Mangalore, Nov 12: An initiative of the Coir Board, Government of India,'Coir Kranthi Express' was flagged off by district-in-charge minister B Ramanath Rai, in the presence of Coir Board member T M Shahid, MP Nalin Kumar Kateel, AICC member Ivan D'Souza and others at Town Hall here on Tuesday.
A cross-country coir show on wheels, team leader of the show Arun Dinesh said that the Coir Kranthi Express would travel across 19 states of the country in an estimated 90 days.
Flagging off the Coir Kranthi Express, a specially decorated bus, Mr Rai said that although people ought to, they were not aware of the uses and applications of coir that was derived from coconut trees.
The products made of coir can be utilised for varied purposes,” he said, adding that the use of coir products should be made familiar among the people as they were eco-friendly.
The coir show is an exhibition of consumer products such as handicrafts, tiles of coir wood, bags, pouches, blended yarn mats, door mats, paintings, umbrellas, jewellery and other objects made entirely from coir.
The exhibition also features a photo exhibition portraying the beginning and growth of coir board, along with the process of coir production.
Mr Shahid said that the aim of the coir show was to boost domestic sales of coir products and to popularise the use of the natural fiber. A sub-regional office and showroom of coir products will be set up soon in Mangalore city, he said.
He said that coir being a natural and eco-friendly fiber could have lot of applications. India exported coir products worth around Rs1, 200 crore in last year.
Over 150 kilometres of road in the state of Kerala has been made from coir. The entire runway of Calicut International Airport has been made from coir. The fiber's application can even be seen in the prevention of coastal erosion through geo-tags made from coir, he said.
Nalin Kumar Kateel said that the coir exhibition should create awareness and generate interest among the people on the uses of coir and its products.
The coir road-show will proceed towards Udupi district via Suratkal, and continue moving north.
It is scheduled to reach New Delhi on November 25, after traversing several states including Goa and Maharashtra. A grand exhibition of the coir show will be held in the presence of President of India Pranab Mukherjee.
An international workshop will be held in Vigyan Bhavan in Delhi on November 25, and national workshop at Chetanalaya on November 26 and 27.
A workshop of women empowerment in coir industry will be held on November 28 at the same venue, he said.
After the mega-exhibition and show in New Delhi, the coir show will proceed to Kashmir and continue to tour other states in the country.
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