Agriculture Reference
In-Depth Information
massive program viz. National Bamboo Mission for over all development
of bamboo sector in the country and also to improve the Indian representa-
tion in global bamboo market. Bamboo has also been recommended for
plantations for a greener, pollution free environment along with economic
prosperity. Based on India's rich culture, bamboo utilization has triggered
several programs in the country for economic and industrial develop-
ment through the use of bamboo. Large targets for plantations across the
country have been fixed. The National Bamboo Mission (India) envis-
ages covering over 1.76-lakh hectare area through bamboo. This will need
over 70 million field plantable saplings to raise bamboo plantations. The
emphasis of the National Bamboo Mission is on an area based regionally
differentiated strategy, for both forest and non-forest areas. A number of
activities are proposed to be taken up for increasing production of bamboo
through area specific species/varieties with high yield, plantation develop-
ment and dissemination of technologies through a seamless blend of tradi-
tional wisdom and scientific knowledge, along with the convergence and
synergy among stakeholders. Besides ensuring proper postharvest storage
and treatment facilities, marketing and export National Bamboo Mission
is committed to assure appropriate returns to growers/producers. Also,
bamboo development is viewed as an instrument of poverty alleviation
and employment generation for skilled and unskilled persons, especially
unemployed youth particularly in the rural sector through ecorehabilita-
tion purposes.
To support cause of the NBM for the development in the bamboo sec-
tor the situational as well as practical and legal constraints need to be
removed. At present bamboo is classified as a 'tree' under the Indian For-
est Act, 1927, and therefore, the various restrictions applicable to trees
under the Act and its Rules apply to bamboo. The Supreme Court in
T.N.
Godavarman Thirumulkpad vs. Union of India
(1977) ordered a complete
ban on the felling of any trees. Further, the SC ordered a complete ban on
the movement of cut trees and timber from any of the seven Northeastern
states to any other state of the country either by rail, road or waterways.
The cultivation, harvest and transport of bamboo are therefore constrained
by the said judgment read with the Indian Forest Act. Nagaland state, how-
ever, has lifted restrictions on bamboo, but since the neighboring states
have not lifted restrictions it is difficult to transport the produce beyond the
state of Nagaland. While there is no restriction on the cultivation of bam-
boo on private lands, but transporting bamboo across the state boundaries
