III. Present Utilization of Bamboo Bamboo is an important source of livelihood for the rural folk especially the Scheduled tribes, Scheduled castes and other poor traditional bamboo artisans. It is extensively used in construction of rural housing as posts, walls, roofing, fencing etc., and is often referred to as poor man’s timber. The uses range from basket making, weaving mats to traditional implements, furniture, ply-bamboo panels, flooring and construction materials, medicines, food etc., Strength, straightness, lightness, fast rate of growth and ease in propagation makes bamboo an excellent wood substitute. Bamboo forms an excellent raw material for pulp in paper industries. In the past it used to form almost 40% of the total raw material requirement of Paper Industry in Andhra Pradesh. However with the change of technology and limited availability, hardwoods largely replaced bamboo. Initially, to encourage industries, the Govt. allocated large extent of bamboo forests on long lease for working. This helped in opening of interior areas and utilization of bamboo in industrial production. With the promulgation of Forest (Conservation) Act: 1980, all these leases were withdrawn. Now Govt. is not committed to any industrial supplies. Bamboo industrial cuts extracted from forests / plantations are sold on market price, (fixed by Govt.). The paper industries in the state are progressively reducing their requirement of bamboo. While most of the current requirement is met from the neighboring states namely Chattisgarh, Maharastra, Orissa and also West Bengal and Assam, nearly 55,000 MT of industrial cuts are procured from the state forests. Traditional Uses: Buroods (Medaras): A major household sector where sizable quantity of Bamboo is utilised is by basket weaving community called ‘Buroods’ or Medaras. Traditionally this community has been procuring bamboo and making livelihood by making baskets, mats, fencing mats (thatties), winnowing trays, hand fans and other articles required in rural areas. There are nearly 20,000 members of weaker sections belonging to 425 burood societies receiving bamboo from select depots of Forest Department. While the quantity of supplies made to these societies varies from year to year, on average the demand by this sector is about 15,000 metric tonnes. the above said facts are mentioned in NATIONAL BAMBOO MISSION-- A ROAD MAP FOR ANDHRA PRADESH BAMBOO MISSION- PART III. So there will not be any ambiguity to the govt ap to pass a resollution to convert the medari caste people into ST and the same may send to the central govt.
Posted on: Sun, 23 Jun 2013 06:29:11 +0000
Trending Topics
Recently Viewed Topics
© 2015