What Makes Bamboo So Special?
- Bamboo’s certain species are recorded fastest growing plant on this planet.
- It has been recorded growing at an amazing 47.6 inches in a 24-hour period.
- Bamboo is a crucial element in the balance of oxygen and carbon dioxide in the atmosphere.
- A grove of bamboo release 30% - 35% more oxygen than an equivalent stand of trees hence is an effective way to reduce global warming. Bamboo is a viable replacement for wood. Thus, it is sustainable. Means we are taking Bamboo from the nature but not to harm it instead to protect our country from harmful global warming.
- These plants can grow anywhere and don't need the use of fertilizers for their growth. The fallen leaves of the plant provide the essential nutrients needed.
Peeking Inside Bamboo
- Bamboo is primarily a type of giant grass with woody stem.
- The stems are called shoots when the plant is young and known as culms when the plant is mature.
- A single bamboo clump can produce up to 15 kilometres of usable poles (up to 30 cm in diameter) in its lifetime.
Bamboo In India
- India is the world’s second largest cultivator of bamboo after China, with 136 species and 23 genera (sub- categories of species) spread over 13.96 million hectares.
- According to the Union Ministry of Agriculture and Farmer Welfare, India’s annual bamboo production is estimated at 3.23 million tonnes.
- Global bamboo trade and commerce is 4 percent.
- Major states in Eastern India which produce Bamboo - Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, Sikkim, Tripura and West Bengal.