Bamboo Mission in State faces teething problems

Hyderabad: Senior officials in the State Agriculture and Horticulture Departments are experiencing difficulty in implementing the 'Bamboo Mission.'

According to sources, the Central government amended Forest Act removing the bamboo from under the preview of the Forest Department last year.

Now it is being placed under the Union Agriculture Ministry. The changes have been brought keeping in view the versatility of the bamboo and the livelihood that it would provide for the people.

Speaking to The Hans India, a senior official from the Agriculture Department said it is in line with the change made that the Union Agriculture Ministry has launched 'Bamboo Mission' to promote its cultivation as a commercial crop.

This is to provide additional income for the farmers. Accordingly, it was decided to roll out the 'Bamboo Mission project in the State with an outlay of around Rs 6 crore.

Out of this, the State government has to provide matching fund to the tune of 40 per cent.

"The Centre has already informed the State that it had released Rs 3 crore for the implementation of the project. But, the State government is yet to release its share, making the implementation of the project coming to a grinding halt," the sources added.

Adding this, a senior official in the Horticulture Department are at a loss not knowing whether the programme will take off at all as farmers are not showing interest in cultivating bamboo as a border crop.

The idea is that farmers can plant bamboo saplings along the boundaries of their agriculture lands. Once planted, it will continue to grow for more than 100 years.

It can be supplied to the industrial and processing units for making household furniture and articles, producing bio-energy, extracting fibre for textiles, making small boats etc.

As most of the farmers in the State are small and marginal farmers and growing bamboo as a border crop would provide them additional income.

But, all these calculations have fallen flat. Because farmers complain that bamboo trees attract snakes. Besides, in some places, the fully-grown bamboo trees also provide shelter for the boars and various kinds of birds.

In turn, the birds and boars might destroy their crops. Thus, the farmers feel growing bamboo is not ideal.

Following this development, the officials are finding alternative ways to implement the centrally sponsored 'Bamboo Mission' in the State.