Now, bamboo plantations in Kheda, Gujarat

Talk about bamboo in Gujarat and a picture of Dang’s forest comes to mind. But now residents of Kaprupur village in Mahudha taluka of Kheda district have begun cultivating the plant. They have successfully grown around 15,000 bamboo plants on the village wasteland.

This is an example of how work under NREGA (Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act) can be linked to a project that can be helpful not only to villagers but to self-help groups (SHGs) too. Sakhi mandal workers are also involved in taking care of the plants.

Villagers thought of this project to save their pasture land from getting into the wrong hands. “Some people having political connections had eyes on the land. They wanted to set up a private university on it but we didn’t want that. So we passed a resolution in gram sabha to grow bamboo on the land. We have 52 hectares of grazing and wasteland. Out project was approved,” said Udesinh Sodha, former sarpanch of Kaprupur.

Manoj Makwana, 36, is a gram rojgar sewak and is working under this scheme for the last two-and-a-half years. He said, “The bamboo yield will be 225 tonne/hectare and it will continue providing income to the village panchayat for the next 30-40 years. The project will make us economically self-reliant.”

Till date 813 job cards have been issued with 25% women’s participation. Participation by BPL families has been 50% and 40,649 man-days have been generated. It is expected that after five years the yield will be sold for approximately Rs2,000 per tonne.

Makwana added, “Members of SHGs were also involved in the project. More than 100 women from the village used to fetch water from the river and irrigate the plants. Now they will be trained to make artefacts, mats, toys and other items out of bamboo to earn more.”

Most bamboo species produce mature fibre in three years, sooner than any tree species.  Bamboo can be grown quickly and easily and sustainably harvested in three to five year cycles.
 
SF Saiyyad, director of District Rural Development Agency (DRDA), Kheda said, “Kaprupur is on the riverbank and bamboo needs water so we feel that the wasteland should be suitable for the plant. Initially, 5,000 plants of Balkusha species of bamboo were brought from Tamil Nadu.

Since 90% plants survived, 10,000 more were planted. This project has also been proposed for the national level NREGA award from the state.”