High-density Short Rotation Forestry for Mitigating the Energy Crisis in India

Biomass energy is a continually renewable resource which currently provides about one-seventh of the world's total energy use. The energy estimates presented in this paper suggest that non-commercial fuel form a significant percentage of energy requirements in India. The advantages of fuelwood energy source far outweighs the disadvantages. A "High-density, short rotation forestry" with close planting of 40,000 to 1,00,000 stems per hectare to be worked on a rotation of 1 to 2 years is suggested. It is a challenge which forestry sector should take up immediately with the co-operation of agricultural scientists in order to make our country self-sufficient in fuel needs. Energy plantations of such nature would not only provide domestic fuel hot can also be managed for generation of electricity in rural areas for lighting, irrigation and small scale industries. What is called for in such sector in minipower stations on decentralized basis which use wood as fuel.