UPSC Articles
Bamboo Clusters launched
Part of: GS Prelims and GS-II – Policies and Interventions & GS-III – Major Crops
In news
- Recently, 22 bamboo clusters in 9 states were virtually inaugurated
- States covered: Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Odisha, Assam, Nagaland, Tripura, Uttarakhand and Karnataka.
- Ministry: Union Ministry for Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare
- A logo for the National Bamboo Mission (NBM) has also been released.
Important value additions
Government’s Efforts
- India is the world’s second-largest cultivator of bamboo after China, with 136 species and 23 genera spread over 13.96 million hectares, according to the State of Environment report 2018.
- The National Bamboo Mission, under the Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers’ Welfare, has been initiated to provide a boost to livelihood and environmental acreage.
- Additionally, in 2017, Parliament ‘declassified’ bamboo as ‘a tree’ on non-forest lands.
- Similarly, a scheme called SFURTI (Scheme of Fund for Regeneration of Traditional Industries) is being implemented by the Ministry of Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSME) in order to boost traditional industries and bamboo artisans.
- Amendment has been brought about in the 100 year old Indian Forest Act brought about by the Central government in 2017, as a result of which, home grown bamboo has been exempted from it in order to enhance livelihood opportunities through bamboo.
- Bamboo Technology Parks were also set up in Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh.
