Wood Technologists Contributing in Natural Resources Conservation
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They are the brains who can save our forests to an extent and satiate mankind's appetite for wood and wood products at the same time. Wood technologists can minimise timber consumption by chipping in with viable alternatives.
Technologists dealing with wood are required to ensure best utilisation of every bit of the green resource, and develop new products and processes.
"A wood technologist manages the processing aspects of wood industries in an optimal way by using his knowledge of good technology and its various aspects," explains Dr Vimal Kothiyal, head, Forest Products Division, Forest Research Institute, (FRI) Dehradun. In addition to wood-based industries, wood technologists have a number of employment avenues, which can include:
- Buying houses
- Saw mill operation, including mechanical wood processing
- Marketing (timber and timber products, machinery, equipment etc)
- Research institutes
- State forest departments
- Entrepreneurship
- Product designing
- Interior designing
- Polytechnic colleges
- National design institutes
- Consultant in various organisations
- Quality control
Shiv S. Panse, consultant (technical), Bamboo and Cane Development Institute, Agartala, adds, "Some sectors like certifying agencies and export houses pay handsomely after experience in the respective fields."
Many foreign companies from Singapore, Europe and China have set up offices in India. "Timber suppliers from New Zealand, Australia, Africa, Myanmar, and USA are seeing India as a big market," says Dr Kothiyal.
However, according to professionals, not many wood-based and related industries in India employ technologists, though things seem to be changing. Students are fewer, the potential and possibilities in the field are greater, they say. FRI's intake is 38 (and it boasts 100 per cent placements). One more university has started a wood technology programme with 15 seats every year.
