BRIDGING THE GAP - POLICY & REGULATORY ISSUES
OF AVAILABILITY, ROLE OF FOREST AUTHORITIES,
PRI’s, ARTISANS & ENTREPRENEURS
V. SRINIVAS RAO, IFS
CONSERVATOR OF FORESTS
JAGDALPUR CIRCLE
BAMBOO FORESTS IN CHHATTISGARH
Geographical area of Chattishgarh = 1, 35,194 sq. km.
Total Forest area = 59,772.4 sq. km = 44 % of total geographical
area
Bamboo production area = 8,850 sq. km = 11 % of total forest area
District wise share in order:
Bastar (35%)
Ambikapur (24.3%)
Raipur (9.6%)
Raigarh (9.1%)
Durg (4.5%)
Annual production of Bamboo in the state
= 52 thousand notional tonnes
19 percent of total forest revenue
Demand for 100 thousand notional tonnes
Big gap between production & supply
Bilaspur (10.7%)
Rajnandgaon (6.8%)
BAMBOO PRODUCTION AREAS IN CHHATTISGARH
Districts
Area (Sq km)
%
Bastar, Dantewada & Kanker
3100
33.03
Ambikapur & Korea
2150
24.29
Bilaspur, Korba & Champa
950
10.73
Raipur, Mahasamund & Dhamtari
850
9.60
Raigarh & Jashpur
800
9.05
Rajnandgaon & Kawarda
600
6.78
Durg
100
4.52
Total
8850
ISSUES OF AVAILABILITY….
Despite large area under Bamboo, Chhattisgarh still faces
acute shortage of Bamboo
8000 registered bamboo artisans (Bansods), each entitled for
1500 Bamboo per year on concessional rates
Most of the Bamboo Forests located in the LWE areas. No
hindrance from maoists for harvesting of matured bamboos in
forests
Non availabiltiy of labour & haulage contractors in LWE areas
are hampering the harvesting of bamboo.
ISSUES OF AVAILABILITY….
 Productivity of bamboo forest is gradually decreasing, Average
annual production per hectare is 2 tonnes. 90 % of Bamboo
produced is given to villagers & bamboo artisans. Only the cut
pieces (industrial bamboo) is sold to paper mills.
 Bamboo areas are worked on a 4 year interval as per the
working plan prescriptions. Bamboos are harvested regularly
but their growing stock is not replenished sufficiently. These
things are widening the gap between the demand and supply.
CHHATTISGARH STATE FOREST POLICY-2001:
4.4 Management of Sal and Bamboo Forests:
Sal and Bamboo forests in the state constitute an important
component of the forest ecosystem of the state. The state has
large chunks of ecotone forests between Sal and Miscellaneous
forests requiring special management practices. Such forests
are not only ecologically sensitive, but also provide bamboo
and other basic needs that constitute the essential elements of
the livelihood security of the poor and tribal people of the state.
Therefore, special treatment of ecotone sal forests and the
restoration of the degraded bamboo forests as well as the
maintenance of good bamboo forests should be the state's
priority.
CHHATTISGARH STATE FOREST POLICY-2001….
4.10 Afforestation, Social Forestry & Farm Forestry
4.10.4 The state Land Revenue Code (LRC) and the forest laws
should be suitably modified along with the simplification of
felling, transit and trading rules, wherever necessary, to facilitate
and motivate individuals and institutions to undertake treefarming and the growing of tree crops on their own land.
CHHATTISGARH JFM POLICY ON BAMBOO:
9.1 Rights
1.
Families of all committees will be eligible to get annual
royalty free nistar, as per availability.
2.
All the forest committees shall be eligible to get 100% of the
produce obtained from time to time, on thinning of timber
coupes and cleaning of bamboo clumps in degraded
bamboo forest as per the prescriptions of microplan /
working plan, on payment of expenditure incurred on
harvesting.
CHHATTISGARH JFM POLICY ON BAMBOO …….
3. Forest produce equivalent to the 15% value of the amount
calculated by deducting the expenditure incurred on exploitation
(of timber / bamboo) from the total value of timber / bamboo
obtained on final felling in coupes in forest area alloted to F.M.C.
(as per prescriptions of Working plan) shall be given to the
F.M.C.. If a loss due to illicit felling in the forest area allocated to
committee is detected then concerned forest committee will be
