The Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Guwahati has come up with the designs of a range of bamboo furniture so that it can meet the needs of hospitalization of more people if there is a spike in the coronavirus cases in Assam.
As per reports, a team of IIT Guwahati’s design department has come up with the designs of the furniture and has told the authorities about how the bamboo furniture can be used at primary health centres and makes shift isolation wards.
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They have also explained that the bamboo furniture which is eco-friendly can be easily disposed off once it has been used.
The institute has tied up with two local entrepreneurs who have agreed to undertake the manufacturing of the furniture and the designs have also been shared with Guwahati Medical College Hospital (GMCH).
According to Ravi Mokashi Punekar, a professor at the institute’s design department, over 200 beds can be manufactured per day using the design.
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“Given the current pandemic situation, if the situation arises, the bamboo furniture range will help. If there is spike in number of cases and more infrastructural demand rises, then the furniture can be used in setting up makeshift isolation wards like in stadiums. The furniture can be used during that period and disposed off when the need is over,” Punekaras told a news agency.
“Bamboo craft forms an important economic driver in the northeast region of India. However, for a craft that is so prevalent in the region, its effective utilisation for public community facilities like health centres in rural areas were limited and this particular project demonstrated the potential,” he added.
India has 15.69 million hectares of land under bamboo cultivation, the second largest after China but the country’s share in world bamboo trade is insignificant due to lack of research, development and other visible industry.
In the Northeast, only 28 per cent of the land is under bamboo cultivation but it contributes nearly 66 per cent of India’s total bamboo production.