Now,get a single room bamboo house for Rs 75K,three-room duplex for Rs 13 lakh

The salesman at the counter handling cans of bamboo shoots said sales aren’t exactly setting the cash registers jingling but enough enquires are pouring in. But,he added with aplomb,“this is just the beginning — sales are likely to pick up next year”.

If bamboo shoots are an effort by NMBA,under the Department of Science and Technology,to familiarise Delhiites with the benefits of bamboo,the two houses made of bamboo and a three-bedroom duplex really steal the show. According to an official in the stall (name withheld since he did not want to be identified),the one-room set can be had for Rs 75,000,plus taxes.

Made of processed bamboo,the duplex can be erected in two or three days and comes at a cost of Rs 13 lakh,according to the official.

Pitching for the duplex,a salesman said the price is certainly high but it can be dismantled and carried around — “unlike brick and concrete”. Besides,he added,“it is fire-proof,waterproof and earthquake-proof”.

An NMBA official said over the past few years,bamboo has been recognised as a sturdy mode of construction that is easy to handle. “Experiments were carried out at different places like Hyderabad,Jammu and Kashmir and Arunachal Pradesh — and bamboo houses were found to be very practical.’

Predictably,the duplex had very few people vouching for it,but the one-room houses were a big draw. The official said NMBA has already received more than 50 requests for the rooms,with most saying they would want to pitch it on rooftops or in gardens for extra accommodation.

The official said these houses have a life span of 30 years.

Besides houses,items such as chairs,tables,lampshades,microscope and showpieces carved out of bamboo are also available at the stall. Rameshwar Punj,a retired Armyman who bought a chair for Rs 600,said he purchased it in memory of his “cherished” stay in the Northeast,when posted in the region.