in handicraft,\nconstruction and small industries without making use of the miracle plant in\nrepairing, reconstructing soil be natural, help in agriculture, preparing\norganic fertilizer, saving deforestation using bamboo on wood work, housing\nconstruction, decorations and many more ways adopted in China japan and many\ncountries as a main industry, and a tool in agriculture. It is timely to look\nfor novel methods of soil preservation, finding ways and means to meet global\nwarming and to find an alternate green energy to the citizen at a cheap and\naffordable price conveniently.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    New Chapter on agriculture in making organic\nfertilizer from Bamboo   <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

    President has quite correctly has resolved to switch over to organic\nfertilizer in order to preserve the soil which is being poisoned with the\nvegetation and save the lives of citizens from number of diseases infected due\nto poisonous foreign bodies visa an soil and the vegetation.Agriculture is\nwithin our system and not alien to live with nature being an agricultural\nnation for generations, and continue to be so. The traditional agriculture\nsystem was disturbed by commercial crops by foreign domination such as tea,\nrubber, coconut and deforestation that led to reduction of the forest and\nchanging the traditional climatic patterns. Excessive sand mining has destroyed\nthe river banks resulted in the soil washing away and environmental\ndestructions with drastic effects to the fertile soil already infested with\nexcessive fertilizer by misguided farmers. Agriculture policy is published\nspending enormous amounts giving publicity in English Media alleged to be based\non outdated concepts prepared with less or no research work in the absence of\nconsultations with real farmers on the ground. Even the sudden wise decisions\nto transform the fertilizer culture from artificial to organic appear to have\nbeen taken hap haphazardly without giving a cooling and period to transform to\nthe best model for a proper changeover. Upper soil is the most important and\nthe protected zone in the soil which is the main factor in the life of the\nplant next to water and the best is the naturally formed top soil prepared\nnaturally. Bamboo is a grass which protects, soil and river banks and nourished\nthe outer soil with natural cover available to be improved to the maximum capacity\non natural treatments. Bamboo is grown in Sri Lanka mainly in forests which is\nused in housing, handicrafts, and various other modes traditionally as an\naffordable soft timber in construction which is not as strong flexible and user-friendly\nas the product introduced and bread by the Aakash Company in Sri Lanka with the\nhead office in Singapore.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \u2018\u2019Aakash\u2019\u2019 Company<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

    Aakash\nCompany in which the HQ based in Singapore has extended the service sector in\nAsia and Africa on industrial sector and agriculture with the experienced staff\nand technology to make use of the excellent climatic conditions, geographical\nsituation and educated and dedicated labour force in Sri Lanka for the team of\ndedicated technical and agriculture based staffto meet the world challenges and\nto share knowledge and experience with Sri Lanka in the efforts of\nself-sufficiency, and transfer agriculture without the application of\nartificial fertilizer and increase the forest cover fast dwindling due to\ndeforestation and environmental destructions taking place at an\nprecedential   rate. Bamboo is an\nuntapped gold mine and the offer to promote bamboo plantation a miracle plant as\na forest cover, fertilizer base, sustainable and renewal energy and biomass, on\ngreen energy generation in providing energy source to the government which will\nhelp us in par with Paris Accord of zero carbon emissions. With that Aakash\nwill be eligible to get their carbon credits which will\nbe a plus point to Aakash to get more recognition and support from the World\nBank as well as from prominent countries to develop this concept further and\nhelp their followers.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Artificial to Organic Fertilizer<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Thesis the challenge of the decade which needs enormous skill knowledge\nand planning. President has launched with best of intentions with full of\nhonest intentions and it is the duty of all to back him. It is a world record\nand a win and win situation.When winning the war and it has to be won at any\ncost, and bamboo revolution will be a catalyst for the venture. It is a\nproductive and a revolutionary step taken transforming the practice of artificial\nfertilizer to organic for very valid reasons but the timing and sudden decision\nwithout a cooing period has led to complications an confusions to the farmers\nand the citizen at the receiving end always. It is time the governance makes\nalternative arrangements for genuine organismic fertilizer in place of products.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Way forward<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

    It is necessary to be innovative and act with a plan and a vision to achieve\nthe arduous task of extracting Gold from earth Bamboo as a vehicle starting\nfrom soil preservation and harnessing the worldwide knowledge and experiences of\ngenuine and experienced agro – based multinational companies acting genuinely\nwith the background of serving the world to be Green and natural giving\nagriculture and small industry priority. Needless to say the governments must\ntake due safety precaution in saving the soil and forests from destruction from\nunruly invaders and to select genuine agriculturalist and industrialists for\nthe purpose of growing bamboo and propagate the trade to benefit the country\nand the citizen.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

    SarathWijesinghe President\u2019s Counsel, former Ambassador to UAE and Israel, President Ambassador\u2019s Forum Earth provides enough for every one\u2019s needs and not every one\u2019s greed \u2018\u2019MahathmaGandi\u2019\u2019 Finest Gems unearthed in Sri Lanka by Sri Lankan Minors Sri Lanka is famous for finest gems of the world unearthed by experienced miners in Sri Lanka from time immemorial […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":true,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[77],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-115490","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-sarath-wijesinghe"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/115490","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=115490"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/115490\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=115490"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=115490"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=115490"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}