Bamboo - a Vital Resource for Prudent Utilization

Bamboo is a versatile group of plants which is capable of providing ecological, economic and livelihood security to the people. Importance of the crop as a source of raw material for industrial and domestic use with its growing demand all over the country necessitated its cultivation in farm lands as well. Bamboo can give yield up to 50 tonnes per hectare per year in managed stands. It is estimated that about one quarter of the biomass in tropical regions and one-fifth in sub-tropical regions comes from bamboo. Bamboo culms grow to more than 40 metres in three to four months in some species. India is producing the largest volume of pulp from Dendrocalamus strictus and Bambusa bambos (B. arundinacea). Approximately 5 million standard bamboos are extracted directly and indirectly from forests in Rajasthan, amounting to Rs. 100 million. For the promotion of bamboo utilization, cottage and handicrafts is a major sector for employment generation and product diversification. The annual consumption of bamboo is 4.5 million MT of which 1.9 million MT is utilized for paper making. Out of this one per cent is being derived from natural forests. Bamboo is basically a household plant species around the houses and compounds on farmlands. Keeping in view the vast untapped potential of the bamboo plant, it has been decided to implement a scheme on National Bamboo Mission for addressing the issues relating to the development of bamboo in the country.