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| Handicraft
Shop Team |
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| RAW
MATERIALS |
| Efforts
made to protect lokta |
| The
bark from Daphne cannabina and Daphne papyracea, "lokta" in
the local language, provides the fiber from which paper is made.
Nepalese lokta paper is prized for its strength and durability.
Due to the high length to width ratio of lokta fibers. The paper
has a high tearing strength. In addition, paper made from lokta
withstands insect attacks. |
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Temperature
extremes and dampness. In Nepal and Tibet, handmade paper continues
to be used for the preparation of manuscripts, land registrations,
loans and legal documents, for which durability over many generations
is a fundamental requirement. It is the features of lokta paper
that have increased the potential for the project's success.
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| Since
lokta is the basic raw material for producing handmade paper, a sustainable
supply is essential. However, by 1984. The harvesting of lokta for
the project had reduced its availability within reasonable distances
of Village Development Communities (VCD) (then participating panchayats).
As a solution, a management Programme was initiated in 1985. |
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divided lokta resources into blocks assigned to groups of VCDs
in the districts concerned, and established a four-year block
harvest quota for the period of 1985 to 1988. Within each block,
a rotating harvest regime was instituted in which each VCD would
be permitted to harvest a specific amount of lokta at least
once during the four-year period.In 1986, further protective
measures were introduced following a more comprehensive inventory
of lokta resources.The original four-year rotation cycle was
changed to a six and then eight year rotation cycle, the time
it takes for new shoots to mature and be ready for another harvest. |
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The
Department of Forest has developed and supplied the lokta harvesters
with a measuring device that shows whether or not the lokta
steams are of harvestable size (6-7 cm in diameter or more than
2m in height). The correct way to harvest lokta is to cut the
slender stems at ground level without destroying the main root
so that new main shoot can grow and become mature for another
harvest. |
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Environment
Friendly
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| Safeguarding
the Environment with New Innovations. |
| Part
of the papermaking process is to cook Daphne bark along with wood
ash since fuel wood is needed for this cooking procedure, the project
has promoted two improved techniques to reduce wood consumption. |
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first is the use of caustic soda in the cooking process, which
both reduces the quantity of wood ash required and speeds the
breakdown of lokta fibre. Cooking time (and therefore fuel wood
consumption) is cut to 2-3 hour boiling period, instead of two
boiling periods totaling 5-7 hours. This reduces fuel wood consumption
by 50-70%. As a result of its promotion by the projects, all
papermakers use caustic soda supplied by BCP. |
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The
second improvement is the introduction of more efficient stoves
for cooking lokta. The stoves reduce fuel wood consumption by
10-25%. As of 1989, 150 improved stoves had been provided to
project participants at a subsidized rate of 50% the original
cost. |
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addition to these improvements, a number of nurseries and plantations
have been funded in the project area. The community development
programme funds the nurseries and plantation Programme is funded
by the community development Programme. |
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The
Nepali Handmade Paper, Community Development and Lokta Management
Workshop held at Baglung in 1993 realized the need to conduct
environmental awareness programmes for the participating farmers
and local people.The workshop recommended that farmers use only
dry wood and branches to cook lokta fibre. It also recommended
that caustic soda effluents be prevented from discharging directly
into rivers and near by water sources. |
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| The
post-meeting held at Baglung during the same period decided
to prepare a detail work plan under Kaski and supervision and
controlling office /agriculture development bank, pokhara to
establish community nurseries and conduct fuel-wood plantation
programmes. |
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