accountable to the 50% value of the loss and the equivalent
forest produce to that amount will be deducted from the forest
produce to be distributed to that committee.
CHHATTISGARH JFM POLICY ON BAMBOO …….
4. Forest produce equivalent to 30% value, calculated by
deducting the expenditure incurred on harvesting (of timber /
bamboo) from the total value of timber / bamboo obtained on
final felling in plantation / rehabilitation of degraded forest /
pasture development works etc, shall be given to Village Forest
Committee. Computation of value shall be based on the
approved rates of timber / bamboo of that year in the
concerned Forest Circle. If a loss due to illicit felling in the
forest area allocated to committee is recorded then concerned
village forest committee will be accountable to the 50% value
of the loss and equivalent forest produce of that amount will be
deducted out of forest produce to be distributed to that
committee.
ROLE OF FOREST AUTHORITIES:
Bamboo Forests are being managed by Forest Department as per the
Working Plan Prescriptions.
It includes raising of Bamboo plantations, Rehabilitation of Degraded
Bamboo Forests (RDBF), Harvesting of Bamboo and controlling the
transit and transportation of Bamboo within the state.
Fulfilling the Nistar requirements of villagers, Consumers & Bamboo
artisans
Recently Government of Chhattisgarh has taken a decision to free the
transportation of Bamboo in non natural bamboo forests districts i.e.
the Gram Panchayats will issue the transit pass for the transportation of
bamboo.
LAWS GOVERNING BAMBOO SECTOR:
1. The Indian Forest Act, 1927
2. Forest Conservation Act, 1980
3. Forest Rights Act, 2006
These Acts are applicable to Forest lands but not to private
plantations.
People feel the regulatory restrictions on transit and harvest of
bamboo are the biggest impediments to the growth of bamboo
based industries and applications
The only Act which controls the movement of Bamboo in
Chhattisgarh state is Chhattisgarh Transit (Forest Produce) rules
1961.
PANCHAYAT RAJ INSTITUTIONS (PRI’s):
 PRIs have greater role in bridging the gap between demand
& supply of Bamboo
 PRIs given powers to issue transit permits for transportation
of Bamboo harvested from village lands.
 PRIs can take large scale bamboo plantations on village
community lands, homesteads, backyards and on agriculture
fields & Protection of Bamboo forests, which can benefit
village level bamboo artisans
 Establishment, maintenance of primary value addition
centres closer to resources & skill development
ARTISANS:
‘Kandra” and ‘Basod’ were the typical bamboo artisan’s families
for crafting the traditional bamboo articles viz; baskets, hand fans
& fancy items & selling in local market called ‘haat’ or through
middlemen.
Government is giving bamboo at concessional rates, earnings
range from 100-200 rupees
Bamboo families are slowly shifting to other profession due to

Non availability of raw material

Traditional methods & implements

Lack of proper & systematic market channels
ENTREPRENEURS:
Lack of continuous supply of bamboo, stringent regulations,
unavailability
of
modern
bamboo
processing
technology
discouraging the entrepreneurs for the establishment of bamboo
processing centres
Land for the cultivation of bamboo is not easily available. Private
bamboo processing centres will flourish only when they have
Captive plantations.
 Soft loans, tax concessions for entrepreneurs
THE WAY AHEAD…
Species specific & intensive management plans are required to
enhance the productivity of bamboo forests.
 Encourage private people to grow bamboo on their farmlands,
bunds etc.
 Supply of quality planting material to private entities
 No permission is needed for bamboo harvesting if it is grown in
private lands
THE WAY AHEAD….
Funds from MNREGA to be earmarked to PRIs for bamboo
planting & mass awareness programmes
Post harvest technologies & storage facilities are to be
developed at microlevel
Entrepreneurs to be given incentives for taking up bamboo
based activities