The basic raw material for almost all our daily requirements of food, fats, oils, medicines, fibers and timber comes from plants. The encyclopaedia series The Wealth of India Raw Materials, provides information on about 5000 Indian plants. Some of the major articles from this series are now being brought out in a popular book form under a new series entitled "Encyclopaedia of Natural Wealth of India". Bamboo is one of them.
Bamboo is a versatile natural resource that has been used in India for centuries. Its properties and potential are being increasingly recognized the world over. Bamboo can be used as an important material for sustainable and widespread development, increasing economic opportunity, income and employment particularly in underdeveloped areas.
In recent years, a number of government, non-government and private organizations have been promoting the utilitarian value of bamboo and also providing valuable guidance, expertise and technology support. India is rediscovering the worth of bamboo and its products, and is on its way marching towards a Bamboo Renaissance'. Hopefully, India's Rs 2000 crore worth bamboo economy will soon multiply several-fold and India will be able to carve a niche for itself in the world bamboo economy, which is expected to be worth Rs 91,000 crores by 2015.
Tature's unique gift to mankind, bamboo, is N a source of joy and inspiration to the artists, the poets and philosophers. It is considered to be a mystical plant, a symbol of strength, flexibility, tenacity and endurance. Its materialistic value is a source of livelihood for the rural poor, craftsmen, industrialists and scientists. Usefulness of bamboo in human life has been aptly expressed by the phrase "the cradle to coffin timber". Its myriad uses have earned it an array of compliments like 'the miracle plant', 'the wonder grass', 'the green gold of forests', 'poor man's timber' and 'bamboo the friend of the people'. The Vietnamese refer to it as the younger brother of wood. In the Eastern culture it is regarded as a symbol of uprighteousness, chivalry and devotion. It has been intricately involved with the development of civilization in South and East Asia, and for centuries it has been integral to religious ceremonies, art, music, recreation, and culture. The word bamboo originates from a Malay word conveying the characteristic sound made by the plants while burning.
Bamboo is one of the rapidly growing and high yielding woody plants. It produces a large biomass per unit area as compared to many other plants. It is ready for harvest within a brief span of 3-5 years in lieu of 10-20 years for medium density wood trees. It grows on wide ranging habitats from tropical to temperate regions and from sea level to high altitudes up to 4000 m. It can be grown on marginal and de graded land unsuitable for agricultural crops and under unfavourable climatic conditions, some species can even be cultivated in regions receiving an average rainfall of 750 mm.
The ecofriendly bamboo is a renewable source of energy. Approximately 2.5 billion people mostly the economically backward sections of society in developing countries depend on it for their livelihoods and its wide range of uses. It plays a vital role in the rural economy as it supports a number of traditional, lowcapital, labour intensive, small enterprises that generate cash-income for the poor and needy. The production of bamboo can be achieved with little investment and re-sources. It provides self employment opportunities for the rural communities. Bamboo is an important raw material for both cottage and large-scale industries, e.g. paper and rayon. As a building material it is incredibly strong and light. Goods made from bamboo cater to basic human needs of food, fuel, medicine, shelter, ubiquitous household utility items, and industrial products. This woody grass is widely used for ecological rehabilitation and soil conservation especially on steep slopes along rivers. It reduces damage caused by floods, landslides and earthquakes. It controls soil erosion as the inter-locking rhizomes keep topsoil firmly in place. It protects catchment areas, wildlife, and the environment by maintaining a balance of oxygen and carbon dioxide in atmosphere.
Bamboo is a hardy survivor; it survived the Hiroshima atomic blast and provided the first regreening in Hiroshima after the blast in 1945. It can thrive under extremely harsh conditions. Bamboo is no longer a non-desirable weed of timber forests or a cheap substitute of wood. In fact, it is on its way to replace timber. It is a miracle plant, a harbinger of hope for a viable, sustainable and renewable future for the humble rural plantation growers.
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