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%) Bilaspur (10.7%) Raipur (9.6%)Raigarh (9.1%) Rajnandgaon (6.8%) 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

DistrictsArea (Sq km)% Bastar, Dantewada & Kanker Ambikapur & Korea Bilaspur, Korba & Champa Raipur, Mahasamund & Dhamtari Raigarh & Jashpur Rajnandgaon & Kawarda Durg Total8850 BAMBOO PRODUCTION AREAS IN CHHATTISGARH

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… Afforestation, Social Forestry & Farm Forestry 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 tree- farming 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, Forest Conservation Act, 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 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