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LATEST NEWS UPDATES | Forest dept will not let villagers harvest bamboo by Sandeep Ashar

Forest dept will not let villagers harvest bamboo by Sandeep Ashar

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published Published on May 16, 2011   modified Modified on May 16, 2011
Union minister Jairam Ramesh's order notwithstanding, the state forest department is unwilling to transfer the rights over harvesting bamboos to forest dwellers.

The department currently holds the right to harvest bamboo in the state. Its contention is that allowing villagers to cut bamboo will affect the sustainability of the produce as forest dwellers do not know the proper rules of harvest. Instead, the officials are ready to send the cut bamboo shoots or the proceeds from their sale to gram sabhas, from where they could be distribute to individuals or a community.

On April 28, the Union environment and forests minister gave the green signal to start the process of issuing transit licences to villagers so that they get the right to harvest and sell bamboo grown within their community areas. Ramesh, along chief minister Prithviraj Chavan, was speaking at a function organized in Menda-Lekha village in Gadchiroli. Even the Scheduled Tribes and Other Traditional Forest Dwellers (Recognition of Forest Rights) Act, 2006, also referred to as FRA, 2006, recognizes the right of ownership, access to collect, use and dispose of minor forest produce including bamboo, by the villagers.

Farmers have to be very particular while growing and cutting bamboo, a senior forest official said. Cutting a bamboo shoot is prohibited for the first two years and mature culms (stalks) are not supposed to be extracted. He added that past experiences showed that most villagers, when being issued transit passes to cut bamboo for their personal use and sale, would never stick to the rules. The department has suggested that it should conduct the felling exercises and engage local labourers for the work till villagers learn the rules. However, to make sure that forest dwellers are not left out in the deal, the officials are ready to deposit the sale proceeds or the cut shoots with gram sabhas, as prescribed by the FRA.

The forest department also disagrees with the FRA provision that permits commercial harvesting of bamboo as "it would have adverse impact on its conservation". Disapproving of Menda Lekha villagers starting harvest for commercial purposes, a forest officials said their practice was not in keeping with the spirit and provisions of FRA. The department has also asked for a cap on bamboo sale outside the village boundaries to curb exploitation.

The Times of India, 16 May, 2011, http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/mumbai/Forest-dept-will-not-let-villagers-harvest-bamboo/articleshow/8352975.cms


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