Today is World Bamboo Day. The day is observed every year on 18th of September by the World Bamboo Organization to generate awareness about conserving and promoting the bamboo industry. Known as poor man’s timber, bamboo is omnipresent in tribal cultures and community living. From artifacts to sustainable architecture, bamboo remains a favourite as it’s fast to grow, low on maintenance and has versatile potential.
Restructured National Bamboo Mission was approved by the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs in 2018. It envisages promoting holistic growth of bamboo sector by adopting area-based, regionally differentiated strategy and to increase the area under bamboo cultivation and marketing. Under the Mission, steps have been taken to increase the availability of quality planting material by supporting the setting up of new nurseries and strengthening of existing ones.
To address forward integration, the Mission is taking steps to strengthen marketing of bamboo products, especially those of handicraft items. Through an act, Government declassified bamboo as a tree on non-forest lands. In the Budget presented in Parliament on July this year, Government focused on reviving traditional industries such as bamboo, khadi and honey, through a cluster-based approach. It will be done under the Scheme of Fund for Regeneration of Traditional Industries (SFURTI), which aims to organise such industries and artisans into clusters to make them competitive. It also aims to provide support for their long-term sustainability, sustained employment, and enhanced marketability of products.
India is the world’s second-largest cultivator of bamboo after China with over 130 specie
