Eco-friendly bamboo kiosks coming up under smart city project in Jammu

Jammu, Jun 15 (PTI) Braving soaring summer heat, a group of workers are busy constructing eight eco-friendly bamboo kiosks a new addition to the winter capital Jammu under the smart city project.

The first-of-its-kind structures on the roadside near the Jammu bus stand are being constructed by Jammu Smart City Limited (JSCL), a special purpose vehicle constituted in August 2017 for the implementation of the development works aimed at giving a new look to the city of temples.

“The bamboo kiosks are part of the ongoing works aimed at making the city attractive, citizen-friendly and sustainable. After construction, the huts will be handed over to Jammu Municipal Corporation (JMC) for setting up a smart vending zone with a uniform look,” Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of JSCL Rahul Yadav said.

He said similar bamboo kiosks will be set up in other parts of the city after the success of the project.

According to Union Minister Jitendra Singh, there are huge reserves of bamboo spread across Jammu and Kashmir, which have remained unexplored and largely unutilised.

The minister of state in the Prime Minister’s office had approved three bamboo clusters in Jammu, Katra and Samba areas in 2020 for making Bamboo basketry, Agarbatti and Bamboo Charcoal.

“The Bamboo products are in great demand both in India and abroad and through start-ups, the youth can explore huge entrepreneurial opportunities in this sector,” Singh, who also organised a bamboo workshop in Jammu city sometime back, had said.

Raj Kumar, one of the workers from Delhi who were busy assembling the bamboo sticks underneath the shade of a flyover to escape the scorching sun, said they are expecting to complete the job within a week and hand over the possession to the concerned authorities.

“It is both wind and waterproof. The base is made of iron and we also use polythene and fibre sheets. One hut takes almost four to five days for completion,” he said, adding they have imported the bamboo material from Assam.

In the private sector, he said their firm had constructed restaurants and huts at different places in Rajouri and Katra the base camp for the pilgrims visiting the Mata Vaishno Devi shrine atop Trikuta hills in Reasi district.

Officials familiar with the bamboo project said the JSCL plans to set up a total of 28 such kiosks across the city.

“Each bamboo hut of 8×10 feet costs an amount of Rs 60,000. The first eight huts are expected to be auctioned by the JMC within the next fortnight and depending upon the response, a decision will be taken with regard to the rest of the kiosks,” an official said.

Rahul Kumar, the head of the Delhi-based firm, which has managed the contract, said the shop-style huts can be shifted in an easy manner for installation somewhere else.

“These can be dismantled and reassembled anytime without any loss. These have a lifespan of 25 years and need paint every two years to overcome the wear and tear,” he said.

Jammu Mayor Rajinder Sharma said the city is going through a transformation and the bamboo huts are a new way of displaying kiosks.

“This is part of our endeavour to make our city more attractive and presentable, especially for the people visiting the city to offer their prayers at the famous temples,” he said.