Bamboo: A Potential Resource for Enhancing Rural Economy– A Case Study

Bamboo is a valuable forest genetic resource which has been an integral component in agroforestry landscape over the greater part of India since ages. Bamboo, an easily grown, adaptable and fast-growing crop, is becoming popular as an eco-friendly substitute for timber. In view of its increasing commercial utility, it is more appropriate to refer bamboo as 'Green Gold' rather than 'Poor Man's Timber'. In the present scenario, bamboo plays a significant role in well-being of human society due to its immense contributions towards generation of livelihood for millions of people. This green resource is also being used as an industrial raw material for pulp and paper, construction and engineering materials, panel products, fabric, food, source of active minerals such as vitamins, amino acids, flavine, phenolic acid, polysaccharide, trace elements, etc. which qualifies it to be an asset that fulfils the basic needs of human survival, i.e., roti, kapda aur makaan (food, clothing and shelter). Many nutraceuticals can be extracted from bamboo culm, shoot and leaf. All these have antioxidation, antiaging, anti-bacterial and anti-viral functions. Bamboos have an about 1500 uses that includes food, construction, fuel, charcoal, medicinal products and the manufacture of paper, flooring, screens and clothing etc. Therefore, it plays a substantial role in the economy of India and provides livelihood support to millions of people. Only three countries, China, India and Myanmar have 80% of total bamboo area in the world. It is estimated that India is the second richest country in world with 13.96 million ha area under bamboo after the China. Out of total bamboo resources in the India, only 15.4% lie on private lands, hence 84.6 % bamboo resources are unavailable for the industrial process without excessive regulations by the forest departments (Dhyani et al., 2016).

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