On 4th July 2021, member of Parliament from Udaipur – Arjun Lal Meena launched Project BOLD – ‘Bamboo Oasis on Lands in Drought’ in tribal village Nichla Mandwa in Udaipur.
As part of the project, Khadi and Village Industries Commission (KVIC) planted 5,000 bamboo saplings in the village. In the process, KVIC has thus created a world record of planting the highest number of bamboo saplings on a single day at one location.
Later on 28th July, KVIC & BSF launched Project BOLD in Jaisalmer to Prevent Desertification and Support Rural Economy. In an effort to develop green cover in the Indian deserts of Rajasthan, KVIC planted 1000 bamboo saplings at Tanot village in Jaisalmer, in collaboration with the Border Security Force (BSF)
Project BOLD: Bamboo Oasis on Lands in Drought
Project BOLD, seeks to create bamboo-based green patches in arid and semi-arid land zones. The project combines national objectives of reducing desertification, providing livelihood and multi-disciplinary rural industry support.
As part of the project-BOLD in Udaipur, 5000 saplings of special bamboo species – Bambusa Tulda and Bambusa Polymorpha specially brought from Assam – have been planted over 25 bigha (16 acres approx) of vacant arid Gram Panchayat land.
In Project-BOLD at Jaisalmer, the Bamboo saplings have been planted over 2.50 lakh sq feet of Gram Panchayat land near the famous Tanot Mata Temple which is located close to Longewala Post on the Indo-Pak Border. Situated nearly 120 Kms from the Jaisalmer city, Tanot has become one of most visited tourist spots in Rajasthan. KVIC plans to develop the bamboo-based green patch in Tanot as a tourist attraction. BSF will be responsible for maintaining the plants.
The initiative has been launched as part of KVIC’s “Khadi Bamboo Festival” to celebrate 75 years of independence “Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav”. KVIC is set to replicate the Project at Village Dholera in Ahmedabad district in Gujarat and Leh-Ladakh region by August this year. Total 15,000 bamboo saplings will be planted before August 21.
In the next 3 years, 1000 bamboo plants will multiply and produce at least 4,000 bamboo logs weighing about 100 MT of bamboo. At the current market rate of Rs 5000 per ton, this bamboo produce will generate an income of nearly Rs 5 lakh after three years and later on every year, thus supporting the local economy.
Why KVIC has planted Bamboo trees only ?
KVIC has judiciously chosen bamboo for developing green patches. Bamboos grow very fast and in about three years’ time, they could be harvested.
Bamboos are also known for conserving water and reducing evaporation of water from the land surface, which is an important feature in arid and drought-prone regions.
Bamboo can be used for making agarbatti sticks, furniture, handicraft, musical instruments and paper pulp while the waste can be used in making charcoal and fuel briquette.
