The Dissent Voices On Bamboo Act

One of the most significant criticisms of the Governmental decision on Bamboo has come from Kamlesh Salam, a former Member of the Apex Committee of the National Bamboo Mission. He says that the present initiative of declaring bamboo as a non-timber product in non-forest areas will not help much to the northeastern states. He says, and rightly so, that it is only a half-hearted attempt to look at the problem. If you keep the Bamboo growing in the forests out of this amendment, then the entire exercise becomes ineffective and infructuous. According to him, the people living in the forest areas are also growing bamboo, and they will not be able to take advantage of the amendment regarding bamboo. As per him 28 per cent of the area in the forests of north – east are under bamboo and it constitutes 66 % of the growing stock.

I feel that their criticism is partly right. There is a growing stock on the vast tracts of the hills of the northeastern states that are just growing and dying without contributing a bit to the economy. Ecologically, there are areas, which are not so critical, if clear felling is done and the area is replanted with bamboo that would be generating livelihood and revenue. Some steep slopes and degradation-prone areas can be left out. The caution is that ecologically sensitive patches and areas are not to be disturbed. The good point is that Muli Bamboo, which constitutes the majority of the bamboo forests in the northeast, is almost like an evading species, and it can cover the clear-felled areas in no time. With its rhizomes splitting and growing profusely, it can cover the area naturally. So by plantation and then facilitating the artificial regeneration by taking appropriate measures, the area can become green again in a few years’ time, ready to be harvested.

It’s like the rotational felling of bamboo, leaving selected patches without disturbing the rhizomes so that regeneration can continue.

Basically, what Mr. Kalam and others are emphasizing is that we need to infuse a paradigm shift, i.e. a fundamental change in the approach or underlying assumptions of the way we are looking at the Bamboo forests in the Forest areas. It has to be in a mode of bamboo forest farming, and we can call it “Ecologically Safe Bamboo Farming in the Forests Areas.”
Once we start using the bamboo resources to a reasonably good livelihood options and also start using it in a big way for housing and bamboo boards the market will pick up.